David Price Flintlocks

David Price has spent 60 years building flintlock rifles based on historical accuracy and 300-year-old gunmaking traditions. What started in the 1950s with a Dixie Gun Works barrel, a plank of maple, and an antique lock has evolved into a body of work that blurs the line between firearm and fine art.

Each rifle is a custom build—signed and dated just like colonial gunsmiths did. They feature:

• •Intricate hand engraving (done with hand tools, period-correct)
• •24-karat gold and sterling silver inlay work
• •Mammoth ivory and cow horn accents
• •Custom wood carving
• •Calibers ranging from 36 through 62 (.54 caliber took the New Hampshire state record moose)

• •Build time: 8-12 weeks for standard work; up to 6 months for heavily decorated pieces. Price doesn't track hours—the work takes what it takes.

"When you pick one up, you know that you're holding art." – NH Magazine

When he needs a break from rifle building, Price crafts powder horns from quality cow horn. While he sells some, most go out as shooting prizes.

Price is also a national champion marksman—at 81, he can still group five balls into a quarter-sized cluster at 50 yards. He's written four books on gunmaking:

• •Stock carving techniques
• •Silver wire inlay methods
• •Essential gunmaking tools
• •"The Guns of David Price" (his showbook, currently being updated)

At 81, Price launched a limited project: 25 swivel breech flintlock rifles built as kits for self-finishing. Using wood stored in his shop for over 30 years, these allow builders to experience the satisfaction of completing their own rifle. Free video tutorials walk through each step with David Price in the shop.

Flintlock rifles demand more skill than modern firearms. There's a slight delay between trigger pull and firing—any flinch throws your aim. Price's advice: shoot them constantly and avoid modern rifles. He's practiced this philosophy for 60 years.