This classic American flint longrifle captures the style of the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania gun makers. Stocked in curly maple, trimmed in engraved brass furniture, with a 42" Colerain swamped barrel, this .50 caliber rifle will be a joy to shoot. This attractively shaped and finished rifle is new, unfired, by contemporary builder M. Compton. Trigger reach is 13-1/2" to fit todays average size shooter. Weight is 9.4 pounds.
The 42" swamped octagon barrel is thickest at the breech for strength, tapers to a narrow waist, and flares at the muzzle. The .50 caliber bore is cut rifled with six radius bottom grooves with a slow twist for patched round ball. The bore is bright, clean, and ready to shoot. Colerain rifle barrels are the favorite choice of today's best muzzle loading gun makers, because knowledgeable shooters demand Colerain's accuracy, inside and outside. Colerain rifle barrels are drilled from solid steel, cut rifled with six "round bottom" grooves. Called "radius groove rifling", Colerain eliminates the sharp inside corner that accumulates fouling. Radius groove rifling cutters are a bit more expensive to make, but Colerain's customers agree that the accuracy, easy loading, and easy cleaning are worth the cost. The barrel is finished to a dark chocolate brown. A flat top rear sight is dovetailed 11" ahead of the breech. A barley corn style browned iron blade front sight is dovetailed 1-1/2" behind the muzzle.
This attractive flint fullstock longrifle is trimmed in brass, which has been burnished to a satin finish. The stock is finished to a dark brown and rubbed back to reveal a warm undertone. The mid 18th century styled buttplate is wide, flat, and comfortable to aim. It engages your shoulder to minimize the felt recoil of this .50 caliber rifle. The buttplate comb is shaped with five flats and a wedding band, which is neatly engraved. The transition from the comb to wrist is decorated with carving that flows down into the wrist and terminates in a scroll design. Raised carving surrounds the flared tang of the breech plug. A single bolt passes through the tang and stock to engage the trigger plate below. The barrel is retained to the forearm with three pins. The sliding wood patchbox is decorated with incised carving around the edges and has a notch for thumb relief at the base. Compress the spring and slide the patchbox to the rear to reveal a deep cut cavity for flints, jags, or other shooting accessories.
Our bottom view of the rifle shows off the engraved brass toeplate and triggerguard. The decorative toeplate is held in position by a steel screw. In addition to its decorative factor the toeplate adds a level of protection to the wood when loading and cleaning. The brass triggerguard is pinned to the stock in traditional fashion. The guard is engraved with the builder's signature. Raised carving surrounds the rear of the ramrod entry pipe, and additional carving above the entry pipe transitions into a raised molding along the forend of the rifle. A brass muzzle cap protects the end grain of the stock. The 3/8" diameter ramrod is fitted with a tapered steel tip with 8-32 threads to accept loading and cleaning accessories. The ramrod is held in place with two brass octagon shaped ramrod pipes with bands on each end, and matching entry pipe. A backside view of the rifle shows off the engraved brass Lancaster County sideplate that has been used on the rifle. Further back on the gun the classic squared cheek provides the shooter with a comfortable platform to align sights. The buttstock is carved with raised scrolls surrounding the cheek piece. An incised line runs along the bottom of the buttstock from the trigger plate back to the toe.
Ignition is provided by a Jim Chambers' Golden Age flintlock. Tuned for best performance the beefy mainspring provides lots of energy, and this fast lock will throw sparks on the carpet. Finished to a dark brown to match the barrel. We recommend our #FLINT-ENG-6 3/4" knapped English flints for best performance in this lock. The bottom of the pan is marked 118 for Mr. Compton's 118th rifle made. The single trigger has been correctly pinned to provide a smooth release of the lock. The White Lightnin' touch hole liner is properly positioned on 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.
In as-new unfired condition, this contemporary longrifle will be a joy to shoot! The lucky buyer will own a treasure that will last a lifetime, and his heirs will raise toasts to his good taste, far into the future. 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.
