Dixon's Gunmakers Fair

[Dave Rosenthal]

A whole bunch of folks from the Old Bridge Rifle & Pistol Club's Black Powder League will be meeting in front of the Dixon's Shop at 10:30 AM Sunday. If the mood suits you, stop by and say HELLO! These are the folks that got me started in our great hobby!

See ya there!

Dave

 

[CG6018]

The cannon at the Gunmaker's Fair remained silent Friday, and the First PA Regiment hadn't set up a tent or fly, so meeting anyone was by chance. This did allow more time to spend money.

I'm planning on driving up again Sunday to see if there are any remaining bargains I need.

Enjoy the Fair! :thumbsup:

 

[MikeC]

The cannon at the Gunmaker's Fair remained silent Friday, and the First PA Regiment hadn't set up a tent or fly, so meeting anyone was by chance. This did allow more time to spend money.

I'm planning on driving up again Sunday to see if there are any remaining bargains I need.

Enjoy the Fair! :thumbsup:

I was there Friday, had a great time. So what did you pickup? I hand picked some flints, bought a nice riflemans knife, the blade was made from an old trap spring. Stocked up on BP from the store and I bought a nice handmade loading block with built in starter that slides out of the block, also picked up some small tins for whatever.

Lots of eye candy that is for sure. It was nice to put a face to some of the well known builders and see their rifles up close. I must say though for all the rifles there us left handed shooters sure are under represented. :surrender:

What amazed me most was the craftsman who worked with horns. I saw some amazing horns. Also lots of nice handmade leather possibles bags and haversacks. The whole spectrum from the builders and suppliers such as Dunlop Woodcrafts to small craftsman was very well represented.

 

[Osprey]

This was my first time at anything like this and I was a bit overwhelmed today. Other than way too many people to really look at things good, I really liked it though. Some incredible guns and all sorts of things to see. And I, too, left much poorer, carrying off some raw horns and everything (I think) to start my first build (semi-carved Armstrong stock, .45 Colerain 42" swamped, furniture and pieces and lock and trigers and such). I do have to admit, though, that at the moment I'm questioning my sanity that I just spent so much cash on a gun that's in pieces and months of work away from shooting. :shocked2:

 

[MikeC]

I do have to admit, though, that at the moment I'm questioning my sanity that I just spent so much cash on a gun that's in pieces and months of work away from shooting. :shocked2:

Yea I hear ya. I thought about getting the parts and building one but reality set in and I decided against it. Very tempting though with everything available right there. Good luck to you with the build.

Mike

 

[CG6018]

A pretty steady rain this morning is keeping me at home, so I'll save a few bucks and wait for the phone to ring informing me that I won the rifle raffle. :shake:

I picked up two different sizes of balls to try in the .36 cal I hope to complete soon, and an ALR t-shirt I decided that I needed. Living within 45 min. of Dixon's allows me to keep supplied with needed and un-needed stuff. I'll admit that I pondered quite a while over a Tip Curtis pistol kit, but sadly walked away.

 

[BadHeart]

I went Saturday, I was inside looking around and my wife walked up behind me and asked which rifle did I like. Now I can't afford one of the ones hanging from the ceiling. I picked up a Pedersoli flintlock long rifle in 45 cal and told her that I liked this one. She shocked me by saying happy birthday. What a great woman I found, Too bad I had to go through the first (BAD) one before I found this one.

 

[DougMPhoto]

Was there all three days. First time I attended. Enjoyed the seminars, just wish some could have been longer. Learned quite a bit.

Great talking to builders and seeing craftmanship out there. Entered in 1st rifle...left with only a green ribbon, but hey...at least I entered. Took me 15 years to build that one (sat for 13 years cause of auto accident). Now I know what I did wrong and if/when I build another...DON't ENTER IT :rotf: NO...Just kidding... Couple of my friends got blues in rifles and accoutrements :hatsoff: :thumbsup: .

One was asked to become a judge for horns. :thumbsup: He accepted.

Rained Sunday for about 45 minutes...sure was noisy in the seminar tent. I was in front row, getting dripped on, and could hardly hear the speaker who was 2 feet in front of me. But after that rain, the weather was fine.

Great time...Wanted to buy, but left empty handed. I want to study a little longer before building a new one. See what school/builder I want to try...also preshaped or from scratch? Decisions...decisions.

Above all...great time...great people.

"Keep yer powder dry"

Doug

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I too was a "first-timer" and made it there in one piece on Sunday in the deluge about 10:30 AM. Fantastic show, really nice rock-locks, kits, bags, etc.

Maybe I'm just crazy, but I think some of the various vendors missed the boat when it came to cap-locks and especially C&B revolvers. I was a little dissapointed to find only one repro C&B revolver laying out on a table with some other junk. Same goes for civil war long guns...couldn't find a one and I was in the market for one.

Between the rain and the muddy wet shoes caused by the rivers cascading down the hills, after a couple of hours or so, we had enough and went to Cabela's.

I know that the intent of the gathering is a "Gun Makers" Fair. I just figured that anything that uses BP would be represented. Was also looking to buy a conversion cylinder for my '58 Remmy, but alas, NONE of the vendors paying to be there thought to bring any :shake: .

The cannons and the lemonade made the day bearable. If it rains next year, I'll probably stay home :surrender: .

Dave

 

[DougMPhoto]

Most of the Gunmakers there represent the primitive era. F&I and Revolutionary War longrifles. Did you check in the store for your parts? I believe Dixon's carries a few revolvers and may have the parts you were looking for.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I'm a regular customer at Dixon's. I go there all the time. I didn't see what I hoped would be there, as ill-informed as I was.

I just think that it's too bad that not ALL of the black powder hobby was represented, except of course for the guns that take the 209 primers :wink: . I would have drooled over a revolver collection of real antiques, could have bought a holster from a leather craftsman, etc., etc., had there been any!

Diversification is what will keep this hobby of ours alive. Is there a "Fair" for my kind of stuff somewhere within driving distance of NJ?

The lemonade was great and so was the cannon firings!

Dave

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

If you're interested in Civil War arms you should try the NSSA nationals in Winchester, Va. All the production builders have displays, and the semi and full custom builders are there as well. It's a great place to pick up original Civil War arms and parts and naturally there are plenty of reproductions as well. It's very crowded but the selection is outstanding. Attendance will top 10,000 between vendors,competitors and their families.

 

[mikee51848]

Because it's a Gunmaker's Fair, the emphasis would be on the era when guns were crafted by gunsmiths and artisans, along with related crafts. By the time of the CW, guns were mass produced in factories. Now, if they had billed it as a Blackpowder Fair, you would have a complaint. :hmm:

 

[colmoultrie]

Well, perhaps the rain on Sunday changed things, but on Saturday there was a tent near the TVM tent - over close to the 4-wheel drive parking lot close to rte 537 - that had a number of CW rifled muskets on display. Didn't look too closely because I was busy ordering a pistol kit from Toni, but they were there.

 

[MikeC]

Not necessarily. It’s called a gun makers fair but it’s really open to anything associated with traditional muzzle loading including Civil War equipment and guns. Just so happens there were no vendors there selling or dealing in that material but there sure could be. Actually harpers ferry was there next to TVM with rifles.
You have to also take into account the area the fair is held, right in the heart of Pennsylvania rifle country and most of the local builders specialize in that style of firearm.

There sure was allot more accoutrements available than rifles.

I personally was a bit disappointed in some of the builders. Most only had one or two examples of there rifles to view and at least one had none. I was specifically looking for a particular builder and walked by his table about three times because there were no rifles, just some accoutrements I could pick up at my local gun shop, very disappointed.

I was expecting more rifles available for sale, well more left handed rifles I should say. There were little to none. Even Tip Curtis for all he had under his tent had only about ten left handed rifles in the white available to choose from and most were .50 or .32 caliber. Same for TVM lots of rifles for sale but only four or five LH.

 

[Bob Gular]

"One was asked to become a judge for horns". I know who you are talking about (WWF). If you were to fit the very best horners in a mimi-bus, he'd get a seat. I get to see him once a year at the Fair and his attitude and demeanor are on a par with his craftsmanship.

 

[hawkeye1755]

Did anyone make some pics? :hmm:
Please think of us poor german hillbillys.
:hatsoff:

 

[GJP]

Jerry P and I went on Saterday. It was a great date - away from the kids. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. Just wish we could have stayed a little longer. We'll just say, at 10:30 that night, I was marking a horn I wanted to start and Jerry was checking out some leather to make a new bag. We both brought home some fun stuff - can't wait to get started! Mrs Jerry P

 

[Osprey]

One thing has been nagging me about the gun fair. I wondered if it bothered anybody else or I'm just too anal about gun safety. With all the crowds and guns on display on tables, racks, and in people's hands I felt like I always had a gun pointed at me! I don't remember an exemption to the muzzle pointed in a safe direction rule for gun shows - and it was quite un-nerving the whole time I was there.

Did this make any of you just a little spooky?

 

[2158]

doug, hope you had fun. first time at dixon's is
always overwhelming.i didn't know you entered
your rifle. as for the new horn judges. three
new people were added. wwf , jk, dr. see if you
can guess from their initials :cursing:
by the way i ate breakfast cereal with my
folding spoon this morning :youcrazy: later, mike