Images(8)

Rifle in the American Style

Date1765-1775

OriginEngland

MediumEnglish walnut, iron, steel, brass, and silver

DimensionsOverall: 56 3/4" Barrel: 41 1/4" x .45 caliber Lockplate: 5 15/16" x 1"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1986-240

DescriptionBritish long rifle made in the American style, but with the slim lines and embellishments of a fine English fowling piece. Full-stocked with tapered and flared key-secured octagonal barrel mounted with floral motif, relief decorated silver rear sight and silver blade front sight. Stock is carved with border around barrel tang terminating in shell, tattered- shell design to front of cheek piece and similar design and incised floral design to rear of cheek piece. Lock has convex plate with double-cut border and engraved floral design. Brass mounts: trigger guard in fowler style with engraved panoply of arms on bow, double-cut border, relief chiseled scroll and leaf front finial. Brass butt plate has 3-stage tang engraved with panoply of arms. Escutcheon inlaid in wrist has an oval field with scroll border terminating in shell and scroll/leaf designs. Sideplate engraved with panoply of arms, double-cut border, and floral motifs. All panoplies are same design with boar's head and weapons. Wooden patch box cover with brass end, latch spring, and carved in fielded design with three gouge cuts at butt end and central floral motif.
Label TextBorrowing some iconic features of the Eastern Pennsylvania long rifle of the Revolutionary period, this slim rifle is the creation of an anonymous English gunsmith. A wooden patchbox and carved cheekpiece are clearly American influenced, but its lock, triggerguard, and buttplate are identical to those found on British fowling guns and officer's fusils of the era.

By combining the best features of these two disparate classes of longarms, the builder of this rifle has created something as elegant and beautiful as it was deadly accurate. Being very lightly built may be its biggest drawback and could explain why it is such a rare survival.

The few known American-inspired but English-built rifles illustrate an unusual reversal for the cross-Atlantic trade, where a distinctly American product was copied to satisfy demand in the colonies. Another example of this phenomenon is represented in Colonial Williamsburg's collection by a rifle made by William Wilson & Co. of London during the Revolution and intended for use by Britain's Native American allies (2007-28).

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