Benjamin Mills, Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Saw-Handle Percussion Rifle

Percussion "Saw-Handle" Rifle, manufactured by Benjamin Mills, circa 1830-1870. Half-stock configuration, wood appears to be walnut, ~.45 caliber. Lockplate is stamped, "B. MILLS / HARRODSBURG KY." The name Benjamin Mills turns up in a number of entries in regard to Confederate weapons; it is my opinion these may be considered secondary Confederate arms.
Overall length of gun is ~54-1/8" (including ramrod), without ramrod overall length is ~51-1/8"; barrel length is ~34-1/2". Double-set triggers; iron trigger-guard, patch-box, butt-plate, fore-end cap, and ramrod guides; dove-tailed front and rear sights.
Fair to good condition overall. Ramrod may be a replacement.

Used gun; antique; not sold as a shooter; no warranty implied or given. Sold as is. Please have any gun you intend to shoot - in any fashion - checked by a competent gunsmith.

Some useful backround information and research (see footnotes) -
F. M. Mills was a gunmaker in Charlottesville, North Carolina circa 1784-1790, later moved to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, circa 1790 to at least 1814. While in Kentucky, Mills produced the rifles for Colonel Richard M. Johnston’s Mounted Kentucky Rifles, which defeated Proctor’s Command at the battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813.1 F.M. Mills apparently learned his trade from Henry Leman of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.2 His son, Benjamin Mills, succeeded him in the business at some point after 1814.
Benjamin Mills was the son of F.M. Mills and succeeded his father in business at some time prior to about 1830 (it has been suggested circa 1814-1815). He was appointed as the Master Armorer at the Harper's Ferry Arsenal by Secretary of War, John B. Floyd in 1858. He served as the Master Armorer for about a year and was one of the people captured and held by John Brown during his infamous raid. He was rescued the next day by Marines under Colonel Robert E. Lee. He later testified at John Brown's trial. The United States offered him a position as chief armorer at Springfield, Massachusetts if he would stay with the Union; he declined the offer. He was Assistant Armorer at Harpers Ferry at the outbreak of the Civil War and went over to the Confederate States in charge of the Fayetteville Armory, North Carolina, during the War. He accompanied his [Harpers Ferry] machinery to Fayetteville, North Carolina after its seizure by the State of Virginia in 1861.3 Reportedly, he also he worked at Palmetto, South Carolina, arsenal.4
He went back to Harrodsburg, Kentucky after the Civil War and was active until about 1875. He made saw-handle percussion target pistols [and apparently saw-handle rifles] with excellent locks and trigger action.5 Benjamin Mills had the reputation of being one of the finest gunsmiths in America. He was reputed to have been the world’s best long-rifle craftsman.6
Benjamin “Ben” Mills was evidently an officer or employee of the machine shop of Ainslee & Cochran, at Louisville, Kentucky. Holt & Owen recommended payment of their account in full $151.70, for inspecting repairing, and sighting the arms in the hands of the 19th Regiment, Kentucky Volunteers training at Camp Harrod. Eight men were on the job of making special lathe tools for aligning barrels and sights perfectly, and they worked on the regiments arms from about 3:30 p.m. of a Saturday, all of Saturday night, and Sunday until 2:00 p.m., “for which we had to pay double wages,” as Ainslee & Cochran complained. Their account was paid in full. 7