Original Item: Only One Available. Just purchased at a recent military auction! This is a very nice "Pennsylvania" flintlock hunting rifle, often referred to as a "Kentucky" rifle. The design developed in Pennsylvania, and then spread down the Ohio River Valley to Kentucky, where it was very popular. This is a great example, with a beautiful full length maple stock, a very common wood to use on Pennsylvania rifles. While not "tiger flame" level, it does have some lovely figuring in the butt stock area, and in scattered locations up and down the stock. The stock is relatively thin with a lovely gently sweeping curve, which along with the ornate side plate around the patch box cover is a hallmark of the Lancaster area.

The rifle features all brass mountings, including a lovely patch box on the right side of the stock, opened by pressing a button on the bottom. The rifle features a 41 inch long octagonal barrel with a bore of about 0.54", having been smoothbored out to about 30 bore at sometime for use as a fowling piece. Overall length is 56 1/2 inches, and the barrel was originally relatively heavy for accurate shooting, much like "bench rest" rifles of the day.

We checked the rifle thoroughly, and we were not able to see any markings on the lock or the barrel, however we would assume that it was made with a "trade lock", possibly imported from England. The lock definitely shows a high level of manufacture, with some lovely engraving towards the tail. Even better, it is still in the original flintlock configuration, which is quite rare to see, as most Pennsylvania rifles we see were converted to percussion during the mid 19th century. It is fully functional at present, holding correctly at half cock and firing at full.

The gun is in overall very good condition, with wear commensurate with age and service. It features a simple rear notch sight with a front brass blade sight, with no signs that other sights were present in the past. The bore shows past fouling and oxidation. particularly towards the muzzle, and a bore light shows that it definitely was made smoothbore, as there is no trace of rifling to be seen, just a smooth round surface in the lower parts of the barrel. The metalwork shows a lovely aged patina, though there is a bit of grease and staining present overall. There is a wooden ramrod under the barrel, which looks to be a working life display replacement.

The stock is lovely, with great chatoyancy in the figured butt stock area. There is a very nice cheek piece on the left side of the butt stock, which is unadorned. The butt plate is a bit loose on the stock, though the screws are tight. There are some past repairs around the barrel tang, a very common place for these to occur.

A very nice Pennsylvania Flintlock Hunting rifle converted to a fowling piece with a great look. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1800
Caliber: approx. .54" Smoothbore - about 30 Bore
Cartridge Type: Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 41 Inches
Overall Length: 56 1/2 Inches
Action type: Side Action Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.