#899-J&S Hawken percussion fullstock, 7/8th” Douglas barrel, 50 caliber. All the classic Hawken features. Fast firing percussion lock with fly on tumbler, long bar Double Set Trigger double bolted to long tang for strength. 3/8th inch ramrod with drilled and tapped end for accessories. AA maple finished dark so you can hide in the woods without shine, no Blackfoot will be able to find you. . All iron furniture finished brown. Medina patchbox. Light weight for a Hawken, about 8 lbs. Crafted by DOC, a GRRW Collector’s Ass’n gun.
#887 Here’s a frontier America maple stocked NW Gun in 12 bore, Probably restocked back in the flintlock days after losing the original walnut stock to hard usage. The barrel has been cut back to 36 inches . The maple is best quality AAA.
Both the barrel and the lock have been antique rust blued, the lock a little blacker than the barrel. The lock is by Davis, the sparks will set your socks afire.
There is the traditional dragon sideplate, originally used I suppose because both dragons and guns breathed fire. 
The trigger guard has been polished bright. The buttplate is fastened on by 7 screws. Earlier guns had buttplates simply nailed on, which proved to be less sturdy than frontier use demanded.
A silver Cross of Lorraine is found on the wrist, probably indicating that the gun ended up in the hands of a Catholic shooter. Perhaps it was captured during the F&I war by a French Canadien courier de bois.
260- French dueling pistol in 50 caliber with multi-groove barrel, second of a set
#834- This youngster is a hybrid, a Hawken influenced English sporting rifle. Or is it an English influenced early Hawken product? I ask the question ’cause I think that the St. Louis based Hawken Bros. were greatly influenced by the fine quality English rifles they saw coming thru town on the way to the Shining Mountains in the hands of early English adventurers and sportsmen.
The flintlock here is a late English double-throated lock, typical of the genre and the times. The flintlock has been re-worked with a better spring and sear, it’s a fine sparker now.
Most English Sporting Rifles in the 1820-40 era had a walnut stock, flat shotgun buttplates, a beavertail cheekpeice, a short tang on a hooked breech, often holding a part octagon-part round barrel, a large bowed trigger guard, an ebony wood fore-end tip and of course a flintlock. The lock side-bolt escutcheon was very under-stated and very plain.
The Hawkens modified that basic design by substituting stronger maple, retaining the American styled curved buttplate, switching the ebony fore-end to iron (often silver plated- as on this rifle) and adding an extra long Double Set Trigger double bolted to a long tang.
This last is the truly unique feature of Hawken rifles, demonstrating the engineering genius of the Hawkens.
This rifle sports a 58 caliber Green River RifleWorks barrel, 30″ long, octagon to round, a super strong plain maple stock with great grain through the wrist, a flintlock hooked britch, iron scroll trigger guard and curved buttplate, German silver ovals and fore-end cap. The counter-bored touch-hole is sunsetted just right for quick ignition. The rifle is finished with deep tones, what a frontier smith might have done with maple to fake an English walnut stocked rifle. It’s lighter than most Bridger style Hawkens and should make a great hunter as well as represent a sample of what an early half stock flint Hawken might have looked like.
#790- A lighter weight Dimmick Plains rifle in 50 caliber with one inch straight octagon barrel by Kelly, the usual Dimmick breeching, under-rib with 2 pipes, open sights, Dimmick variation of the English Drip Bar percussion lock , Brass furniture on a cherry stock stained dark with aqua fortis. There is also a DST and a brass fore-end cap.
#889- Later NW Gun, 20 bore, percussed from flint, walnut fullstock, 33″ barrel, finished bright, otherwise standard NW conformation.
This is the GRRW Cllector’s Association NW Gun # 02
#896- This 69 caliber bad boy comes from a mixed background. The barrel is an old stored GRRW, the stock architecture and decoration is about half Maryland Hawken and half St. Louis, something that Jake might have created in the early days before Sam joined him. Maybe he brought it to St. Louis with him, half finished.
Rare White Whitetail rifle in .410 caliber from Doc’s collection, this one unmarked because its the first .410 ever put together. Has Doc’e GBW cipher on the front receiver bridge.
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#766 You are in on the conception of a Jim Bridger Hawken rifle in 62 caliber with AAA maple stock, tapered 36 inch long barrel by Colerain, all the classic Hawken features.
This one is headed for Alaska and an Alaskan moose hunt. Watch for more pics as it finishes up.
#902- WHITE Whitetail, custom by DOC, old stored but new un-fired Criterion 24″ tapered barrel, finished in tough black Dura-coat. Strong dark greenish-grey pebbled maple stock , Timney trigger, G-Series action, Weaver scope mounts plus Weaver forward 2-band scope mounts and rings, best I’ve run into for this rifle, even better than the old Warne mounts/rings, ready for your scope. Inch thick recoil pad, 14 inch pull, sling swivels, ramrod with double brass ends including cleaning jag.
G-series action, safety on the right, cocking handle on the left like modern sub-guns. Just lift the handle into the notch for a very secure second safety.
#895 Classic fullstock flintlock Hawken rifle in .50 caliber, 7/8″ octagon barrel by Douglas, fat sparking Twigg late flintlock, flat to the wrist trigger guard, long bar DST, double bolted tang, 3/8″ ramrod. All iron furniture, 3 barrel keys, all iron brown, Modena style patchbox with toe plate button, excellent AAA maple fullstock. 8 lbs. Much lighter than the usual heavy barreled Hawken.
White Tominator, used but with brand new White Thunder barreled action, which is exactly the same as the Tominator, including the straight rifles barrel for 90% first shot patterns. Original Tominator laminated stock in great condition with all original parts. Extra full .690 choke included. DOC’s .660 SuperTurkey choke available at extra cost.
Early English Doglock Fowler, 12 bore, made in England about 1680-1700, the gun from which the later NW gun evolved. You can see the later NW Gun lines in this early gun. The simple brass buttplate, the spoon shaped but shallower iron trigger guard, the large lock with doglock safety. Bigger is always better with flintlocks, within reason. Bigger means more sparks! This one sparks really well, sparks pop and sizzle in the pan.
The ‘Dog’ on the lock is an external hooked safety which securely holds the cock out of battery. When correctly done, the dog is knocked out of the way when the lock is cocked. This dog works just fine, as you can see in the photos below.
The doglock is held by three screws which also hold the classic serpent/dragon. Dragons were magical and made the gun fierce and dangerous. Had to be right scary if you were on the receiving end.
There are double 7/16 inch pipes under the barrel to hold the tapered ramrod.
There is a simple raised decoration around the tang and teardrops behind the lock panels, almost always seen on later NorthWest guns.
The trigger guard is forged iron. The tang bolt extends from the trigger guard up into the tang. A tang bolt extending from the tang to the guard or a trigger plate is a mark of a much later gun.
Even with the 12 bore barrel, the gun is light and handy, about 7 lbs with a 13 3/4″ pull.
#893- Bridger Hawken, .58 cal. Colerain barrel, AAA maple, antique rust blued barrel, German silver roundels , real silver plated nose-cap, furniture case hardened in color. Brand new, never fired.
Classic fullstock flintlock Hawken rifle in 50 caliber, 7/8″ octagon barrel by Douglas, fat sparking Twigg late flintlock, flat to the wrist trigger guard, long bar DST, Double bolted tang, 3/8″ ramrod, All iron furniture, all brown, Modina style patchbox, excellent AAA maple fullstock. 8 lbs. Much lighter than the usual Hawken.
#728 Kings German Legion (KGL) Rifle-
Here comes a Kings German Legion Rifle, used by George’s personal regiment of mounted troops, known to be extremely professional and effective in the Napoleonic conflicts. This short rifle has a 62 caliber, swamped octagon 28.5″ barrel mounted in a Long Land style fullstock, which means it looks a lot like a short Brown Bess with a Baker style flintlock and iron ramrod. There was no bayonet or sling swivel. The rifle was carried in a boot. The walnut is elegant, as were many of the originals, the King personally picking up the bill for accutrements.
The lock and tang are beautifully case hardened in colour. The walnut is especially colorful as well. Only the best for the King’s personal troops.
The KGL Rifle looks a lot like the earlier ‘ American’ rifle, used by the Brits in our Revolution. The KGL cavalry was among the first to use horses for fast transportation, then dismounting to fight on foot. The rifle gave them the advantage of accuracy at a distance.
This will make a terrific hunting rifle. It’s short and handy, throws a big ball for big game, has an iron ramrod, double leaf rear sights and broad butt to reduce felt recoil. It’s a hard to beat combination.
#824- GRRW style Poor Boy, in honor of my great friend Greg Roberts, his original design, iron mounted fullstock, 15/16″ diameter barrel 42″ long and 50 caliber, AA maple, Siler flintlock, forged iron furniture, really cast but looks like it was forged, nail in nose of butt, antler toe plate, no buttplate, single trigger, grease hole.
Sorry, but you will have to kill your own bear for grease in the grease hole.
#893- Bridger Hawken RIfle with 58 cal. Colerain barrel, AAA dark stained maple stock, case hardened in color furniture, antique rust blued barrel, all the classic Hawken features.
Colerain barrel 58 cal. , 32″ long, antique rust blue.
Hawken long-bar DST, double bolted to long tang. Very strong.
AAA maple with dark stain and varnish finish.
Double pinned rear pipe, double keyed forearm with German silver surrounds. Fore-end cap is real silver plated
The Hawken’s engineering genius lies before you, the long tang and double long DST bar, with double bolts for immense strength.
831- GRRW-Collectors Association H-12 Hawken, 62 caliber, DELIVERED AND READY TO RAMBLE. Superb maple, barrel by Colerain, all traditional Hawken , finished in dark iron.
#832- GRRW-CA H-17 Hawken 58 caliber, another handsome addition to the Hawken family. This one again with superb maple, old stored but new GRRW tapered barrel, finished in blue, silver and case hardened in in color.
#789- This gun was stunted from birth, the buttstock was cracked and the fore-end crooked , so I amputated to save its life and it became a Blanket Gun. Made me feel like a Civil war surgeon. The Indians may have hidden these guns under blankets but they were more often used horseback like a heavy dragoon pistol, one shot then it became a club. I applied a few tacks to Indian it up some, and it grew some beads and feathers, too.
The barrel was custom made by Kelley, about 14″ long, tapered and banded. The lock is an English Trade lock by Davis, the trigger is meant to be pulled with two fingers, just like your Indian buddy pulls a bowstring.
NorthWest guns came with all kinds of finishes, this one was rust blued in the old fashion. The trigger guard has been left in the white, nicely polished, because the originals were , too.
The barrel is marked with my cipher, plus LONDON and a tombstone fox on the top flat, a blossom with TB on the oblique flat, along with GRRW CA NW o3, (third NW Gun built by the CA), since it has become one of the new GRRW Collecror’s Ass’n guns.
#808- Here is a Rigby style Sporting Rifle in 451 caliber with 1-20 twist and shallow .035 grooves for long, heavy slip-fit bullets, same specs and bullets as those used in White brand rifles. Walnut pistol grip stock, plain but excellent grain, super-strong Manton Breech, Henry percussion lock with drip bar and Henry fore-end, all iron furniture finished antique rust blue with browned barrel. Tuned single trigger for fine shooting, graduated three leaf rear sight, hooded front sight. 
These Sporting Rifles were designed for both sporting and target use. The originals were designed by Whitworth. a genius in his own time, ten inch groups at 1000 yards were not uncommon. A 460 to 520 grain slip fit lubricated bullet and 70-80 grains of fffG black powder is not only accurate but takes game down dramatically, with more than 1200 ft lbs. of energy left at 200 yards. Substitute powders like PyrodexP and 777 work just as well, I especially like Blackhorn 209 with a 5 grain black powder igniter.
These rifles were the predecessors of the heavy bullet Buffalo guns of the 1860’s. You can shoot this .451 rifle like a 45-70, a 45-90 or a 45-120 if you wish, depending only on the weight of bullet and powder charge. They are functionally elegant and shoot circles around other lesser muzzleloading rifles. For long range target or hunting, they can’t be beat.
Here’s a mature gal , an original White Whitetail rifle with an early serial, WB392. Since White started the WB serials at 200, this is the 192nd blued Whitetail rifle produced. 504 caliber, 22 ” tapered barrel, blued finish, Bold trigger, well cared for.
The action has been bedded and the barrel accurized., shoots nice tight groups at 105 yards using 70 grains of PyroP and a 430 grain White slip fit bullet. I was shooting rocks and all my bullets hit in the same white mark on the red sandstone with single elbow rest over the hood of my GMC. Uses the #11 cap.
I had an extra Bushnell ScopeCheif 3-9 scope, one of the better ones, with Weaver bases and forward Quad Band rings, which are included. Considering this gal’s age, I was surprized at how well she performed.
WHITE SYSTEMS GRAND ALASKAN. The first of only 5 made in 1995 and so marked. 24″ bull barrel in .54o caliber with 1-32 twist for 545 to 750 grain slip-fit bullets. Timney trigger, Series S internals just like a Super 91. Laminate stock. Aluminum ramrod. Never fired. A White rarity.
Suggested load- 200 grains Pyrodex P with 750 grain White bullet, 1450 FPS, 4000+ Ft. Lbs. energy. This load killed an elephant in the late 90’s! Knocks bull elk over like tenpins.
#808- Introducing a flight of the imagination- what might have been! Bridger Hawken for heavy slugs up to 600 grains, half-stock with .500 caliber 1-24, fast twist, shallow .040 groove barrel shoots elongated lubricated slip-fit bullets, what eventually would have developed in such mountain rifles if cartridges had not come along, Whitworth /White style.
Maple is AAA, conformation classic late Bridger Hawken. The internal barrel dimensions are the same as any .500 caliber White inline rifle, like the Super 91 or Model 98 and will shoot every bit as well, with the same bullets. 2 inch groups at 200 yards are not uncommon
Bullets used are slip-fit, sized 1/1oooth less than the land to land diameter of the barrel, sliding easily down a dirty bore for a quick reload yet super accurate and plenty powerful, with more than 1700 ft. lbs of energy left at 200 yards with maximum loads.
Bullets used commonly weigh 400-600 grains and are fired with with up to 150 grains black powder or substitute, easily the equivalent of a 50-140. I am getting to like BlackHorn 209 with a 5 grain black powder igniter.
This baby has got his big boy pants up, with tapered antique rust blued barrel, case hardened and colored tang, buttplate, trigger guard, rear pipe and lock, also fitted with long bar double bolted long bar DST , 2 under-lugs with keys and silver surrounds and a heavy ramrod in the best Bridger Hawken fashion. It’s as truly traditional as I could make it and should shoot as good as it looks.
Not only has this bad boy grown up with color case hardened iron furniture, antique rust blued barrel and German silver roundels but also has a real silver plated fore-end tip, and a long adjustable rear sight like Gemmer used for accurate long range shooting.
The maple is elegant AAA. If it shoots as good as it looks, it will ‘shine’.
Here it is. Handsomer frontier rifles don’t exist. And shootable! Fully the equivalent of the later 50-140 black powder cartridge.
#890 NorthWest gun in 50 caliber smoothbore. Reproduction of an early one often seen in gunshows, new and apparently unused. Very plain but sturdy walnut stock, antique rust blued barrel and lock, trigger guard stained dark with time, brass dragon and buttplate nailed on, like the original.
#891- Mississippi Rifle- re-stock by frontier smith in 4A maple. Trooper claims horse rolled on it. Truth is, twas broken in a drunken brawl.
NorthWest Gun, converted to percussion, 24 bore, brass buttplate with 2 screws, brass serpent sidelate and pipes but with iron trigger guard. SOLD IN THE WHITE FOR THE CLIENT TO FINISH
The barrel has been cut back to 33 inches from the original 42. There were three pipes originally, cutting the barrel at 33 inches leaves the two pipes pretty much equidistant, as if it had been originally made that way.
The percussion drum and nipple serve admirably on a hunting gun intended for rough use. The drum is a simple solution to percussing a formerly flintlock weapon, it’s easy to remove for fast repairs if needed and makes cleaning simple.
the trigger guard is wide and deep with a big trigger, meant to be easily used in cold weather with mittins and pulled with two fingers, like your Indian buddy pulls his bow.
The gun is light and handy, yet is capable of throwing a heavy ball at big game or enemies. It loads fast in a pinch with naked ball but will shoot cup sized groups at 50 yards if patched. It will also shoot a palm full of shot if the opportunity to sluice a covey of birds presents. No wonder it was a favorite, widely traded on the American, and African frontier.
#672- Wheelock by Zelner, made in the 16th century in Austria, I have had the lock for 35 years, I had intended to stock a rifle using it, but I doubt that I have the skill to justify the effort. It’s probably worth more by itself than it is in a restocked rifle. It really belongs in a museum.
This original lock is by Caspar Zelner, one of a family who made guns in Austria in the 1500’s. The lock dates from probably the late part of that century. He was a well known maker. It has stimulated me to build several wheel-locks.
#816 Early Snapphaunce rifle, modeled after the snaphaunce musket brought over by John Forbes perhaps on the Mayflower. If you want a really early rifle, this is it. The Forbes gun was made probably about 1590-1610.
The barrel is a Colerain, 50 caliber swamped, 38 inches long, the lock manufactured by Doc. The stock is plain walnut, commonly used early on. There is no figure but the wood is lovely with solid, tight grain, oil finished. I know that it looks clumsy, but it throws up to the shoulder a lot better than you would think, the trigger is soft and fully controllable and it sparks nicely. Locktime is far faster than you would think. I quite like it.
It’s also safer than later flintlocks, simply because you can flip the frizzen open yet cover the priming with the pan cover.
The snaphaunce was an early flintlock, featuring the horizontal sear of the even earlier wheelock, an open frizzen which requires a pan cover and a mechanism to open it on fall of the hammer plus a big spring to actuate all the moving parts. Sounds clumsy and complicated and it was, compared to the later true flintlock with vertical sear and combination frizzen and pan cover. But many were imported into the New World during the 1600’s and early 1700’s. They were the best there was at the time.
#661- 8 bore double ‘smoothbore rifle’, that’s 83 caliber, in a beautiful, close-grained, very solid walnut stock, meant to shoot a 2 oz. patched ball at truly big stuff, like rhino and elephant. Barrels are 24 inches long, side by side, regulated to group at 25 yards with up to 300 grains black powder. Weight came out at about 12+ lbs. Should be a grand back up gun. I even bought a Led-Sled just so I could regulate this one.
And this is what we end up with, a symphony of blue, brown and silver fit for any elephant in the world, think of the music it will play in the jungle.
The African hunter Selous talks about using such guns as this at 10-15 yards on elephant, of course with a back up gun or two and a loader at his elbow for each. He carried coarse powder loose in a bag over one shoulder and hardened balls in another over the other shoulder, loading powder ‘by the handful’. Only the first shot was patched. Any load after the first was bare ball for speed. He took pride in putting down a half dozen of the big gray brutes in a flurry of shooting, then going on to another herd. And all this for just the ivory. He made a fortune doing it. Think of all the adventure! think of all the risk!. Think of all the hard work. Ugh.
lim and light, quick to the shoulder for fast jump shooting.
Look at that buttplate, it wraps around the butt on all sides, is deeply chisled with game scenes and matches the trigger guard and pipes. There is a hooked standing breech, side by side double flintlocks, double triggers of course, and an iron ramrod with brass trumpet tip. Hopefully, it has grown into a slim and elegant French lass that will shoot just as good as she looks.
The wrist is small, a little wider than thick, French style. The lock panels taper to the rear to accomodate the smaller wrist. The flintlocks have been ‘ Frenchified’ with a heart shape at the rear of the plate. Sorry you can’t see the detail, but the trigger guard is beautifully chisled,, matching the buttplate and is most graceful. The fore-arm tapers to a slim point. The wrist medallion is elegant.
This French lass got slimmer by the minute. The barrels are breeched tapering to the rear, the side by side flintlocks are accuated by double triggers, the front fires the right barrel and the rear trigger the left. It has been proofed with a 12 gauge load. The fore pipes are iron, the rear brass, with decoration matching the trigger guard.
The barrels are ribbed. In this case, following the French fashion, the ribs are concave both top and bottom. The ramrod is 1/4 inch iron with a trumpet brass tip. The French pioneered the use of iron ramrods both in sporting and military arms. The barrels are 28″ long, pull is 14.5″ to the front trigger, about an inch longer than most originals. Weight is going to hit about 5.5 lbs. The walnut got stained English Red then soaked in pine oil, the barrels antique rust browned, the locks are already antique iron oxide blacked.
#823 North West Gun – This lovely lady is the very first GRRW Collector’s Association High Grade NW Gun and is so marked on the barrel. The walnut is quite fancy, wish you could better see the figure. It sports an antique rust blued barrel and color cased lock and trigger guard. It’s 20 bore for ball or shot.
Barrel is by Kelly, octagon to round, 20 bore for ball or shot, antique rust blued.
The flintlock is an English trade lock by Chambers. Sparks wonderfully. Don’t start any fires in the woods.
The walnut is swirled in many colors, exactly wrong for a slim long gun, so it got strengthened with 2 iron rods through the wrist.
Seven screw buttplate, real silver wrist eschutcheon.
The case colored trigger guard is an attractive touch.
The pipes are a bit fancier than usual but very much in the NW Gun tradition.
This young lady is all grown up. She has shown up right elegant.
#811- You are getting in on the conception of an English Sporting Rifle by Fairbanks, .62 caliber with slow twist for high velocity. Tapered barrel 36″ long, Manton hooked breech, long tang double bolted through the wrist, DST in English psuedo pistol grip trigger guard, ebony forend, under-rib with two pipes, sling swivels, wide checkered butplate to hold to the shoulder and soak up recoil, double fore-end keys in silver roundels, Express sights.
Rifles like this shoot a heavy ball with less than 2″ apogee out to 100 yards. Kicks pretty good, but who notices it when the bull of the woods is the target. That is a lovely chunk of figured walnut by the way.
The fore-end tip is Ebony. The long tang is double bolted to the trigger plate.
The breeching is Manton style with a drip bar, strongest percussion system ever developed.
The trigger guard handles like a pistol grip. Very ergonomic and comfortable!
The iron cap box that fits the buttplate is spring loaded, opens and closes with a snap. The rear sight is ramp adjustable and can be used like a peep. The ramrod is a stout 7/16th thick with an iron tip. The Double Set Trigger is unusual in this type of rifle, single set triggers were more common but far more fragile and less useful in the long run.
There is no better muzzleloading hunting rifle than an English Sporting Rifle!
#821- Rigby style English Sporting Rifle in 451 caliber with fast 1-18 twist for elongated, heavy 400-500+ grain slip-fit bullets, ready for target or the hunt.
Gorgeous 4A tiger maple stock, rubber butt pad (to mimic early English leather covered pads), single trigger, all iron furniture finished antique rust blue, Manton percussion breech with Henry percussion lock and fore-arm treatment.
The stock is finished deep brown with English red highlights, the barrel browned and the furniture antique rust blued. The barrel is 32 inches long and tapered. There is a fancy blued iron grip-cap, a single barrel key with German silver decorative surrounds.
My favorite load with this bore/rifling combo is a 520 grain slip-fit, channelured, lubricated bullet over 70 grains of 3F black powder and #11 cap. I’ve seen 4 inch groups at 600 yards with this load, rare, but achievable.
I’ve also seen big game hammered down by similar rifles and loads. My personal longest one shot kill with a .45 caliber, 435 grain bullet: 240 yards on a big Barren Ground caribou.
#800- Presenting a British Sporting Rifle in .451 caliber for slip-fit elongated bullets. The twist is 1-20, the rifling .035 deep, a 460 grain bullet should be very accurate out of this Kelly barrel.Note the elegance of the walnut. All furniture is iron, except the roundels on the fore-arm and an ebony fore-arm tip.
This baby has grown up into a right handsome and elegant brute.
The rifle is ready to shoot, the scope more traditional than you would think. They became common after the wars of the 1860’s. Barrel is browned, all other iron furniture is deep antique rust blued, almost black.
Some think a rubber recoil pad is not traditional. Not so! The English were using leather covered rubber recoil pads as early as the 1850’s.
Our client not only wanted a traditional scope but also a peep. He chose an adjustable Lyman. It worked out far better than I thought it would.
This guy works and hunts in Alaska. Watch out , big bears and moose.
#776 Here comes my ‘favorite’ Hawken Rifle. My friend Bill Fuller once owned the original. It sports one of the last GRRW barrels that I have held on to over the years, one and 1/16th ” diameter octagon, 58 caliber, an extra 38″ long.
That long barrel has a slow 1-72″ twist and deep grooves for patched ball, accurate with heavy loads on big game. I’ve taken many deer, elk and buffalo with a .570 ball loaded with thick patch over 200 gr. of FFg Black Powder.
You can get an idea what the original was like when first built. The maple is gorgrous, AAA. It has been stained dark the old fashioned way with Aqua Fortis and heat then soaked in Pine Oil. It will get even darker with years of use and sun exposure.
The metal is deep heat browned then waxed. The key surrounds and fore-stock cap are made of (German) silver. Weight is right where the original was, 12 lbs. Those old trappers were a tough bunch. Carrying a gun this heavy around for years would have helped. No sling, even! But they did usually ride a horse!
The tang is double bolted to the Double Set Trigger bar. The trigger guard screws into the DST bar at the front and is screwed onto the bar at the rear. The arrangement is very strong. The Hawkens were good engineers.
#560 Flintlock Fowler- This fowling piece has 28 inch, 20
gauge, side by side barrels in a plain varnish finished walnut stock of classic
proportions, locks are flint with a
small Russ
Hamm on the left and a small Siler on the right. (They match well enough that the
difference is hardly discernable.) The touch-holes are 0.070 and sunsetted in
the Right Place. Ignition is quick and reliable.The lock panels are tapered to the rear for a
smaller grip. There are double triggers, the front firing the right
barrel and the rear the left. It sports a Manton style double hooked breech with removable breech
plugs, original real silver trigger guard but iron butt plate, very early English in style, all
iron metal browned with screws blued or bright. Very light weight, less than 7 lbs.
It is a fine quality, light fowler meant for “Shooting Flying”
#H-031 here is the thirty-first Hawken rifle that Green River Rifle Works built, 54 caliber, marked near the breech with caliber and serial # H-031, first year of production. There is no maker’s mark on this rifle, the addition of the maker’s mark came along later, but the rifle has all the hallmarks of Carl Walker’s work. He was the first smith, Guardell Powell came later. Likely Carl made it.
The original owner, Clair Sias , who ordered it at the very first Bridger Rendezvous in 1972, left for the Lord’s Hunting Grounds recently, his widow is reluctantly putting the rifle on the blanket.
This rifle has a one inch diameter octagon Douglas barrel with 1-66 twist and deep grooves for patch and round ball. The rifling is clean and sharp and looks good. The rifle was clean and sparkling with only a few tiny use marks when I received it. It hasn’t been used for years. It’s obviously had good care.
.54 H- 031
The lock appears to be an early production Cherry Corners. They were used extensively before Ron Long came out with his excellent Hawken percussion lock. The hammer-nipple fit is perfect. The sidelock bolt surround is iron, as is all the furniture.
The stock is figured maple with original GRRW finish. The cheekpeice is the usual beavertail, the buttplate narrow, the ferrules 3/8th inch ID and plain as was usual with early GRRW production. This gun was rasped from a plank by the smith. There were no carved stocks at that time. The German silver eschutcheon seen on the top of the right hand buttstock is an aftermarket addition, nicely inletted.
The slim key surrounds are typical of early GRRW Hawkens with the thicker key used at that time. The nose-cap is pewter, both features of early GRRW Hawkens. By the way, there are original Hawkens with pewter nosecaps.
Notice the quality of the inletting around the tang. This is where amateurs usually screw up. The DST functions both with rear trigger set (let-off is nicely delicate) or by a harder pull on the front trigger. It can be cocked with the front trigger unset.
All the furniture is browned, with a few minor shiny places on sharp corners in the usual places. This was done by the traditional old time slow rust method in a ‘wet room’ with GRRW brown, a sure fire poison if you drank it. The front sight is low and all brass. Later sights had copper or brass bases with German silver blades. The ramrod is a fiberglass replacement, due to get replaced by a more traditional hickory ramrod.
This is a fine, well-kept early GRRW Hawken worthy to sit in the finest collection, shoot on the target line or hunt, as it was originally designed to do.
# 529 LIGHT 45 CAL BELT PISTOL, so called because of the belt clip, 45 caliber
with a figured walnut stock with grain running wonderfully around and down thru
the wrist. It sports a GRRW pistol barrel 6 inches long 13/16th diameter with 1-20 twist and deep rifling for round ball. The flintlock is a small Manton with touch-hole properly placed in the SunSet position. Trigger is single. There is an ebony fore-end tip. Furniture is all iron and classic English. There is only a front sight, obviously made to be used just outside the reach of the other guy’s knife. There is a simple pin holding the barrel in place. There is a tapered hickory ramrod. This is a traditional defense weapon, very useful for the frontier persona.
#560 Flintlock Fowler- This fowling piece has 28 inch, 20 gauge, side by side barrels in a plain varnish finished walnut stock of classic proportions, locks are flint with a small Russ Hamm on the left and a small Siler on the right. (They match well enough that the difference is hardly discernable.) The touch-holes are 0.070 and sunsetted in the Right Place. Ignition is quick and reliable.The lock panels are tapered to the rear for a smaller grip. There are double triggers, the front firing the right barrel and the rear the left. It sports a Manton style double hooked breech with removable breech plugs, original real silver trigger guard but iron butt plate, very early English in style, all iron metal browned with screws blued or bright. Very light weight, less than 7 lbs. It is a fine quality, light fowler meant for “Shooting Flying”
#525- STEEL MOUNTED JAEGER 58 CAL. This walnut stock cost more than most completed rifles, but it sets the rifle off even without any finish. The barrel is a swamped 31 incher by Colerain with proper Germanic sights, the furniture is all steel and has been blued , using the old traditional rust blue method. The blued metal is every bit as authentic as brown, if not more so. The stock is incise carved with Rococco scrolling surrounding a fanciful Griffin behind the cheek- piece, the Griffin’s head seen on the right in front of the incised carved wooden patch box, and incised carving extends along the stock to well down the fore-end. It is complete with ramrod and matching figured wooden patch box cover. It will make a terrific hunting rifle to bang around with in the woods or maybe make those
demmed Colonist riflemen keep their heads down in the trenches at Yorktown.
It’s hard to see but the stock is plastered with incised carving, from the buttplate
to within a foot of the muzzle.. There is carving around the ferrules, the trigger guard, lock mortice on both sides and around the cheek-piece and patch-box cover on both sides.
The barrel is about 60% covered with engraving, there is also the maker’s signature in script, and a verse also in ancient script, “Sharp of Eye, Quick of Hand, Let Him who wields me be, To get the Game, Bring the Prise and Keep this Land of Liberty”. There is Baroque-Rococco scrolled engraving at the breech on three flats, surrounding both the rear and front sights on three flats and bordering the signature and verse,
There is a Griffon behind the cheekpiece (a mythical beast half lion and half Dragon) with the Lion’s face on the right in front of the Patch Box cover. The Lion Face motif is repeated on the butt plate return, surrounded by transitional Baroque-Rococco engraving..
The wrist medallion is an elegant wax casting, fastened on with a bolt coming from underneath, the lock is engraved with the Maker’s name and scrolling, the
trigger guard is 75% engraved in the transitional Baroque-Rococco style, matching the barrel and incised scrolling on the stock. I have left the detailed photos above in the white to show the engraving better. Keep in mind the the barrel is browned and the steel furniture is blued. Only the top photo shows the real coloration. The brown, blue and bright of the finished gun is very attractive.
#769- Here’s a Jim Bridger Hawken. AAA maple stock, Green Mountain 58 caliber barrel 1 1/8th inches octagon X 32 inches long, All iron accutrements including the iron key roundels, plus all the classic Hawken features. This is be GRRW-CA #H04. ie- Green River RifleWorks Collectors Association Bridger Hawken #4
This youngster is all grown up and ready to shoot.
#809- Rigby style Sporting Rifle, this one in .451 caliber with 1-20 twist and shallow grooves for elongated slip fit bullets. Again, the all iron furniture is antique rust blued, barrel is rust browned. there is a DST in this instance, with ebony end-cap, under-rib and two thimbles.
That checkered buttplate is iron, antique rust blued.
The patent breech is the super-strong Manton syle with drip-bar and hook. The tang is long to support the tall rear sight. Two bolts hold the DST/Trigger Guard combination to the long tang, a very strong arrangement. The forend is complete with ebony fore-end tip, iron rear thimble, single barrel key and silver roundels.
I have see rifles like this one shoot into 4 inches at 600 yards under perfect conditions with a 500 grain lubed slip-fit bullet over 70 grains of black powder.
#814 – Here’s a Side by side 12 bore flintlock fowling piece by Applegate, in the best British style. All the components and elegance of the modern side by side shotgun were present in these early fowlers. They handle very nicely. SOLD
The barrels are GBQ steel, bored modified and full. The Egg flintlocks are inset into the breeches for a slimmer breech. The double triggers fire front trigger- right barrel amd rear trigger-left barrel. There is early 1760 style checkering at the wrist and an engraved and chisled thumb piece.
The locks are fine sparkers. Trigger pull to fire time seems as good as any modern shotgun. This set-up is Quick!
The trigger guard is the always popular English scroll. The triggers are adjusted to pull off at about 3-4 lbs. The fore-stock is complete with key, German silver roundels and tip ferrule. The barrels are browned and all the other iron work antique rust blued.
It’s already been proof fired with 110 gr 3Fg black powder and 1 7/8th oz shot. Shoots good. Holds good. SOLD
#558 J P Beck American Fowler- with a Colerain 50 caliber (28 gauge) barrel
42 inches long, tapered octagon to round, with Premium Siler flintlock by Chambers, and a gorgeous AAAA piece of tiger striped maple. The furniture is all brass, including the front sight. It is set up to shoot ball, but will accomodate
shot as well, even using a 28 gauge plastic shot cup if you want, to improve
patterns. The barrel is a Colerain, tapered octagon to round, no rear sight. The
touch-hole is SunSetted just right at 0.70 for quickest fire. It shows some of Beck’s great carving. The original J P Beck gun is illustrated in American Flintlock Fowlers, this one has a little more carving then the original. The metal is browned, the brass polished and the wood stained Lancaster red.
I proofed the gun at a speed match, running the Lew Wetzel against time, running back and forth between stations. I managed 7 shots in 3 minutes, no record, but did it by loading the powder from my hand and spitting a naked .490 ball down the bore. The target was 25 yards off. I was amazed at the resulting three inch group. With 60 grains powder and a patched ball, the group is even better.
#737- The birth pangs of this Griffith steel mounted 12 bore fowler are over, born with a Colerain octagon-round 44 ” barrel, nice solid walnut with a bit of figure in the buttstock, steel furniture from the Rifle Shoppe, all exceptionally beautiful castings, steel 1/4″ ramrod.
The barrel is browned. The larger iron parts are antique hot rust blued, some few parts are fire blued.
The lock is a Twigg, not only beautiful but a grand sparker. Trigger pill is crisp, about 3 lbs. Stock finish started with a soak in pine oil then Laural Mountain stock varnish in many thin coats.
The muzzle has been fitted with a Colonial brand screw-in and out choke tube. It can be fired with ball using the .730 choke or a tighter one fitted for tight patterns with shot.
Notice: no screws in the trigger guard. It fits the slot with a couple of sliders fitted tightly to fittings in the wood under the trigger guard. It’s all held in place with a single pin up front. It’s an elegant set-up but finicky to set up and fit.
Load 100 grains FFg black powder, 1 7/8 oz. #7 shot, for fantastic patterns
and made. This one is as good as they come. Buy it before someone sneaks it away under your nose. $700 OBO
#452- Doc built 69 cal flintlock fullstock fowler, meant for turkey, Bill
Large barrel tapered octagon-round, with low open sights and modified choke
built in, 40 inches long. Solid but unfigured walnut fullstock with surface
mounted brass fittings, English style trigger guard and buttplate, sparse engraving.
This fowler is a great hunting gun, shoots 75% patterns with a 16 gauge plastic shot collar and 1 1/2 oz hard shot over 110 gr Black Powder, ignition is clearly superior because of the excellent lock and patent breech with stainless counter-bored touch-hole insert, good for shooting on the fly. Balance is superb. I have had some great hunts with it. It has 4 turkeys to its credit to date.
#573- Fancy Bucks Co flintlock rifle probably by Andrew Vernor, the original
rifle belonged to John Frie, who was the leader of the Frie’s Rebellion, protesting a tax on the number of windows in a man’s house. It is 50 caliber, straight 15/16th inch octagon barrel 40 inches long by Ed Rayl, brass furniture on an AAA maple stock, Premium Siler lock by Chambers, DST, with a brass side opening patch box engraved ‘John Fries Gun’ and Vernor’s inimitable incised carving. It is traditional in every sense. Photos of the real thing can be found in Kindig’s, “Kentucky rifles in the Golden Age”.
Interestingly, the window tax concept originated in Holland. Only the wealthy could afford windows, thus the tax. Sounds like ‘tax the rich’ which has quite a familiar ring to it.
#522- Revolutionary Musket-Rifle, 54 caliber rifled, Brown Bess military style stock with tapered octagon 50 inch long barrel with fore-hand swell, DST, engraved with military motifs, tiger-striped ash fullstock, muzzle turned round for bayonet (not pictured)
#575- Bedford Co. Longrifle, copy of a fine rifle by Joseph Mills, with
45 caliber Rayl barrel 42 inches long mounted in AAA fancy maple stock, L&R
traditional Bedford Co. flintlock and DST. Furniture is brass with silver
accents. Drop on the stock is pretty steep, excellent for offhand shooting. The rifle
mirrors the early style flint rifle, with more carving and less inlay work. The
Bedford rifles heavy with inlay were all made late in the 19th century.
The rifle is quite light, less than 7 lbs. and very handy for offhand shooting. The pull is 13.5 inches, but the steepness of drop makes it hold beautifully for stand on your hind legs shooting.. Rayl barrels have an excellent reputation for accuracy.
There is typical Bedford Co engraving on the brass patchbox and an eagle on the star on the cheekpiece. My photography doesn’t show it very well but it can be seen on the original on page 104 of “Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Co.
Gunsmiths” The teardrops at the wrist are decorated with hatching.
The lock is an elegant thing. It is as fancy inside as it is outside and is a great
sparker. Don’t let its slim elegance fool you.
The maple is AAA, finished with oil in many layers, polished between coatings.
There is a traditional double bolted tang, touch-hole is SunSetted properly, the DST is a specific model for Bedford Co. rifles. The lock is one of the better designed and executed on the market. The internals are even more elegant than the external parts. As an aside, I once visited Calvin Hetrick in Maryland back in the 60’s. He had hundreds of these lying around the house. He is long gone and so is the collection. It’s very hard to find an original now and even more expensive to buy one.
58 caliber 1 1/4 ” diameter, 40 ” long, Egg lock, DST. AAA maple stock
with classic Fordney brass furniture and decoration. He was a master, killed
with an axe by a crazy at the apogee of his career. His engraving is deep and
original; his incise carving absolutely unique!
You can see that the barrel is big and thick, 1 1/4 inches diameter and 40 inches
long. The gun weighs about 14 lbs but holds over a log like it is staked down.
It should be very accurate.
What a priviledge it is to attempt to reproduce such a beautiful rifle. I have an inkling that Fordney’s touch was a mite better than mine (I measure mites in miles) after all he originated the design. I take great pleasure in sitting at his side, being a part of his heritage. It’s a humbling experience to try to match his expertice, makes one realize his shortcomings.
#786- You are witnessing the birth of an Brass mounted JAEGER, sporting an AAAA tigered fullstock, Jack Haugh flintlock, Colerain 50 caliber swamped 38″ barrel, DST, high tensile aluminum ramrod and sliding wood patch box cover. The barrel is browned, the stock is finished dark, Eoropean style. Decoration is semi-sporting/military. This is the kind of custom rifle an Austrian JaegerCorps officer might have carried for duty in America, then had restocked in native maple because of battle damage.
This baby is all grown up and dressed fancy, just needs a coming out party. The figure in the maple is truly magnificent. The wood is had as a rock and very difficult to carve. I had to wait until the artistic juices were really boiling before I attemped this one.There is some nice cast-in engraving in the brass furniture. It has ended up a slim and pretty American lass, much less chunky than those bulky German girls. SOLD
#531 Doc-built percussion sidehammer 12 smoothbore over barrel with 58 rifled under barrel, actuated by old original back-action locks with double triggers. Nipples are located on screw-out drums equipped with clean-out screws. The forward right trigger fires the shotgun barrel (on top) which is equipped with a screw +in-out Colonial full choke, the left rear trigger fires the 58 rifle barrel (on the bottom) Rifle barrel is by GreenRiver RifleWorks. Both the 480 gr .715 patched ball fired out of the smoothbore barrel (with .730 choke) and the 280 grain .570 ball fired from the rifle barrel hit point of aim one inch high at 25 yards, which puts them 3 inches high at 50 yard and in the same group.
The right drum and nipple is in the usual location but the left is quite low, requiring a long nose on the left side lock.
The
#521- COMMITTEE OF SAFETY FOWLER/MUSKET A reproduction of a Committee of Safety gun, stocked a la’ Brown Bess with forearm swell and a mix of sporting-fowler features. It is stocked with a gorgeous peice of AAA maple, has a Berks Co. buttplate, a Bess trigger guard with single scrolled trigger and a
fine sparking LOTT trade gun flintlock. Barrel is an English Griffeth Fowler 12 gauge (.730 cal) 42 inches long, tapered octagon to round, by Colerain. The iron ramrod is from a Bess, mounted in French Fusil ferrules. All the furniture is brass,
mixed provenance that it is, and all the more charming because of it. The gun fits a plug bayonet with 14 inch dirk blade .
The lock has been polished bright as the originals often were. The brass fowler sideplate is enscribed “Liberty or Deth”. The trigger is a single typical curled style, very non-military. The trigger guard is drilled for a sling swivel but there is not a forward swivel. The buttplate is an early one, rescued from another earlier ruined rifle. This Committee of Safety fowler-musket is typical of much of the Colonial production, scrabbled together from parts collected from a variety of sources, with a mix of military and sporting features, obviously meant to serve both as a militia weapon and as a means of collecting meat for the table.
#415- Doc built ‘American Jaeger’ a copy of a transitional rifle halfway from pure Jaeger to pure Kentucky, typical of those built in the French and Indian War era. The general conformation of the rifle is Christian Springs, the engraving is after F Klett, who worked in Sevensburg, near Culpepper, Va. AA maple fullstock, 38 inch swamped Colerain barrel in 58 caliber, round bottomed rifling with 1-66 inch twist, early Germanic style DST in early open trigger guard, early brass patch box, classic brass Transitional furniture, classic transitional Baroque-Georgian Rococco incised carving.
#527- ENGLISH 58 CAL FULLSTOCK GENTLEMAN’S LONG RIFLE This gun looks much like an English fowler but is in fact a 58 caliber rifle with Colerain tapered octagon-round barrel 44 inches long. The lock is a Chamber’s English round faced fowler, actuated by an elegant single set trigger that must be set to fire the rifle, the touch-hole is a stainless insert in the correct Sunset location. The rear sight is single leafed. Both the trigger guard and side plate sport chisled scenes. The wrist is delightfully checkered in the early fashion. All furniture is brass including a chisled thumb-piece. The stock is high grade walnut and buttstock shows some especially fine figure. I took it to a shoot at Price, UT , fired it enuff to sight it in, it is an impressive rifle. The Single Set Trigger and lock
combination are ZAP fast. The front sight required a single adjustment with file to get it sighted in (on the first target). I didn’t win much (it was a blanket shoot) but I was keeping up with the other shooters and their peep sighted percussion guns,
Although
the photos don’t show it well, the brass sideplate and thumb-piece are chisled,
the sideplate with a hunting scene. The trigger guard is beautifully engraved as
it the top return on the buttplate. This rifle really holds nicely. It’s a great offhand shooter.
#582- Dutch inspired Wheelock with authentic lock kit from the Rifle Shoppe
and swamped 42 inch barrel in 54 caliber from Colerain. The walnut fullstock is
pretty plain but has great grain structure especially through the wrist. Pull is
14″. All furniture is iron with a forged trigger guard, double ferrules holding the ramrod and plain fore-end tip. There are two bolts holding the lock in place. The lock is cased a gray-blue and it has front and rear sights. It is amazing how well balanced this rifle is and how well it holds. Manufacturing a wheel-lock from scratch is quite a project.
#559- Southern Mountain Rifle- this is a traditional iron mounted southern
mountain ‘black rifle’, with 40 inch, 15/16th octagon, 54 caliber barrel by Ed
Rayl and with slow twist for big hunting loads. The lock is a premium Siler by
Chambers with touch-hole sunsetted correctly for fastest ignition. The stock is Ash and plain as a yard of pump water, stained dark as I could get it.
All the iron furniture is deep brown. It’s only decoration is a fancy forged
iron trigger guard and a bannana patch box. Obviously plain, obviously functional, surprisingly light, meant for creeping around in the dark woods,
it will be a great hunter, a real killer on whitetail.
#524- NORTH CAROLINA FLINT 54 CAL RIFLE. This flintlock rifle is a
reproduction of the fine North Carolina rifle that Walt Guzzler
owns and is so proud of. It was on the cover of Muzzle Blasts in Jan ’05. The
swamped Colerain barrel on this one is 54 caliber, with round bottomed rifling, but that’s so you can shoot it. Somehow I don’t think Walt shoots his. The stock is a gorgeous chunk of figured walnut, all the furniture is brass, there is a DST, with
stainless touch-hole in the Right Place, the lock is one of Davis’ fine quality
Germanic copies. The proper side opening patch box is fitted with proper latch
on the buttplate. The patchbox does not have any engraving, neither does the
original, as the original was probably pretty early.
Walt claims that the original probably came from the Salem or Bethebara gunshop. The earliest smith was there in the 1750’s, but who knows when the original was made.
The raised carving on the buttstock is patterned after the original.
There is more raised carving around the tang and lock mortices, all of it following
the original pattern.
The drop of the buttstock is perfect for offhand shooting. Pull is 14 inches,
balance is excellent with weight in the 8 lb. range.
#576 Lion Beck- A reproduction of the famous flintlock rifle by J P Beck of the Lebanon School with a rampant Lion behind the cheekpiece. The original is very likely pre-revolutionary as the double headed eagle is a distinct pre-revolutionary English influenced feature. This is the finest piece of maple I have ever worked on, intensly curly and hard as a rock. Barrel is by Rayl, 50 caliber, swamped and 50 inches long. Pull is 15 inches.
There are four ramrod ferrules, including the rear one, as
well as four barrel pins. The fore-end cap is obliquely ribbed.
I had a hard time not engraving the brass sidelock plate, but
the original is plain, so I left it that way.
The rampant Lion is a distinctly English feature, seen on the
English Coat-of-Arms, but rendered in a unique folk-art fashion. Getting the
lion to stand out in bas-relief required the sharpest of tools, the utter-most
patience and more sweat of brow than I usually care to spend, except I could not
put aside the challenge of doing it. The maple was so hard and densly curly,
popping out a single hunk could have ruined the whole project.
#504- Doc- built 54 caliber antiqued reproduction Leman
half-stock plains rifle, cobbled up out of a handful of original parts and some
purposefully rusted new ones. Original percussion lock with nipple and drum,
single trigger, rust- finished early 8 groove GRRW barrel 30 inches long and one inch across
the flats, purposefully rusted and distressed, but the bore is like new. Silver front sight on a brass base. Pewter fore-end tip. Stock
looks like the real thing with artificial striping. The maple stock has a 14
1/4 inch pull, has also
been distressed, there are lots of scratches, rock marks, tomahawk, hammer and vise marks and maybe a
claw and tooth mark or two. Looks like it’s had lots of use already. It has
already fooled a few people. I was challenged by one shooter who wanted
to know what I was doing shooting a dangerous old antique. Another was
horrified that I would desecrate a fabulous old rifle. It’s been lots of fun
and shoots quite well, better than I can hold it.
The lock, buttplate, buttplate return, trigger plate and
trigger guard are all original parts. I found the lock in Indiana and the other
brass parts in Ohio. I found the barrel at the Bridger Rendezvous years ago, it
was rusty on the outside and perfect inside. The breechplug, drum, sights and
rib are now just as rusty as the barrel originally was. (done on purpose- just
slop the metal with chlorox and leave it in the hot summer sun. Repeat the
process day by day until you get the deep pitting that you want.) You
can even see where lots of shooting has worn away the metal around the drum and
nipple.
The brass parts all have that beautiful patina of age
that is so impossible to reproduce. The trigger is single and rusty too.
The
goal is to match the stock to the patina on the brass and the rust on the iron parts. The barrel
is stamped Leman Lancaster on the top flat. My cipher is under the barrel near the breech.
The striping is artificial , like Leman often did with plain grade maple in the
old days, the stain is multicoated and gobbed on and the varnish is an
antique style oil base slow drying stuff. I’ve let it puddle and crystalize
here and there so it looks like later users added more coats. There are lots of
dings and use marks, including signs of old repairs.
#616- Baker Infantry rifle, as issued except an elegant walnut stock, far
better than military grade wood, , 62 caliber Colerain barrel, brass
furniture, deeply blued lock and browned barrel. The ramrod is most interesting- it has a swell that just fits the front ferrule so there is no jiggle or rattle to
betray your presence to the enemy. This is the best flintlock issue
military flintlock rifle in the world. It is extremely well designed, handles
like a dream and has the caliber to take any game in North America, let alone
defend yourself against Napoleons minions or those pesky backwoodsmen outside of New Orleans.
#518- CHRISTIAN BECK SIDE BY SIDE DOUBLE FLINT RIFLE- 45 caliber 3/4
inch diameter octagon rifled side by side barrels by Kelley, 40 inches long, set in a AAAA maple fullstock, each has its own tang and rear and front sight in the traditional manner, double triggers, the front operating the right lock/barrel and the rear operating the left, C Beck’s traditional Rococco bas-releif carving with
traditionally engraved brass mounts throughout, sports C. Beck’s beautiful engraving, This C Beck’s work all the way. This rifle is pictured in
Kindig’s big picture book on the Kentucky rifle in its Golden Age. You would
think that it would be clumsy to use with double front and rear sights, but it’s
not, the stock configuration is very friendly and solves that problem nicely.
#528 HEAVY 54 CAL BELT PISTOL, so called because it has a belt clips, 54 caliber with a plain maple stock GRRW pistol barrel 8 inches long, one inch across the flats, with 1-20 twist and deep rifling for round ball. The flintlock is an Egg, properly placed with Sunseted touchhole. This is a sturdy, heavy caliber belt
pistol meant for daily use.
#416- Here is a Southern iron mounted rifle that I built for Ray Crow, who
ran the Austin-Halleck organization. It has a Siler Flintlock, a 7/8 X 50
octagon Green Mountain barrel, and all iron mounts with stylish incised carving.
#517- JOHN NOLL 40 CAL FLINT RIFLE, an accurate reproduction of the Noll rifle on page 242 of Kindig’s big book on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age, with light swamped barrel by Colerain with round bottomed rifling, 44 inches long, Doc’s signature in script on the top barrel flat, surrounded by elegant scrolling. AA maple fullstock, stained reddish brown and finished with oil, with Noll’s elegant rococco scrolling and cross hatched stock carving. Siler flintlock accuated by an antique original single lever Double Set Trigger, (you don’t have to cock the trigger to cock the hammer), German silver patch box with grouse and silver furniture with Noll’s classic elegant engraving (it’s quite a challenge). Noll was one of the great masters and its a privilege to reproduce his work. Every part of this rifle is period and maker correct, except perhaps the SunSetted touch-hole.
#812- Harper’s Ferry edition of the Springfield 1816 musket. 69 caliber smoothbore with 1824 dated lock, sparks beautifully. Used by the US military (and the Confederacy) clear into the Civil War because of its simplicity and low cost and upkeep.
Here it is, all grown up, but you can see how manly it is. It has muscled out with all parts, is assembled and ready to campaign. I had originally thought that all 1816’s presented with a bright military metal finish but discovered that model II’s, which this one is, were browned, except for springs and screws, with an oil finish for the stock.
#815- Here is a finely crafted Hawken flintlock rifle in 50 caliber by John Berensen, signed with his initials, made back in the 70’s. It is so beautiful it doesn’t need explanation. I doubt that it has ever been fired. The maple is AAAA, the parts finest quality. Condition is pristine, fine work beautifully executed, the only sign of wear a few scratches on the frizzen.
The patchbox opens with the small button on the toe plate. The patchbox is the Modena style in iron.
#563- Double Flintlock Fowler in side by side 12 gauge with 30 inch barrels
and Colonial screw-in inter-changable chokes. The styling is late flintlock era
English with lock panels tapered to the rear and the locks inset into the
breech. The flintlocks are late style with double throated cocks and are fine
sparkers. this particular lock has been very dependable through the years, spare parts are readily available. It is fired by double triggers, the front firing the right
barrel and the rear the left. The touch-holes are stainless steel, counter-bored
from within and SunSetted in the Right Place for the best of ignition.The buttplate and scroll trigger guard are blued iron, the fore-stock ovals are German silver, there is a single middle top rib with front bead in the classic style and two iron ferrules hold the ramrod. I plan some checkering at the wrist. The furniture and locks are blued, the barrels browned. here is a bit of tasteful engraving here and there. Looks like the weight is about 7 1/2 lbs. Pull to the front trigger is 14.5 inches. I wanted to take it turkey hunting before I sold it but the present buyer made me too good an offer to pass up.
The locks are perfectly opposite each other, with a single long screw holding the two into the stock. The breeches are in the Manton style, with a hook on each barrel, both of which hook into the one piece tang. Taking the barrels off for cleaning is a cinch, just remove the two cross-keys and lift the barrels up and out. Replace them in the opposite manner.
You can see how the lock panels are tapered to the rear, so your hand can get around the grip better and the thumb reach the cocks (hammers) easier. The walnut is pretty plain, but has good grain characteristics and is light enough to make the gun quite handy. The chokes are super-full on the right and full on the left. Of course, a selection of more open chokes is available. I set it up with the
tight chokes for turkey.
DOC MADE COPY OF 1750 JAEGER, BANNANNA FLINTLOCK, 32 INCH SWAMPED COLERAIN BARREL IN 54 CALIBER FOR ROUND BALL, DARK FANCY WALNUT STOCK REPLETE WITH INCISE CARVED GARGOYLES AND BAROQUE DESIGNS, BRASS MOUNTS WITH CANTHUS LEAF DECORATION, WOODEN PATCH BOX COVER, HEAVILY ENGRAVED, DST, SLING SWIVELS, VERY ACCURATE, SHOT ENUFF TO SIGHT IN AND VERIFY ACCURACY
#569- Golden Age 50 cal Lancaster school flintlock rifle done in the late P
Gonter style, with lovely fancy AAA maple fullstock, brass furniture, Premuim
Siler lock by Chambers, DST, 38 inch long swamped barrel in 50 caliber with
round bottom rifling by Green Mountain.
The patchbox is polished and engraved and the raised carving is done in
the classic Lancaster School tradition. There is a photo workup of this rifle
in Kindig’s big book on the Ky. Rifle in its Golden Age
#669- Dutch 8 bore fowler, direct copy of an early pre-Revolution arm, with 50 inch long barrel by Rayl, early Dutch flintlock, brass furniture, Dutch influenced carving and engraving, the perfect piece for a re-enactor from Hoboken. Would do well as either a punt gun or wall gun for fort defense.
#562- Plain’s rifle, 50 caliber, with a new Green River Rifleworks barrel 32 inches long, never before used. The barrel is fluted on the sides in front of the plain maple halfstock, roughly 15/16th inches wide and one inch deep, almost octagonal
but fluted in front of the forestock. The L&R percussion lock with screw out drum and nipple is best quality, fired by double lever double triggers, it sports an under-rib with two steel ferrules, all the other furniture is German silver, including the ovals around the single fore-stock key. A pewter nose cap caps the forestock. The rifle mounts a traditional style rear sight and silver blade front.
As
you can see to the right, the muzzle is not octagon, but has wider flats top and
bottom and a milled groove along the side. The groove extends back to the end of
the forestock. The rib is fastened on with screws.
#556- Blanket gun- You are looking at a cut down North West gun, cut down in the traditional Plains Indian fashion to hide beneath a blanket. Actually, they were used from horseback as a close in hunting and fighting weapon and served their purpose admirably, as well as any Dragoon pistol. The excellent quality parts come from NorthStarWest, including the 16 inch long 20 gauge barrel and the fat sparking flintlock. All the traditional English London markings are on the barrel and lock, including the sitting fox. The walnut stock has good figure in it. It has a traditional oil finish plastered with tacks and wrist strap. The barrel has been blued just like the originals were, with the lock and trigger guard bright, also like the originals.
American indians liked their art asymmetrical. No two sides will look the
same. Thus the circle in tacks on one side of the grip and the Iraqouis cross on
the other. The barrel is shown bright above but has been blued, using
traditional slow rust bluing, as shown in the photo below of the left side.
#610- Springfield 1835 musket- standard military dimensions and finish, 69
caliber smooth-bore, all top quality parts.
The barrel came from Colerain, the lock parts and other
castings from the Rifle Shoppe, the wood from Dunlap.
The perfect musket for an early Southern recruit in the first battles of the
Civil War. There were many flint muskets used early on and were favored by many.
They were faster than a percussion musket simply because you didn’t have to fish
out and fit a cap to make it fire. Perfect for the Battle of Bull Run on the Southron side.
#507 English Sporting rifle, 577 caliber for Minie ball or slip-fit bullet in 1 1/8th inch diameter octagon barrel, three groove rifling just like the originals, all steel mounts, steel under-rib with steel thimbles, English steel broad shotgun style buttplate, (no cheek-peice and VERY comfortable even with big loads), Browning single set trigger that fires set or un-set (with a much heavier pull), slotted adjustable elevation long bar rear sight, silver front sight on brass base, English bar-in-wood lock with flat spring supporting tremendously strong Manton style percussion breech with long tang, (for Vernier tall rear peep if you want), plain but strong fine-grained walnut stock with pistol grip held to the barrel with two steel keys in silver ovals. Browned metal
throughout, iron tipped ramrod drilled and tapped for 8 X 32 fittings. As
traditional as they come.
#510 Doc-built GRRW Bridger Hawken 54 caliber with GRRW octagon barrel in figured maple halfstock, all steel mounts in the classic traditional style, stamped S Hawken St Louis with GRRW’s original stamps. My cipher and the GRRW name (which I own) is under the barrel near the breech.
#419- Doc built Picket Rifle, late percussion Midwest style half stock with
German silver furniture, nice quality walnut stock with modest figure, pewter fore-end tip, tapered GRRW barrel true 500 caliber land to land, grooves 10 thou deep and 1-30 twist for elongated picket or suger loaf bullet (465 grain bullet shaped like a sugar loaf and shot with a patch, loaded with a straight line starter) DST, Dimmick style lock, Manton/Dimmick style breech is very strong yet handsome, long tang with mounted tall Vernier rear sight for accurate work with hooded front. Sights mounted as shown, Silver lightly engraved, 2 cavity 465 grain Picket bullet mold from Mountain molds included, as well as straight
line starter.
#797- Here is a Baker Infantry Rifle . much used by British skirmishers in the Napoleonic wars. This one with blued barrel, case hardened lock and tang, better walnut than usual, the wood very solid and sturdy. The parts are very authentic. The Baker rifle is a favorite of mine for flintlock hunting. The 62 caliber is perfect for elk and big deer and the design is elegantly functional.
#813- The re-creation of a restocked fowling piece, done in the old northeast by a Dutch influenced master from a miscellany of assorted British, Dutch and German iron parts.
The trigger guard is Dutch, probably from an early officer’s musket, the pipes are German as is the sidelock plate. Both probably came off a Jaeger rifle. The French flintlock is about as pretty a lock as there is. It’s not highly decorated but the lines and function are elegant. The deeply curved under-belly of the buttstock is typical of Dutch influenced guns.
The bas-relief carving on this gun is simple yet has an understated elegance.
#785 Presenting a workaday version of a sporting Jaeger rifle, made for the local trade, originally with modestly decorated iron furniture, rather plain but nicely configured walnut stock, again with modest decoration, , a 31″ Colerain barrel in 50 caliber, single trigger, single leaf rear sight, and custom made engraved flintlock which sparks like crazy.
#422- Doc built 12 gauge French Fowler, 42 inch long 12 gauge Getz tapered
octagon to round barrel, Lightly figured maple stock, great sparking, quality French Fusil flintlock and brass French furniture, serpentine sideplate, sparse carving and light engraving. Metal finished a deep, deep brown to enhance the stained and oil rubbed wood. Was sent to Track of the Wolf, but UPS managed to break it through the wrist. I fixed it with a lengthwise steel wrist pin and epoxy, added a silver turtle and brass sheet repair in the antique style, added some brass tacks for that authentic look. I put a screw-in Colonial choke in it and took it
turkey hunting this Spring. Killed two big Toms with it.
The pics above were taken AFTER the fix on the gun, If you look close you might be able to see the break through the wrist and the fix, using a silver turtle and
decorative tear-drop wrist plate on either side to disguise the break. The real fix
of course is the 6″ steel pin epoxied inside the wrist. You could run over it with your Suburban now and not break it again.
#805- Here we present a later percussion J&S. Hawken marked iron mounted full-stock rifle with a new, never used 15/16th X 38 inch Green Mountain 54 caliber barrel in a fairly plain but sturdy maple stock.
The lock copies one used by the Hawkens, with engraving and a handsome hammer. The breech is classic Hawken, with long tang double bolted through the wrist to the long-bar double-set trigger and slanted hooked breech. The tacks copy a pattern seen on an original. Maybe it once belonged to the Ute warrior chief Ouray.
#700 Here’s a very early 1720 all iron mounted Brown Bess musket all grown up, ca: 1720. Tower marked bannanna lock, wooden ramrod, no fore-end cap, very nice chunk of solid grained walnut, entirely traditional. The barrel is 77 caliber as usual but a full 44 inches long, fitted for bayonet.
#779- The adventure of a Broadbutt 10 bore Doglock Colonial Fowler. This is a truly simple gun. There are only seven parts: a Broadbutt stock without buttplate, a sheet iron trigger guard and simple pinned trigger, two sheet iron ferrules, a barrel and a lock. And the lock is simplicity itself. Any colonial blacksmith could build one using a hammer and a file and many probably did.
The original colonial fowler is illustrated in “Flintlock Fowlers”. It shows a trigger guard that looks like it was made from an old gate handle. This one was indeed made from a gate handle, only brand new and never used.
#823- GRRW CA H-1- A reproduction of my ‘Favorite’ Hawken. Now ready for delivery, done as original as I can get it, with case hardened and antique rust blued furniture. See my article on ‘the Traditional Hawken”. This the GRRW Collector’s Ass’n H-1 Hawken, the very first one.
The GRRW Collectors Association sponsors a newsletter which is free for the asking featuring the history and times of Green River Rifle Works. A few of the old GRRW gunsmiths are still active and are producing custom copies of the Hawken and Leman rifles that GRRW originally manufactured. If you want to join the Association, goto GRRW Collectors Association, on the net. If you want a gun like this one. get in touch and get in line. Production is slow and meticulous.
# 502 Tulle Fusil de Chasse full stocked in close grained cherry, 20 bore (.615 caliber) Colerain tapered octagon-round barrel 44 inches long, choke bore
for ball, all steel mountings, traditional in every way. High front sight so you
can adjust to your eyes and style of shooting. The flintlock is a traditional Jack
Haugh design, done specifically for this gun, of highest quality and is a great
sparker. Trigger is the traditional single. Sideplate is a fancified serpent,
ferrules are traditional fancy barrel shaped with filed ends.
The ramrod is 3/8th inch with a brass tip, drilled and tapped for accessories.
Note the touch-hole in the sunset position for fastest flash. The serpent is a variation seen on fancier guns. This is a classic piece for your French Voyager/ Canadien/ Eastern Indian persona.
#423- Striking AAAA grade maple sets off this semi-military English flintlock fowler.The wood is dense and relatively heavy and the barrel walls are a touch heavier than usual, making it just right for shooting heavy loads with patched ball. Barrel is tapered from octagon to round, by Colerain, 42 inches long, front sight is tall and will need to be filed down to suit your load and sighting style. Queen Anne style flintlock, stylish English furniture mounted in classic English stock with forearm bulge a ‘la Brown Bess, fancy wax-cast sideplate with hunting scene, scroll engraved on butt plate return and trigger guard. You might have carried this piece as an English Subaltern at the Battle of Princeton or Cowpens in the
Revolution.
#414- Doc-built reproduction of a traditional JP Beck flintlock longrifle, authentic in every detail and faithful to J P Beck’s design and execution. Carved, finished
Lancaster Red, carved, polished and engraved. 50 caliber for round ball, Colerain swamped barrel with 66 inch twist, round bottom rifling, fine sparking Dickert lock, traditional double action DST, AAA maple fullstock, classic investment cast brass Beck buttplate, trigger guard, patchbox and toeplate. Classic Beck incised Roccoco carving.
All parts on the rifle are authentic Beck, no mixing of parts or styles on this
longrifle. The engraving is Beck style as well.
#427- Flintlock fullstock silver mounted Plains rifle in the Hawken style by DOC, 62 caliber GreenRiver RifleWorks barrel, one inch diameter octagon, 36 inches long, AA maple fullstock with Hawken style German silver furniture, Hawken double scroll trigger guard, double-lever Double Set Trigger, late double throated flintlock throws giant sparks, Manton style patent hooked breech with long top wrist tang, perfect flintlock hunting rifle for those that enjoy the challenge of a heavy round ball. Three barrel keys, silver fore-end cap, brass based silver bladed front sight & brass tipped ramrod, long bar Hawken style step adjustable rear sight. Silver Modena style patch box and eagle decorated oval on cheekpiece.
#439- English flintlock pistol by DOC, 50 caliber 1-20 twist deep rifled
barrel by Rayl, late flint era flintlock by Ron Long, brass spurred
trigger guard, all brass mounts with English style thimbles, very accurate with
490 round ball, ticking patch and 20 grains FFFg black powder. Accurate, shot 4th place with it against all percussion shooters at the
’05 Book Cliffs Shoot
and shot first place at the recent Old Ephraim shoot.
Traditional Hawken rifle in the lighter weight Kit Carson style. Green River
Rifle Works barrel, in the white.
#426- Doc built late percussion Plains rifle done Dimmick-Hawken style with scarce 54 caliber 1 inch
diameter octagon barrel by Shaw, Quality flat spring percussion lock with nipple and
drum, Short bar. double-lever DST, all iron furniture with Hawken style buttplate and
Hawken hooked trigger guard.
German silver fore-end tip, single key in brass ovals holds barrel to AA maple
stock.
#430-Lighter weight Leman reproduction by DOC, with 15/16 octagon
GreenRiverRifleWorks barrel in 45 caliber
36- Traditional Hawken flintlock full-stock plains rifle by Doc White, 54 caliber tapered GRRW barrel with seven grooves and 1-66 twist, deep .012 rifling for
round ball, brass mounts through out, AAA tiger stripe maple stock, late Twigg
flintlock with flat spring and stirrup, an excellent sparker, patent stainless touch-hole for super fast ignition, long bar DST, three brass mounted iron keys holding
barrel to stock, brass fore-end tip. Brass Modena patchbox with piercings
replete with engraving. Cheekpeice oval with engraved eagle. Ovals and toeplate engraved. too.
#418- reproduction of a Lehigh Co. rifle, Allentown -Reading style, with pronounced Roman nose stock and side opening patch box. It would have been made in the southern part of Lehigh Co. as it shows influence from both Allentown in the north and Bucks Co. to the south. Barrel is a Colerain with round bottomed rifling, swamped, in 50 caliber, 44 inches long, lock is a Dickert , classic engraved brass Lehigh Co. furniture, single trigger . AAA maple fullstock, Extensively incised carved in A. Vernor’s inimitable style.
#450- 1950’s vintage Bethlehem-Allentown school long rifle by Leonard Meadows, Bill Large octagonal 40 caliber barrel. Leonard was as famous a gun maker as Bill was a barrel maker.
#404- Original fullstock Plains rifle by Adolf Wurfflein of Philadelphia.
Original percussion sidelock with European style patent breech, (demonstrating Wuffleins European training), maple fullstock, 54 caliber heavy octagonal barrel held by three keys (replaced by some idiot with brass), brass buttplate and trigger guard (which once had a hook on it), Brass patchbox, which is filled with a thick whitish grease (smalls like bear grease), single lockbolt on teardrop escutcheon, Tennessee type cheekpeice,. There are small repairs to the fore-stock near the muzzle on both sides, old ones very nicely done. This rifle was probably built in the 1840-60 era, shipped West and sold on the frontier or carried west by a
pioneer crossing the plains. It came from a family in Salt Lake City who
have owned it for generations but who don’t know whence it came to SLC. It
has obviously had pretty good care, bore is still shootable.
Think of the stories this rifle could tell! Buffler!. Injuns.!
Maybe Californee and back with the Mormon Battalion.!
#497- Doc-built traditional side by side flintlock coach gun. Left
side is a GRRW 1-66 twist 50 caliber round ball barrel, right is a smoothbore 12
gauge with a screw-in Colonial choke (comes with .0700 full choke insert for
turkey and a choke bore 0.730 insert for shooting patched round ball. Barrels
are 21 inches long and are adjusted to shoot balls out of both barrels into the
same group at 25 yards using 100 grains Black Powder. The side by side
flintlocks are great sparking Silers, with the breeches inset to fit the locks
and the lock tail bent inward a little on each side to narrow the grip. It
has double triggers with the front firing the righted sided shotgun barrel and
the left firing the left sided rifle barrel. Touch-holes are stainless with
perfect location. Rear sight is a decorative folding leaf and the front a steel
blade inset into the rib. It is equipped with a tapered steel ramrod and a
Pachmeyer Old English recoil pad, meant to mimic an antique English leather
covered pad.
#512- Dimmick St. Louis Plains Rifle in plain tough walnut and iron, Green River RifleWorks barrel 54 caliber 1-66 twist deeply rifled for round ball with under-rib,
traditional flat spring percussion lock supported by barrel bar and
Dimmick’s English style long tang breech double bolted to double lever DST, steel
thimbles and 7/16″ ramrod, long bar DST in traditional Dimmick hooked
guard, beaver-tail cheekpeice for right hander, Plain open rear and silver on
brass base front sights, double fore-arm keys supported by steel ovals, pewter forend tip. I have come to beleive that the Dimmick design was in some ways superior to the Hawken, even though the Hawken is more famous. What I like is the massive Manton style breech with the lock supported by the barrel bar, a far stronger arrangement than the Hawken. This rifle is the epitome of traditional.
#509 Doc-built Classic Dimmick St. Louis Plains rifle in AAA maple
stock, GreenRiverRifleWorks octagon 1 and 1/8th inch diameter 54 cal barrel with deep grooves and 1-66 twist for round ball, Dimmick style brass trigger guard and butt plate, English traditional flat-spring bar-in-wood lock supporting super-strong Manton style English percussion breech with long tang double bolted to long bar DST St. Louis style, dove-tailed adjustable rear sight with brass and silver front sight, steel under-rib and thimbles, double fore-arm keys in brass ovals, hardwood ramrod tipped in brass, drilled and tapped for accessories. This is a classic western plains rifle authentic in every detail, a better rifle than any
Hawken because of the Manton Breech set-up plus the double tang bolts securing
the long DST.
Plains rifle with beautiful figured AA walnut stock, GreenRiver RifleWorks 54 cal octagon barrel, finished in the white for customer who wanted to save money and finish it himself.
#425- Late Midwest Plain style percussion squirrel rifle, scarce 15/16 inch
octagon 40 cal 33 inch barrel by GreenRiver RifleWorks, quality L&R
flat spring percussion lock with drum and nipple, late German silver furniture, DST, forearm cut to look like an original fullstock later cut down to halfstock, AAA grade maple stock with simple forearm pin, (fullstock would have had pins) Silver patch box (which is functional). Fore-end has German silver belly plate, G. silver fore-end cap and G. silver rear thimble. Also G silver front thimbles on rib. AAA
grade maple with ‘quilted’ figure, stained and oiled.
Semi-Military style German Jaeger flintlock rifle, fruitwood stock
with simple incised carving,. This rifle could have been used by the British
hired Hessians during our Revolutionary War. Antler patch box cover and
fore-end tip. All iron mounting, browned for that antique look. Colerain 50
caliber barrel for round ball. Very high quality, lots of sparks, fast lock,
DST in traditional open trigger guard.
#514- J HENRY PATTERN FULLSTOCK IRON MOUNTED TRADE RIFLE IN
50 CALIBER, sports all steel mounts except the sideplate which is brass, as they often were on originals. The barrel is by Green River RifleWorks with 7 grooves, never before used, 40 inches long and one inch in diameter, octagon all the way, the trigger is the traditional single, the flintlock is a late double throat and is an excellent sparker, A steel patch box with traditional latch is inletted. Stock and furniture are as traditional as you can get with oil and brown.
J
Henry is stamped on the top barrel flat just in front of the rear sight. Doc’s
GBW cipher is at the breech on the left. This is the perfect rifle for your Fur
Trade ensemble. All iron parts are a deep chocolate brown, the brass is bright
and the screws are fire blued. The rear sight has been left with a tiny notch
for you to enlarge as you desire.
#567- Southern-Virginia walnut stocked step wrist rifle as per Klett in 50
caliber with walnut fullstock and all iron mounts. The barrel is by Colerain,
swamped, 54 caliber, 44 inches long. The walnut is excellent quality with good
figure in the butt. The lock is by Davis and throws fat sparks. It is much like
his Tulle lock but round faced, coming real close to matching an original
English trade lock. There is a four piece iron patchbox with domed lid, a modest
amount of incised and raised carving and Klett’s inimitable engraving. The
conformation of the stock is excellent for off-hand shooting, it handles really
well.
The patchbox is engraved Klett style. All screws have been polished and fire
blued. The patchbox opens in original style with a latch on the buttplate.
The lock is an English Trade lock by L&R, a beautiful reproduction of the lock
that was so successful in the frontier gun trade. It sparks as good as it looks.
I could not resist shooting this fine rifle. I took it to a match in Price UT
the last week-end in Oct ’09, sighting it in same time as shooting the match. We
fired 80 shots. I used the same flint through-out and had 3 miss-fires. I used
60 gr ffg Goex and a 490 ball with 22 thou ticking spit patch. I
swear every shot hit exactly as I shot it. I could call every shot, even though
I started with a thinner patch and graduated to the thicker one. Accuracy did
not seem to change. It was just as accurate with a thinner one (18 thou) as the
thicker 22 thou but it did get dirtier faster, then cleaned up with the 22 thou
patch. I did not clean it through-out the shooting. I consider this kind of
behavior the hallmark of a good barrel, shoots anything, cleans up with the
right combination.
All in all, this is a beautiful Southern rifle with obvious southern
provenance. It is marvelous how elegant design features from earlier English
and German guns were blended into an equally elegant style by Southern
gunsmiths like Klett. It is a wonderful rifle for offhand shooting.
Doc-built flintlock smooth-bore rifle, 62 caliber, Colerain swamped barrel 38
inches long, super quality walnut stock replete with incised carving and horn
gargoyle on butt behind cheekpiece. Single trigger. Low open sights, Best
quality flintlock literally drips sparks, patent touch-hole, brass trim. Shoots
shot or patched ball equally well.
This is what the buyer said about the gun:
I’m really delighted with this transitional rifle. The workmanship is superb
and the quality of the parts is excellent! Thanks for letting me pick your
brain about the shooting qualities and the other questions that I had. I’m
really looking forward to shooting it and would like it to be my favorite
turkey gun. Thanks again!
#508 Doc-built Dimmick St Louis Plains style rifle but for .450 slip-fit
White/Whitworth style elongated bullet, Douglas octagon barrel one inch in diameter signed H E Dimmick St. Louis on top barrel flat. .451 caliber with 1-20 twist and shallow .035 grooves, uses White PowerPunch .450 slip fit bullets It’s been accurized, it shoots 65 gr. 777 and a White 460 gr Power Punch into a
ragged hole at 100 yards with the mid-range tang peep and Lyman front.
With Idaho having passed rules requiring sidelock ignition, this is the
perfect rifle for an Idaho Elk hunter: it has the required sidelock,
open ignition and throws a heavy bullet. It is the muzzleloading equivalent of a
45-70 or better.
Doc built repro of a Leman halfstock percussion rifle, much like those he designed at GRRW back in the 70’s. Best quality one inch octagon barrel, 1-66 twist, deep groovers, 32 inches long, L&R quality flat spring percussion lock, AAA maple halfstock, iron buttplate, brass trigger guard, single trigger, pewter fore-end
tip, rib and thimbles All classic Leman style. Left in the white. Client will finish.
European Doglock, Germanic, very much like the wheel-lock, 58 caliber Getz
barrel, Doc-built lock, throws huge sparks, European walnut full-stock with horn
patch box cover and fore-end cap, DST, toothy serpent bas-reliefed in horn
side-lock plate.
Another Leman half-stock reproduction by DOC, this one with a GRRW AAA maple half-stock and one inch X 32 inch 50 caliber GRRW barrel, L&R
percussion lock, iron buttplate, brass trigger guard, simple key holding stock
to barrel, pewter fore-end tip, iron rib and thimbles. Has a traditional single trigger. GRRW marked noting its provenance. Once again, in the white.
# 501 Tennessee Southern Mountain Barn Rifle, high quality 7/8th X 42 inch octagon 40 caliber barrel by Rayl, all steel mounts including bottom wear plate, antler butt guards at tip and toe, (top is elk, bottom is moose) single trigger,
handmade flintlock by old Whiskers Cole (dead these many years) sparks
beautifully from a single trigger. The stock is plain maple without much figure. The barrel and all steel parts have been deeply browned, including the
belly plate.
#421- Doc built Jaeger, 54 caliber Colerain barrel with round bottom rifling, barrel is 31 inches, swamped, making the rifle very fast with superb balance. Stock is BEAUTIFUL dense cherry, early Germanic flintlock, Traditional DST, carved wooden patch box cover with latch, brass furniture throughout, incised and bas relief carved in the transitional Baroque/Rococco style, the lion on the butt behind the cheek-peice bas-relieved and the rest of the scrolling on both sides
incised carved. The engraving matches the provenance of the carving with the
lion motif carried through.
THIS IS WHAT THE BUYER WROTE ABOUT IT:
” I admire
this rifle tremendously. I’ve admired your work for quite a while! It
is beyond my comprehension how anyone can inlet the ramrod pipes, trigger
guard, carve the stock and engrave the brass work such as you have on this
rifle. That is to say nothing of the engraving on and your
signature on the barrel. You have my sincere appreciation for the
quality of your work. It’s obvious this is a labor of love. Again, I certainly admire your work. You will be
long and well remembered among comtemporary rifle builders.