Evolved along the lines of the nearby Lehigh Valley longrifles, this fine Bucks County rifle displays features that are fairly unique, though not limited to, that region. The side opening patchbox, triggerguard, and sideplate design all have an A. Verner, Bucks County, Pennsylvania influence. The rifle is stocked in a lovely piece of curly maple, which has been neatly carved, and is trimmed in hand engraved brass furniture. The .45 caliber swamped octagon barrel has a bright well maintained bore. The barrel is signed by the late contemporary builder R.E. Grieder. Trigger reach is 13-1/2" to fit today's average size shooter. Weight is 8.7 pounds.

The .45 caliber G.R. Douglas XX premium swamped octagon barrel measures 42" long. The swamped barrel is thickest at the breech, tapers to a narrow waist, and flares at the muzzle. The barrel is cut rifled with eight equal sized lands and grooves, in a slow twist, for use with a patched round ball. The bore is bright, clean, and ready to shoot. The muzzle end of the barrel is decorated with a punch dot design and engraving. The Douglas XX barrels were selected due to minimal run-out during manufacturing. The G.R. Douglas and XX marking are on the bottom flat. The barrel is finished to a smooth silvery-brown and the top flat is signed R.E. Grieder near the breech. A flat top rear sight is dovetailed 10-1/4" ahead of the breech. A brass blade front sight with brass base is dovetailed 2" behind the muzzle. A single bolt passes through the short flared tang to engage the trigger plate below. Three iron keys with brass heads pass directly through the stock to retain the barrel to the forearm. The keys are captured to prevent loss. The barrel channel on this rifle is bedded. The tang bolt slot displays some wear and it appears this barrel was dismounted for cleaning, then carefully fitted back into the stock. Even with the bedding the stock forearm is very thin with the barrel removed, and should be handled with care.

The curly maple stock is stained to a dark brown color with a golden undertone to best display the tight figure in the curly maple stock. The buttstock is fitted with a wide buttplate, flat and comfortable, ideal for this .45 caliber longrifle. The side opening engraved patchbox is common to the Bucks County school, but not limited to it. The patchbox door is opened with a brass push button located in the buttplate comb. Push the button down to release the side opening door to reveal a deep cut cavity for storing flints, patches, or other related accessories. The cavity has two small wire brackets glued in place to retain a cleaning jag and ball puller. The top view shows the tang is surrounded by raised carving that flows down to highlight the raised lock panels. A nickel silver oval inlay decorates the top of the wrist. Raised carving accents the comb and wrist before flowing down the buttstock and transitioning into raised and incised carving. A double line of incised carving highlights the toe line of the buttstock before terminating at the rear of the trigger plate.

A hand engraved brass toeplate is fitted to protect the toe of the rifle. The polished brass triggerguard has a light amount of engraving on the bow. An engraved brass Indian head inlay is located just ahead of the trigger guard, we note a small crack extending from the front of the triggerguard to the rear of the Indian head inlay. The forend of the rifle has raised carving that surrounds the engraved entry pipe. The raised carving flows upward and transitions into an incised molding running along the ramrod channel to the brass muzzle cap that protects the end grain of the stock. Two brass octagon shaped ramrod pipes with ringed ends secure the ramrod to this rifle. The matching entry pipe has a long skirt. The wood at the end of the skirt has some chipping from pulling against the brass skirt. The 3/8" diameter wooden ramrod is fitted with a brass loading tip and the opposite end is fitted with a tip with 8-32 threads to accept loading and cleaning accessories. The cheek is inlaid with an engraved brass hunter's star. Beautiful raised carving decorates the area surrounding the cheek. The brass sideplate is shaped with a arrow tail and two bolts pass through to engage the lock on the opposite side.

This rifle is fitted with a large Siler flintlock. This Germanic style lock captures the styling used on many American longrifles. Most flint locks were imported from England or Europe, for use by American gunmakers. We recommend our best 3/4" English gun flint, #FLINT-ENG-6 for best performance in this lock. The lock is finished to match the barrel. The stainless steel vent hole is well positioned both horizontally and vertically on the pan, centered on the heat of the flash. If your flint gun 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 single trigger, with decorative back, provides a smooth release of the lock. This trigger has a very light spring attached to it so it is always touching the sear. If you dismount the lock you will need to push the trigger forward slightly for clearance until the sear is past the trigger.

This Bucks County longrifle is offered in excellent used condition with a bright bore that is ready to shoot. Very neatly assembled with fine carving and engraving. This rifle will be a joy to own and show off to your family and friends. 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.