U.S. Model 1817 Rifle ("Common Rifle") manufactured by Simeon North in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1825. The rifle has a round barrel with iron front sight and fixed back sight. The forward portion of the lock plate is beveled and the rear portion is rounded. The lock has a convex, reinforced, hammer, detachable brass pan and frizzen with straight toe. The iron trigger guard has a sling swivel mounted on the finger spur. The oil-finished walnut stock is secured by three-spring fastened bands and has a large oval patch box and flat buttplate. The rifle is fitted with an iron ramrod with brass tip. The lock plate is marked: "MIDDLTN/CONN./1826" in three vertical lines behind the hammer and "U.S./S.NORTH" in two lines in front of it. The barrel tang is dated "1825". The top of the barrel is stamped with "U.S." followed by an indented "P" proofmark and the sub-inspector's initials "JN". The left stock flat is stamped with a final inspection mark that consists of the inspector's script initials surrounded by an oval border. "US" is stamped on the buttplate heel. The rifle barrel and iron mountings have a brown finish. The lock, hammer and frizzen are casehardened. The Ordnance Department purchased 7,200 Model 1817 Rifles from Simeon North between 1824 and 1829. The Model 1817 Rifle was the primary U.S. Army rifle from 1817 until the early 1840s. A few Common Rifles remained in service at the outbreak of the Civil War.

Excellent. The rifle retains over 90% of the original brown and casehardened finish and is in the original flintlock configuration. The barrel has nearly all of the deep brown finish; the rifling is sharp and the markings on the breech and tang are crisp. Nearly all of the original brown finish is present on the trigger guard, patch box and buttplate. The barrel bands, springs and side plate have about 40% of the original finish. The lock plate has most of the mottled, casehardened, finish. The hammer, frizzen and frizzen spring have a dark patina. The lock markings are sharp. There is only very minor flash pitting surrounding the flash hole and adjacent portions of the barrel and lock. The stock is in excellent condition; the edges of the flats have sharp edges that show minimal wear. The final inspection stamp on the left flat is crisp. This is a excellent example of a North Model 1817 Flintlock Common Rifle that is in outstanding condition for a 185 year old firearm.