Certainly a rare, desirable an Early centerfire gun but it is duly noted there is a vast difference in saying "A" early centerfire gun & saying "The" first centerfire gun.
Sort of like Samuel Colt may have made "A" practical revolver & made it famous, But he did Not invent "The" revolver. He was about 200 years late for that & in fact his patent did not lay claims to inventing the revolver.

Miller/TN
I Didn't Say Everything I Said, Yogi Berra