Most rifles brought to this country by the early settlers were German made Jaegers. These heavy, short-barreled guns shot a .70 caliber or larger bullet. The birth of the American made long rifle changed the look of the rifle due to the geography and circumstances in America. An accurate rifle with a longer range was needed.
The rifle has spiral grooves cut in a long barrel to start the round ball spinning unlike the smoothbore barrel of a fowler. This rifling and length of the barrel create a more accurate weapon up to a range of 300 yards.
Jacob Ferree
Born in 1750, Jacob Ferree was the nephew of gunsmith, Joel Ferree. Jacob moved to Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania in 1784.
John Moll and Herman Rupp
This is an example of a Lehigh Co, Pennsylvania rifle in the style of John Moll and Herman Rupp from the 1790-1795 time period.
Andreas Albrecht
Andreas Albrecht was a German Moravian gunmaker who migrated to America in 1750.
Jacob Dickert
This left-handed rifle is patterned after the work of Jacob Dickert circa 1770-1775.
William Antes
This example is patterned after an early rifle of William Antes, circa 1770-1780.
John Sheetz
This longrifle is patterned after the work of John Sheetz of Staunton, Virginia from the 1796-1800 time period.
David Crockett Rifle (1780-1790)
An unknown maker from York County, Pennsylvania produced the original Crockett rifle in the 1780-1790 time period. There is good reason with strong evidence that it was David Crockett’s first rifle at the age of [...]
George Schreyer, Sr. (1739-1819)
George Schreyer, Sr. was born in the Conewago, Pennsylvania community. He began his formal apprenticeship in the same area under either George Ungefehr or Nicholas Hachen in 1761. He apprenticed Phillip Sheets and is shown [...]
Herman Rupp
Herman Rupp (1756-1831) Herman Rupp lived and worked throughout his life 15-20 miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania. This contemporary example depicts one of the earliest documented fully evolved Lehigh Valley rifles, dated 1793. It demonstrates [...]
John Newcomer – (1775-1780)
John Newcomer first appeared in the Lancaster County court records as a gunsmith in 1767. Tax records from 1771-80 list John Newcomer as a gunsmith in Hempfield Township. In 1780 the tax record refers to [...]
Andrew Fichthorn
Andrew Fichthorn Jr. (Reading, PA) 1779 – 1822 Fichthorn apprenticed to John Bornewitz in Womelsdorf from 1792 – 1799. He returned to Reading to marry and establish a business before 1803. He worked in Reading [...]
Edward Marshall
This rifle is patterned after the “Edward Marshall” rifle from the 1762-1765 time period. The maker could have been Andreas Albrecht or another gunmaker in the shop at Christians Spring. This rifle exhibits a very [...]
Isaac Berlin
ISAAC BERLIN (1754-1831) Born 1754 in Berks County, 15 miles northeast of Reading, PA, Berlin was shown on tax records in Easton, PA as a gunsmith from 1778-1781, then again from 1783-1786. He remained [...]
Adam Haymaker
Haymaker lived and worked in Frederick County, Virginia, located in the northern end of the Valley of Virginia near the current City of Winchester. He was at work there from 1753 until 1804. This rifle [...]
John Shuler
His name first appears in records in 1800 as a gun-smith in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. From 1817 until his death in 1822, he lived and worked in Liverpool, located in Perry County. This Shuler-style rifle [...]
John Schreit
Reading, Pennsylvania tax records show Schreit purchased a town lot in 1758. From this date until 1777, he lived and worked as a gunsmith in Reading. In 1777 Schreit moved to Lancaster. After 1780 his [...]