John Armstrong Longrifle
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 1067 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.20 kg
- Introduced
- 1793
About
What it is, and why it matters
The John Armstrong Longrifle is a flintlock muzzleloading rifle handcrafted by master gunsmith John Armstrong of Emmitsburg, Maryland, one of the foremost artisans of the American longrifle's Golden Age. Firing a patched .45 caliber round ball, it is distinguished by its long, slender curly maple stock, ornate silver and brass inlays, relief carving, and a large decorated patch box. Armstrong forged his own barrels and hand-built his own locks to a standard far above the mass-produced hardware of the era, and mounted a double set trigger for precise offhand shooting.
John Armstrong (1772-1841) learned his trade from gunsmith George Schroyer of Hanover, Pennsylvania, before settling in Emmitsburg, Maryland around 1793. Renowned for beautiful curly maple stocks, artistic relief carving, and fine inlays, he is regarded as one of the greatest artisans of the American longrifle, and his rifles are prized centerpieces of Kentucky rifle collections.
Fewer than about 30 authenticated Armstrong rifles are known to survive; surviving examples command auction prices from roughly $30,000 to $125,000. Armstrong is believed to have made only around 400 rifles over his career, each taking weeks to complete.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- John Armstrong
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1793 to 1841
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1067 mm
- Overall length
- 1473 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Muzzleloader
- Firing mechanism
- Flintlock
- Trigger
- Set trigger
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Barrel
- Iron
- Stock
- Maple
- Finish
- Browned
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 427 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 793 J
- Effective range
- 137 m
- Maximum range
- 300 m
- Rate of fire
- 2 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Long barrel
Octagonal barrel
Patch box
Double set trigger
Iron sights
Silver inlays- Relief carving
Brass furniture
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 4.20 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1473 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 1067 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the John Armstrong Longrifle
How much does the John Armstrong Longrifle weigh?
The John Armstrong Longrifle weighs 4.20 kg (9.26 lb) empty.
What caliber is the John Armstrong Longrifle?
The John Armstrong Longrifle is chambered in .45 Caliber Muzzleloader.
How long is the John Armstrong Longrifle?
The John Armstrong Longrifle is 1473 mm (58.0 in) long overall, with a 1067 mm (42.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the John Armstrong Longrifle?
The John Armstrong Longrifle is made by John Armstrong (United States). It was designed by John Armstrong.
When was the John Armstrong Longrifle introduced?
The John Armstrong Longrifle was introduced in 1793 and discontinued in 1841.
How does the John Armstrong Longrifle operate?
The John Armstrong Longrifle uses a muzzleloader action, and its firing mechanism is flintlock.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- American frontier riflemen
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/john-armstrong-longrifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "john-armstrong-longrifle", "name": "John Armstrong Longrifle", "manufacturer": { "id": "john-armstrong", "name": "John Armstrong", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1793, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "694931fa27d9c04a4ea0b304ba1380bb6d6a94b2a7ad0ee510a9b0967053348a" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1793, "barrel_length_mm": 1067, "weight_empty_g": 4200, "action_type": "muzzleloader"}