Seekins Precision to Release the “1776 AR-Flintlock”

There’s nothing more American than the AR-15—nothing, that is, except the Seekins Precision 1776 AR-Flintlock.

A mashup of modern technology and the technology that sent the Red Coats packing 245 years ago, the rifle maker designed their new firearm to be the star at your next July 4^th bar-be-que and range day.

“Like apple hotdog pie or cowboy baseball, the AR-Flintlock brings together two quintessentially American things in perfect harmony. If you don’t like this, you’re probably a Communist,” a Seekins spokesperson told GunsAmerica in an exclusive interview.

The AR-Flintlock ditches the AR-15’s semi-automatic reciprocating bolt for a good-ol-fashioned flintlock and flash pan that would be the envy of every colonial barracks. In never-before-seen promotional photos obtained by GunsAmerica, Seekins engineers appear to have kept all other features of the AR-15 intact.

In a truly remarkable feat of firearm design, the 30-round magazine has been converted to hold 10 charges of powder, 10 patches, and 10 balls. Users simply load the magazine with the required components, insert the magazine into the firearm, load the pan with powder, and pull the trigger.

The magazine then loads the next powder, patch, and ball into the breach, and the user can fire again.

“It’s too bad George Washington didn’t have this technology when he was kicking British ass up and down the east coast,” the Seekins spokesperson told us. “The war would have been over in a month. A semi-automatic flint lock? C’mon. King George would have crapped his pants.”

Since it keeps the rail and handguard of the standard AR-15 design, the AR-Flintlock can be outfitted with optics, lasers, and lights that attach to a picatinny rail or M-Lok slots. But for those who want their rifle to be truly authentic, Seekins has developed a lantern holder that can be attached to the rifle’s handguard.

“When colonial troops were room-clearing at night, how do you think they could see? Tactical lanterns,” the Seekins spokesperson pointed out. “Most people don’t know this, but they actually affixed specially designed lanterns on the end of their rifles to make sure they were taking down British spies and not Mrs. Washington.”

Seekins’ new design is still considered a “firearm” under federal law and is thus regulated as any other firearm. Most “muzzleloading rifles” are not considered firearms and do not require a background check to purchase. But since the AR-Flintlock does not load from the muzzle, it still requires the usual paperwork.

“Yes, we were disappointed to receive that determination from the ATF,” Seekins said when we asked them about this issue. “We felt that such a patriotic rifle should be exempt from the anti-Second Amendment regulations that govern most firearms. We hoped that ATF agents would remove the stick from their collective butts and give this one a pass. We were wrong.”

The AR-Flintlock will be sold with an MSRP of $1,776. It should retail for something less than that, and Seekins says it will be arriving in gun stores just in time for Independence Day.

If you can’t wait until July 4, Seekins has a variety of bolt and AR-platform rifles available for purchase on their website. Riley Baxter called the new Havak Element rifle “super accurate,” and Stephen Ourada called the Havak Bravo a “great custom rifle at an incredible price point.”

Click here to see all of Seekins’ rifles.