Early Hershel House Rifle

[44-henry]

Does anybody have any pictures, or a link to such for an early Hershel House rifle. I am interested in seeing photos of the style of rifle he built in the Foxfire 5 interview. I know where to get prints of it, but I would really like to see some detailed photographs of it (or similar) in the meantime.

I have a friend that is interested in the rifle after reading the book and I agreed to build something similar if he bought the basic parts. Any help would be appreciated.

Alex Johnson

 

[tallbear]

I have some pics of Hershals personal rifle.I will email them to you.

Mitch Yates

 

[Jim Blair]

Here's some pictures,don't know if the Foxfire rifle is among them-
http://americanhistoricservices.com/html/hershel_house.html

 

I have an early one that he built around 1969.

Here Hershel is examining it and giving me the skinny on it. He went to Dixie in early 69, and bought about a dozen unrifled barrel blanks, and a dozen lock kits, that were raw castings and started building for folks. This is one of those. He breached, and rifled it .43 cal. Stock is walnut, he cut on his property. No butt plate, but it has bone heel, and toe, forged iron trigger guard, triggers, and thimbles. The web between the barrel, and ram rod channel,has split . It's quite thin, but has been repaired.

A closer look, nothing fancy, no carving, just a nice plain Tennessee. I can get more pic's if you like

Dennis Glazner, builder of Gillespie rifles checking it out, and sharing with Hershel. This is the third time I've owned this gun. I sold it for a nice profit at the Norris show, then earlier this year I bought it back at the Norris show.

Bill

 

Alex, you made me go get my copy of Foxfire. Some info on the section with Hershel. The rifle he's holding, may be this one or one of that dozen he first built for sale, the building pictures are of three or four different rifles, he was building at the time. The lock close up is a Davis early English i believe. The lock on mine could be copied by modifying a Chamber's late Ketland.
Here's a link to more pic's,
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

there's also an article on Hershel. This site should be in your bookmarks.

Bill

 

[Mike Brooks]

Looks just like the .29 by House that I used to own. Made in '72. Only difference, mine had a Bill Large barrel and a Bob Roller lock. :thumbsup:

 

[44-henry]

Hi Bill,
Thank you for posting pictures of your rifle, that is quite a treasure. I always wondered about the construction shots they took and kind of suspected it was not always the same rifle. I think the one that you have is the closest I have seen to the style of rifle he was building there. It was a very interesting part of the book even with the multiple reporting errors of the books authors.

I need to get the print from the Log Cabin shop, but I plan on building it around a 42" Green Mountain 7/8" .45 caliber barrel that have had on my shelf for awhile. I have had a hard time deciding between the Chambers lock you mentioned and the Davis Late English lock.

I doubt I'll have much time to get to it before winter so I guess I have some time to decide. Thanks for the photos.