This George Schroyer - York County, Pennsylvania longrifle is stocked in maple stained to golden brown. The stock is not highly figured, but it is very well fitted, finished, has very attractive shaping. The stock is fitted with a sliding wood patchbox, and decorated with raised and incised carving. The carving and design of the rifle were highly influenced by a attributed rifle shown in Rifle of Colonial America, Volume 2 by George Shumway. This rifle is as-new and has been fired to align the sights. Trigger reach is 13-3/4" to fit todays average size shooter. The rifle weighs 6.8 pounds, due to excellent shaping and has a very nice balance due to the swamped barrel.

The swamped octagon .50 caliber Rice barrel is 42" long. The swamped barrel is thickest at the breech, tapers to a narrow waist, and flares at the muzzle. Cut rifled with seven lands and grooves. Grooves are cut .016" deep, with round bottom rifling. Twist is 1 turn in 66 inches, for a tightly patched round ball. Rice Muzzle Loading Rifle Barrels are set between centers and milled octagonal, insuring a centered bore, concentric with the exterior, with no "run-out". Each barrel is stress relieved in an atmosphere controlled electric furnace, to eliminate work hardening or barrel warp, and to dampen harmonic vibrations or barrel whip. After the rifling has been cut, each bore is "ball burnished". A carbide bore-sizing die is pulled through the barrel, to insure bore dimension uniformity, eliminating any tight or loose spots inside the barrel. This critical procedure leaves the top of the lands smooth and polished, equaling the traditional lead lapping procedure. Rice barrels are Match grade quality, with bench rest capability. Rice barrels do not require lapping or extensive shooting to break-in. The barrel is finished to a silver gray color. The barrel is fitted with a correct flat top rear sight 12" from the breech. The brass front sight is mounted 1-1/2" behind the muzzle.

Trimmed brass, this York County style longrifle is fitted with a sliding wood patchbox. Raised carving creates a cameo wrist, the carving extends down into the buttstock. The lock panels are shaped with a raised molding and beaver tail finial stretching down the wrist. The sliding wood patchbox is fitted with a bullet shaped door. The door has raised and incised moldings along the length with a notched thumb relief at the base. Compress the patchbox release spring head toward the door to release the patchbox. The spring can be depressed with finger pressure. A large deep cavity is below for flints, patches, or jags. The inside of the cavity has two small dutch-men repairs in the corners, the lower one is just slightly visible below the bottom edge of the lid.

Our top view shows the buttplate comb, with five flats and wedding band . Look closely, and you may notice that the buttplate is not perfectly centered behind the tang. Rather, it is very slightly offset from the right hand shooter's cheek. This feature is called cast-off, and it places the right hand shooter's eye directly behind the line of sight, making this gun instinctive to point and shoot for a right hand shooter. The flared tang is retained by a single tang bolt. The tang bolt slot is neatly aligned with the barrel. The flared tang is surrounded by excellent raised carved Fleur-de-Lis in the style of George Schroyer. The carving is well done with clean background. The bottom view shows the wide square toe. The triggerguard is finished to a hand burnished satin sheen. The lock panels are shaped with a raised molding along the rear bottom edge. The lock panels taper widest at the rear following the flare of the swamped barrel, a correct architectural detail. The slender forearm swells at the ramrod entry pipe with a raised and incised carved Fluer de Lys design. The carving flows into a raised molding along the edge of the ramrod channel. The ramrod entry pipe has a octagon body with a tapered skirt. The 3/8" diameter tapered ramrod is fitted with a brass tip with 8-32 threads.
Our side view shows the large burnished brass sideplate which is fitted to the side panel. The sideplate has a distinctive English influence with sweeping lines and a pointed tail. The cheek piece is shaped in a classic square Kentucky style. Raised and incised carved scrolls, decorate the area ahead and behind the cheek piece.

Ignition is provided by a Jim Chambers' Golden Age flint lock. The lock has been finished to the same silvery gray as the barrel. The lock has a very strong mainspring and sparks quite well. We recommend our 3/4" knapped English flints, for best performance in this lock. The top jaw screw and lock bolts have been case hardened to help resist slot wear that can occur with regular use. The single trigger is shaped with a wide face. The single trigger has a smooth crisp release due to correct internal geometry. Fast ignition is assured by the stainless vent liner, positioned well above the bottom of the pan, centered on the heat of the flash. A vent liner brings the main powder charge very close to the center of your priming 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.

If you desire a attractive longrifle, then consider this fine piece. In as-new condition, the rifle has a bright bore and none of the handling marks commonly associated with normal use. This rifle also shows that a well fitted and finished rifle does not require highly figured wood, when the rifle is in the fit, finish, and architectural details.