New England Rifle Data Sheet
Overall length: 56 inches
Lock length: 5-5/16 inches
Barrel length: 41-1/8 inches
Hooked Breech
Bore: .54 cal, rifled, 8 lands & grooves having squared corners
Weight: 8 lbs. 6 oz.
Furniture: brass
Domed Wrist Escutcheon: silver
Barrel Key Escutcheons: silver
Barrel Keys: brass
Rear Sight: fixed with square bottom sighting apperature
Front Sight: brass
Silver Eight Pointed Star Inlay on Cheek Rest
Silver Wire inlays
Unfortunately, as with many New England Rifles, this rifle is unmarked.
The Wrist Escutcheon, Comet and Oval Escutcheons under the lock screws, and the Star Inlay on the cheek rest have engraved designs common to fowlers and rifles made by John Mason, Silas Allen Jr. and others. Similarly, the wire inlay on the wrist, is very close to that of John Mason fowler NE 54, page 89 in Grinslade’s Flintlock Fowlers. Tom Grinslade, Flintlock Fowlers, pages 85, 86, 89, 91
There has been some repair work to small sections of the silver wire inlays.
Inlaid into the wrist is an oval plate having a tapped hole to mount a Lolipop Sight. The sight is no longer with the rifle. This plate appears to have been added after the original manufacture of the rifle.
