This is a very up-scale rifle even by modern terms. I have never heard of an American rifle of the 18th or 19th century ever made with silver and gold hardware. That was sometime that you would see on the fine, high arts guns of Europe. This one was styled from an original in the Colonial Williamsburg collection made by John Sheetz who worked the Shepherdstown, (West) Va. The original was a very ornate gun for it's day and still is today. The Sheetz family, about 13 smiths in all, were very prolific gun makers who's work spanned three generations from 1762 until about 1845. One of the Sheetz with his partner in 1815-1820 were turning out about 90 guns per year. I'm sure they were buying the locks and barrels from outside sources to do that kind of output. The Sheetz name is still very common to the northern West Virginia and northwestern Virginia areas. Click here to see another Sheetz rifle I built which is less ornate.

The barrel is by Colerain. It is a swamped octagonal .45 caliber and is 42" long. The stock is a nice piece of curly maple that has been aged. The lock is a L&R Durs Egg. The buttplate, guard and sideplate were cast here in my shop and are sterling silver that have been engraved and aged. The wire work is sterling silver. The overlays that appear to be brass are actually 18k gold. There are gold bands at the breech and muzzle. The touch hole liner, lock pan and bottom of the frizzen are lined with 24k gold. The star on the cheek is made of ivory and black horn.

Weight is 7 lbs. 8 oz. Length of pull is 13¾".