Whitney-Burgess-Morse .45-70 lever action repeating sporting rifle. This extremely rare rifle was only made from 1878-1882 and was the first lever action repeating rifle by any manufacturer to be chambered for the powerful .45-70 Government cartridge. (Marlin came out with their first in 1881 and Winchester in 1886). Only approximately 1500 of these sporting rifles were ever manufactured and surviving examples are almost never encountered today. This fine rifle is correctly stamped “A. BURGESS PATENTED JANY. 7TH 1873, PATENTED OCT 19TH 1875” on the upper tang, and on the 26” full octagon barrel “G. W. MORSE PATENTED OCT. 28TH 1856” as well as “45 CAL 70 GR C.F.” (for center fire cartridge). The barrel and magazine show good very thinning barrel blue with sharp markings and a buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact with a small blade/bead front sight. Similarly, the receiver shows good thinning blue mixing gray and has the early “S” or serpentine lever. The action is tight and the safety half-cock on the hammer holds securely. The bore shows some normal wear with good rifling all the way through. The stock and forend are fine and show only normal light handling. It has the correct forend cap that still retains some aged blue as does the loading gate. The crescent butt plate has a brass sliding trap door with a compartment to hold cleaning rods. The large frame Whitney-Burgess-Morse rifle was the predecessor to the later and more widely encountered Whitney-Kennedy repeater. This is the first and only lever action rifle made in a “buffalo hunting” caliber- .45-70, actually made while there was still active buffalo hunting being carried out on the plains. This example with serial number 1086 is in very fine condition considering that most of this model were shipped to the frontier west where they saw very heavy use and often abuse in all types of climates and conditions. Interestingly, the Whitney Firearms Company was purchased by Winchester in 1888 who promptly ceased all production to thwart these fine repeating rifles from competing with the Winchester line! The most advanced lever action rifle collections almost universally lack a Whitney- Burgess-Morse .45-70 repeating rifle. Most collectors have never encountered one. The rifle weighs 8lbs 14oz. Serial Number: 1086. This firearm qualifies as an Antique, and does not require FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.