This attractive early Colonial era longrifle is stocked in maple and trimmed in brass furniture. The rifle has a strong Germanic influence with a swamped octagon barrel, and Jim Chambers Germanic lock with "banana" shaped lock plate. This rifle has many rococo influences on the furniture and carving. You can see the influence that Germanic immigrants, such as those that settled around or near Christian's Spring, Pennsylvania, during the mid 1700's had on the influence of the design of American longrifles. The maple stock is stained to a dark brown, decorated with raised carving , and fitted with a sliding wood patchbox. Neatly assembled and patina finished by contemporary maker D. Ciekot. This rifle has a 13-1/4" reach and weighs just 9.1 pounds. The balance point of the rifle is positioned just behind the rear sight.
The .66 caliber, or 16 bore, swamped octagon Rice barrel has a 41" length. The swamped octagon barrel is thickest at the breech, tapers to a narrow waist, and flares slightly at the muzzle. Cut rifled the bore has seven lands and radius grooves with a 1 in 66" twist for a tightly patched round ball. The bore is bright and clean and has been well maintained. The muzzle has a decorative incised band around it. The steel blade front sight is finished to a silvery gray patina. The rear sight is fitted just forward of the balance point, 12" forward of the breech, allowing the rifle to be carried as easily as it is sighted. The .66 caliber bore, and early style tapered and flared octagon barrel balances nicely in your hands and is very steady to aim offhand. Rice Muzzle Loading Rifle Barrels are set between centers and milled octagonal, insuring a centered bore, concentric with the exterior, with no "run-out". Each barrel is stress relieved in an atmosphere controlled electric furnace, to eliminate work hardening or barrel warp, and to dampen harmonic vibrations or barrel whip.
After the rifling has been cut, each bore is "ball burnished". A carbide bore-sizing die is pulled through the barrel, to insure bore dimension uniformity, eliminating any tight or loose spots inside the barrel. This critical procedure leaves the top of the lands smooth and polished, equaling the traditional lead lapping procedure. Rice barrels are Match grade quality, with bench rest capability. Rice barrels do not require lapping or extensive shooting to break-in.
Stocked in maple this rifle has a angular buttstock shape, with a slight step or angle at the lower wrist, that is often seen on Jaeger rifles from Germany, This feature also found on early American flint longrifles that evolved over a few decades. More German influence is apparent in the overall size and shape of the butt of the rifle. The wide, nearly flat buttplate will help to spread the felt recoil from the .66 caliber bore. A raised molding line runs down from the toe to the stepped wrist. The front edge of the comb is defined with a line of raised and incised carving.The sliding wooden patchbox that has been installed on the butt is shaped with thumb relief at the base and raised moldings along the edge. The door is easily removed by compressing the latch toward the lid and sliding the door toward the buttplate. The buttplate is shaped with a long asymmetric comb in the style of an acanthus leaf. The comb of the buttplate is hand engraved with a decorative border. The lock panels taper widest at the rear in early longrifle fashion. The panels are shaped with a raised molding along the edges and a raised and incised carved scroll design around the flared thumbnail tang.
This bottom view shows the width of the comfortable buttplate. The brass toeplate is accented with hand engraving and mounted with brass screws. The Germanic style triggerguard flares wide through the bow and has a asymmetric front finial in the same style as the buttplate comb. The forearm has a very slight palm swell at the ramrod entry pipe, and this area is decorated with a raised carved shell and scroll design. The ramrod pipes are shaped with raised rings and the entry pipe has a pointed thumbnail skirt. The 3/8" diameter ramrod fitted with a brass tip with 8-32 threads for loading and cleaning accessories. The muzzle end of the stock is fitted with a brass muzzle cap to protect the end grain. The brass sideplate fills the side panel is Germanic fashion. The sideplate is shaped with sweeping curves and decorative moldings. The raised carving from the wrist continues into the square cheek with a molded edge. The rear of the stock is decorated with raised carved scroll designs. The stock finish has the appearance of a hand scraping as the rifle is rolled in the light.
Ignition is sure-fire, provided by this large Germanic style flint lock by Jim Chambers. Notice the early style frizzen pivot screw, a stud mounted without a pan bridle. The fancy flash pan has an octagon shape, surrounded by a molding below, as it joins the plate. This flint lock is fast, with a strong mainspring, and it sparks well. Order a dozen of our best English #Flint-ENG-7 gun flints, 7/8" size, by Tom Fuller, for best sparks. Fast ignition is assured by the stainless vent liner, positioned well above the bottom of the pan, centered on the heat of the flash. If your flint longrifle suffers from that infamous slow whoosh-bang ignition delay, study the work of today's best gun makers, and position your vent well centered on the pan, high above the bottom, to serve as a window on the center of the flash.
The traditional Germanic style double lever double set triggers with long rear trigger bar will fire from the set or unset position. The unset position requires a very firm trigger pull. The set position is well adjusted. You may cock the lock before or after you set the triggers, but the triggers must be set to the lock. Adjust the screw between the two triggers, inboard to reduce set trigger release pressure, our outboard to require a stronger pressure. The set trigger can provide very light release, perhaps an ounce or two, for accurate aimed shooting during pleasant weather.
This Germanic longrifle has a light patina finish that gives is a used but well maintained appearance. If the rifle had a few small handling marks on the stock it would certainly add to the appearance. This longrifle is used with a some marks on the frizzen from firing. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.
