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By the way, the knife in that display case with the (wrong) rifle may be authentic--at least it is identical to a knife supposedly made by Squire Boone that I have seen pictured.
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Boone's rifle
- Thread starter pepperbelly
- Start date
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The rifle shown on the Revolutionary America site certainly flies in the face of the statement in the Draper Papers which says Boone carried a smoothbore loaded with buck and ball at the Battle of Blue Licks.
The fact that Boone's name is on the top flat of the barrel causes me to doubt the authenticity even more. As most of us know the top flat on an 18th century gun if engraved generally has the name of the gunsmith who made the gun. The owners initials would be incorporated in inlays or the carving, very rarely an owners name was applied to the side plate or patch box.
It would be very interesting to know how or what they used to document this rifle as having belonged to Boone.
Boone was a professional hunter and surely owned many guns in the course of his long life and probably owned more than one gun at any given time if you consider his profession and the fact he lived most of his life on a dangerous frontier.
Regards, Dae
The fact that Boone's name is on the top flat of the barrel causes me to doubt the authenticity even more. As most of us know the top flat on an 18th century gun if engraved generally has the name of the gunsmith who made the gun. The owners initials would be incorporated in inlays or the carving, very rarely an owners name was applied to the side plate or patch box.
It would be very interesting to know how or what they used to document this rifle as having belonged to Boone.
Boone was a professional hunter and surely owned many guns in the course of his long life and probably owned more than one gun at any given time if you consider his profession and the fact he lived most of his life on a dangerous frontier.
Regards, Dae
pepperbelly
45 Cal.
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Thanks a lot guys. I have read a little on his rifle(s), mostly on the 'net. I plan on a visit to my library soon to find some books on his life.
I have been wanting a flintlock for a while, mainly after getting a T/C Hawken percussion.
I was at Cabela's today and held the Blue Ridge and Kentucky rifles. I liked the way both felt but have read a few posts about the Kentucky rifle having problems with it's small lock.
I may end up with a Blue Ridge rifle but the reason for this post was to find out what style rifle he carried- Pennsylvania/Kentucky, Tennessee/ Southern, etc.
I have read that the Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle resembles a Lehigh Valley rifle. What style rifle is a Lehigh Valley?
Jim
I have been wanting a flintlock for a while, mainly after getting a T/C Hawken percussion.
I was at Cabela's today and held the Blue Ridge and Kentucky rifles. I liked the way both felt but have read a few posts about the Kentucky rifle having problems with it's small lock.
I may end up with a Blue Ridge rifle but the reason for this post was to find out what style rifle he carried- Pennsylvania/Kentucky, Tennessee/ Southern, etc.
I have read that the Cabela's Blue Ridge rifle resembles a Lehigh Valley rifle. What style rifle is a Lehigh Valley?
Jim
Guest
Probably the best way to learn about the rifle styles is to thumb through the many books published on them (I know, no one reads antmore, but these are mostly picture books). There are at least a dozen out there--if you don't want to buy them, check your local library. Some of the best include Shumway's Rifles of Colonial America, Kindig's Kentucky Rifles in the Golden Age (I think that is the right title, mine is not handy), A couple of books by the KRA, Kaufman's Pennsylvania/Kentucky Rilfes, etc. Lehigh Valley rifles evolved in form, but in the classic form have a curved sweep to the buttstock on both upper and lower surfaces. They typically have a simple two-piece patchbox. See also Eric Kettenberg's website and palongrifles site (is that Alan Martin's site?)...seems like there is another....P.S. Alan Martin's site is flamingharry.
Guest
Eric Kittenburg's website is at
www.firelocks.com
His interpretation of the Moll and Rupp rifles are true works of art in the classic Lehigh Valley style.
Nothing Cabellas or DP produces resembles this style in the slightest except that both have lock, stock and barrel.
One would have to be in dim light, hold the gun at just the right angle, close one eye, squint hard and never actually touch either gun to establish any distant similarity.
:front:
www.firelocks.com
His interpretation of the Moll and Rupp rifles are true works of art in the classic Lehigh Valley style.
Nothing Cabellas or DP produces resembles this style in the slightest except that both have lock, stock and barrel.
One would have to be in dim light, hold the gun at just the right angle, close one eye, squint hard and never actually touch either gun to establish any distant similarity.
:front:
Guest
LOL, if we combine my spelling with your spelling we get Kettenburg, which is correct! :crackup: Maybe the best gunmaker alive today.
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Pepperbelly
Consider putting your own flinter together. There are some great "kits" available. Learning experience for sure.
Consider putting your own flinter together. There are some great "kits" available. Learning experience for sure.
Generic Lehigh silhouette:
A Pedersoli Frontier/Cabela's Blue Ridge/Hatfield is to a Lehigh as a apple is to a pear. Both come off trees, both have seeds, both have a stem. But they look and taste different. If all you're looking for is a fruit, you're solid. If you want an Empire or a Cortland Apple, you'll never find it on a pear tree.
The features that seperate the different PA schools or accepted design sub-groups are critical enough that the Pedersoli's would be unique enough to not be considered a Lehigh. And, the term "Lehigh" covers some 80 years of gun building, exists within Northampton/Bethlehen/Allentown styles and there are lots of gray areas within that group. Further complicated with not all gunsmiths signed their work (during the Revolution it would have been bad business practice to have the British show up at your door with a captured rifle and begin asking questions . . . as you hung by the neck from the tree outside your burning house).
1st test for a Lehigh: Buttplate heel is inset within the buttstock wood on either side of the heel; no exposed metal on either side. (A subtlety that even Kettenburg gets "wrong" on some of his Lehighs).
2nd test: Barrel is inset so that more than 50% of the side flats are above the forestock wood.
3rd test: Bust of an Indian woman or Liberty Head is incise carved ahead of trigger bow.
4th test: Wrist is wider than it is tall.
5th test: Nose piece is sheet brass, not cast.
6th test: Sideplate ends with an arrowhead pointing towards the butt.
Not all tests work on all original Lehighs, but they are indicative and unique features. If you have a rifle with 4 out of 6 above, it might be a Lehigh.
PA Longrifle schools described (click me)
A Pedersoli Frontier/Cabela's Blue Ridge/Hatfield is to a Lehigh as a apple is to a pear. Both come off trees, both have seeds, both have a stem. But they look and taste different. If all you're looking for is a fruit, you're solid. If you want an Empire or a Cortland Apple, you'll never find it on a pear tree.
The features that seperate the different PA schools or accepted design sub-groups are critical enough that the Pedersoli's would be unique enough to not be considered a Lehigh. And, the term "Lehigh" covers some 80 years of gun building, exists within Northampton/Bethlehen/Allentown styles and there are lots of gray areas within that group. Further complicated with not all gunsmiths signed their work (during the Revolution it would have been bad business practice to have the British show up at your door with a captured rifle and begin asking questions . . . as you hung by the neck from the tree outside your burning house).
1st test for a Lehigh: Buttplate heel is inset within the buttstock wood on either side of the heel; no exposed metal on either side. (A subtlety that even Kettenburg gets "wrong" on some of his Lehighs).
2nd test: Barrel is inset so that more than 50% of the side flats are above the forestock wood.
3rd test: Bust of an Indian woman or Liberty Head is incise carved ahead of trigger bow.
4th test: Wrist is wider than it is tall.
5th test: Nose piece is sheet brass, not cast.
6th test: Sideplate ends with an arrowhead pointing towards the butt.
Not all tests work on all original Lehighs, but they are indicative and unique features. If you have a rifle with 4 out of 6 above, it might be a Lehigh.
PA Longrifle schools described (click me)
What I have noticed about some of these museums is the tendacy to atribute firearms to a famous person or battle often times with little evidence to back them up. If you go to the Ky Military History Museum you can see a 19th century poorboy used in the revolution :what:. Well it's a flintlock so it must be that old. :: :kid:
