Early 19th Century military flintlock rifle with stock and patch box that closely resemble the Second Model Virginia Manufactory rifle manufactured in Richmond, Virginia between 1812 and 1821. The stock is fitted with a large, plain, brass patch box secured by three screws and four pins with a round screw finial at the top of the box. The full length black walnut stock has a square cheekpiece on the left side and slightly curved brass buttplate. The Kentucky style brass trigger guard and flat brass side plate appear to be nearly identical to those on the 2nd Model Virginia Manufactory rifle. The barrel is fastened to the stock with three wedges. The stock has two brass ramrod pipes, a brass tail pipe and a brass forearm cap. The rifle has a hickory ramrod with swelled tip. The double bridle lock plate has a flat face with distinctive tip, integral fenced iron pan and flat-faced goose-neck hammer with etched borders and delicate tip. The lock has no legible markings. The rifle has a 67 caliber full octagon barrel. The barrel has a dovetail mounted iron rear sight six-inches above the breech and a dovetail mounted brass blade front sight. The left barrel flat is stamped with "US" in a sunken oval (we are not sure what this barrel is from) cartouche followed by an Eagle Head/P proofmark in a sunken oval. Although the stock and patch box are very similar to the 2nd Model Virginia Manufactory rifle; that rifle had a 46-inch, 50 caliber half-round barrel and was not U.S. proofed and inspected, the hammer and frizzen spring tip are different pattern from the Manufactory rifle and the lock plate lacks the "VIRGINIA" markings. Consigner notes state that the gun was found in St. Louis many years ago.

Good. The rifle shows great age and hard use. The barrel and lock have a deep brown patina with scattered surface rust and heavy flash pitting surrounding the flash hole and pan. There are illegible markings on the lock plate in front of the hammer. The brass patch box, trigger guard, side plate and ramrod pipes have a dark untouched patina. The walnut stock has a considerable gap around the edges of the lock plate. There are several hairline cracks in the stock wrist running back from the barrel tang and two larger cracks in the lower portion of the stock that run upward toward the front of the patch box. This is an interesting Virginia Manufactory Type flintlock rifle with U.S. marked barrel that clearly dates from the early 19th Century and has military associations. If this gun could talk, what a history it could tell!