Flintlock Longrifle
ca. 1795
Medium
Wood (maple), steel, iron, brass, silver
Dimensions
L. 60 ¼ in. (153); barrel L. 44 3/8 in. (115.3 cm); Cal. .50 in. (12.7 mm); L. of trigger pull 13 ½ in. (34.3 cm)
Classification
Firearms-Guns
Culture
American, Pennsylvania, York County
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Chilton Jr. Gift, 2018
Accession Number
2018.630
Art Historical Context
This flintlock longrifle, crafted around 1795 George Schreyer Sr. in York County, Pennsylvania, exemplifies the refined artistry of early American gunsmithing. During the late eighteenth century, such weapons served both practical and expressive purposes, evolving from European traditions into distinctly American forms prized for their accuracy and elegant proportions. Schreyer’s work reflects the Pennsylvania rifle tradition, where gunsmiths combined precision engineering with decorative detailing to create objects of lasting beauty and utility. Fashioned from curly maple, steel, iron, brass...