It is believed that the Model 1792 Contract Rifle was quite possibly the rifle issued to the Lewis & Clark expedition from the Harper's Ferry Arsenal for the Expedition of Discovery. Based on research in Man at Arms magazine by Frank A. Tait, and American Military Shoulder Arms by George Moller, a better picture of the 1792 Contract rifle has begun to be pieced together. After the defeat of Major General Arthur St. Clair on the Wabash in late 1791. The Secretary of War, Henry Knox began procuring rifles for the army. After examining a prototype rifle, he gave approval on February 4th, 1792 for the first small arm designed specifically for the Army of the United States. The rifle was to have these specifications: a 42" rifled barrel bored 40 balls to the pound (about .490"), the lock was to have a fly in the tumbler, the stock to be made from well seasoned maple, and the catch spring release to be high so as to be accessible to the thumb. The small number of rifles produced and the belief that many of these rifles were not marked as Government property, has made identification of these important rifles difficult.

Order our 1792 Contract longrifle parts set from our suggested list of parts to build a rifle similar to the one shown. This project requires drilling, tapping, inletting, shaping, and finishing. This parts set typically requires 40 to 60 hours of skilled labor to complete. A basic understanding of longrifle building techniques as shown in the book Recreating the American Longrifle is advised, or the mentorship of a skilled gun builder. Many options are available to build this rifle. Each part will add to the website shopping cart individually. Select the parts you need for your project, so you can create your own custom rifle. Click on one of the links above or below to start your selections. You can find additional information about each part by clicking the product image, or part number.