From the 1760s to his death in 1822 Jacob Dickert was both a military contractor and a respected Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, gunmaker. Dickert was born in Germany in 1740 and arrived in the colonies in 1748 with his parents. He is believed to have made weapons for the Continental Army and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the revolution, but his first known contract is dated 1792. He owned a gun barrel boring mill a few miles from his gun factory in Manheim Township. He later took his grandson on as an apprentice and then business partner. Despite his long career and the large number of rifles he undoubtedly produced, examples of Dickert's work are extremely rare and desirable today. A Dickert rifle is said to have been used by Davy Crockett at the Alamo, and one is on display at the Alamo to this day. This example is signed "J Dickert" on the barrel near the breech. It was likely originally rifled but is now smoothbore. This rifle has the standard style blade and notch sights common on early American rifles, brass furniture, single trigger, unmarked lock with simple floral bloom engraved behind the cock and a stepped tail, and a full length maple stock with some incised line and scroll accents on the forend and a simple cheekpiece. The patch box is a classic Lancaster "daisy" patch box and has some light engraving. The release is on the heel. Includes a hand-written report from early American arms collector, dealer, and Kentucky Rifle Association and American Society of Arms Collectors member Stephen D. Hench.

Good as reconverted to flintlock configuration and with a shortened barrel (once from the muzzle and once at the breech during reconversion) exhibiting natural dark brown patina, moderate erosion at the breech, some tool marks, and moderate overall wear. The lock and barrel at the breech have some artificial brown finish from the reconversion that display nicely. The patch box was cleaned, but it and the other brass furniture have taken on attractive aged patina. The ramrod pipes are chipped and dented. The stock is fine and has several cracks, some chips and slivers absent from the edges, a repair between the barrel tang and tail of the lock, and some nice flame figure. Mechanically fair.