>>17395683The clearest source-backed description is:
Firearm: rifle
Type/action: described as a single-shot rifle
Shotgun: contemporary reporting indicates it was not a shotgun
Brand/manufacturer: not reliably documented
Model: not reliably documented
Caliber: not reliably documented
His friend Joshua Steen provided the βcheap, run-of-the-mill, single-shot rifleβ description in contemporary reporting.
There are later internet claims about specific models and calibers, but I haven't found reliable evidence from police, the medical examiner, McNutt's family, or reputable contemporary journalism that confirms any of them.
Bottom line: the firearm can reasonably be identified only as a single-shot rifle based on the reliable public record.