This model of rifle (and quite possibly this very rifle) found itself pointed at the not yet President George Washington in 1777. The British designer Ferguson saw two officers riding one day while scouting rebel movements.

In his journal Ferguson recounted having seen them, one even wearing quite the ornate hat, but he decided not to shoot them as they had no troops with them. And that just wouldn’t have been proper to shoot the men who never even saw him.

Had he taken that shot it very well could have ended the idea that would become the United States. Washington was the most important man in the movement to the degree that even before the first presidential election it was an open secret that Washington would be President. Had he been killed in '77 it’s possible a lesser leader would have fumbled the challenges the office presented.

The ‘lever’ is actually part of a screw mechanism that lowers allowing a paper cartridge to be inserted directly into the breach. This may not sound to crazy, but armies would still be using muzzle loaders for another ~90 years as their main fighting guns.

Video: [17:37]

It also sold at auction for $96,000