Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)

Gunsmith Silas Allen Jr. American
ca. 1820
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 372
Silas Allen produced a large number of muskets for the state militia in addition to custom-made hunting and target rifles for private customers. This rifle is possibly his finest work and ranks among the best New England rifles of the early nineteenth century. Its original owner, Jacob Bates, was a distinguished veteran of the American Revolution. The rifle was acquired for the Metropolitan Museum in 1938 directly from his great granddaughter Ethel C. Morse.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)
  • Gunsmith: Silas Allen Jr. (American, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 1785–1868)
  • Date: ca. 1820
  • Geography: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
  • Culture: American, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
  • Medium: Steel, silver, brass, wood, silver wire
  • Dimensions: Rifle (a); L. 55 3/4 in. (141.61 cm); L. of barrel 40 1/2 in. (102.87 cm); Cal. .51 in. (12.7 mm); Wt. 11 lb. 2 oz. (5046 g); bullet mould (c); L. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); Wt. 5.6 oz. (158.8 g)
  • Classification: Firearms
  • Credit Line: Gift of Christian A. Zabriskie, 1938
  • Object Number: 38.116a–k
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.