Beschreibung:

.57 caliber, 42" octagonal barrel, .39" across the flats. Browned finish, brass furniture, maple stock. Barrel marked J HENRY - PHILA and with a US military depressed "P" proof and a "W" inspection mark. Trigger with a small "K" inspection mark on the obverse web. Flat, stepped lock marked DREPERT, with rounded, fenced, bridled iron pan and flat swan neck cock. Brass furniture, with engraved four-piece Daisy Head patchbox, flat side plate, semi-pistol gripped trigger guard, butt and toe plates, oval wrist escutcheon, nose cap and three brass thimbles. Folding leaf rear sight, blade front sight. Stock with raised cheek rest and incised lines along the lower edge of the stock above the rammer channel, butt about 1.5" wide. Brass tipped wooden ramrod. This is a very interesting, early American rifle, probably circa 1790-1810. This rifle compares favorably to the specifications of the US Model 1792 (and 1794) rifle contracts and is very similar to the 1792/94 configuration as produced by a small number of Lancaster, PA gunmakers. The "J Henry" barrel mark suggests John Joseph Henry, who was working in Lancaster ca 1775-1811. The presence of US military-style proof and view marks suggest this barrel may have originally been intended for use on a 1792 contract rifle, but was never used, possibly due to muzzle damage and was subsequently shortened from the regulation 44" +/- length to the current 42" length. Although Henry was never a 1792 rifle contractor, he may have produced barrels for those who did have such contracts, or he may have obtained the barrel on the open market when it was no longer usable for a US contract rifle. The Drepert marked lock is likely a corruption of the name "Drepperd" and several Lancaster gunsmiths worked with that surname during the period that this rifle was built. Again, Drepert (Drepperd) did not hold any 1792 or 1794 contracts but was likely involved as a sub-contractor, producing parts for those who did receive contracts. This theory is further bolstered by the fact that Drepert marked locks are known in extant examples of John Guest 1807-1808 contract pistols. Guest was also a Lancaster gunmaker. The sub-inspected trigger appears to be from a slightly later era than the 1792/94 contracts and appears appropriate for arms from the first decade of the 19th century. The rifle holds together beautifully and was either assembled for civilian use or possibly for a small state contract in the period immediately after the 1792/94 contracts. This rifle was no doubt produced prior to the War of 1812 and could well have seen service during that period as well. As no known examples of the total of 3,476 Model 1792 contract rifles (delivered in 1792 and 1794) are known, this rifle may be the closest an advanced collector will ever get to owning one of those non-existent US military rifles. This would certainly be about as good a representative example as one could realistically hope to obtain. Condition: About very good overall, an extremely high quality re-conversion to flint. Barrel with a moderately oxidized brown patina and strong markings. There is moderate amount of pitting around the breech, near the touch hole. The lock has been restored, with the pan welded to the plate and the hammer likely a replacement. Lock is mechanically functional, and the bore is good with strong rifling and moderate pitting. The brass furniture has a lovely deep butterscotch patina. The rear sight has folding blackened copper leaves that are likely later replacements. The stock is equally nice condition, with strong edges and lines, and showing the expected handling bumps and dings. There is some minor wood loss around the barrel wedges on the obverse of the fore-end, and around some of the of the pins. There is also some minor slivered loss. Lancaster produced American long rifles from the very beginning of the 19th century.