This smoothbore "rifle" is gun no. 150 in Joe Kindig Jr.'s "Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in Its Golden Age." Kindig notes that Welshans was a good engraver but that he was not certain which J. Welshans made this rifle or the other two examples he discusses due to the several J. Welshans listed in and near York, Pennsylvania in the late 18th century and early 1800s. "Gunsmiths of York County, Pennsylvania" by Dr. James B. Whisker lists Jacob Welshans Sr. (1716-1763), Jacob Welshans Jr. (1742-1819), Jacob Welshans III, John Conrad Welshans (1761-1827), Joseph Welshans Sr. (d. 1793), and Joseph Welshans Jr. (b. 1755). The family operated a barrel boring mill on the Baltimore Pike south of York that burned in 1800, and multiple members had government contracts for rifles and muskets and repairing arms in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Joseph Welshans Sr., for example, had a contract to make 328 rifles for Washington's riflemen. Over the years there has been confusion due to the overlapping periods of activity by these men all active in the firearms trade. The smoothbore barrel has traditional brass blade front and iron notch rear sights and is signed "+J. Welshans+" on top of the breech section. The lock has a stepped tail and no visible markings. The oval wrist escutcheon and engraved eight-pointed star on the cheekpiece are silver, and the remaining furniture is brass. The sideplate has an engraved scroll motif what Kindig dubbed the "embryonic bird - the wings but not the body" engraved around the rear lock screw and track mark borders. The four-piece patch box has three screws on the finial, two screws on each side plate, and very attractive scroll, border, and wavy line engraving. It is opened via a small button on the toeplate which also has scroll and border engraving. The stock is notable for its nicely checkered wrist, a feature rather uncommon on American long rifles but seen on some York rifles, and also has attractive "V" designs accenting the checkering, molding along the ramrod channel and butt, a simple cheekpiece, and some incised scroll carving on the left behind the cheekpiece.

Very good as reconverted to flintlock configuration. The lock and barrel have a mix of dark brown and gray patina and mild pitting. The brass and silver display crisp engraving and attractive aged patinas. The stock has a break at the ramrod entry pipe, a split running horizontally along the right side of the forend, sine cracking at the rear barrel key, and some small chips at the tail of the lock but is otherwise very good and has nice molding, carving, and checkering as well as some really nice figure along the forend. The lock is frozen. The important signature on the barrel is nice and crisp. Regardless of which J. Welshans was responsible for this rifle, it is a very attractive and classic American long rifle and a classic example of why the Kentucky rifle is considered an art form.