Early Virginia Longrifle with 48 3/4 inch barrel

[hawkeye1755]

On TotW they sell an Early Virginia Longrifle,
.54 caliber 48-3/4" custom rifle barrel.
The original gun was detailed in the May/June 2003 issue of Muzzleloader by Mr. Peter Alexander in an article entitle, A Study of an Early Virginia Longrifle. The study shows various different aspects of the gun along with Mr. Alexander’s detailed description.

Anyone who has the article?Is it possible to get a copy of that article. :hmm:

48 3/4, that's really a Longrifle. :grin:
Link
:hatsoff:

 

[grizzly adam]

Saw that one this morning! Nice piece ... that transitional comb makes it especially interesting.

That long barrel would be an advantage for guys like me with aging eyes ... I could move the sights forward ... and forward ... and forward ...

 

[Mike Brooks]

That's a copy of Reeves Goehring's "feather rifle".

 

[hawkeye1755]

That's a copy of Reeves Goehring's "feather rifle".

Reeves Goehring?Never heard the name before.
A little more information,please.
:hatsoff:

 

[rabjr]

That's a copy of Reeves Goehring's "feather rifle".

Reeves Goehring?Never heard the name before.
A little more information,please.
:hatsoff:

He's the man to get castings of original guns from. I got New England style butt plate and trigger guard from him for my New England rifle project. :thumbsup:

 

[hawkeye1755]

He's the man to get castings of original guns from. I got New England style butt plate and trigger guard from him for my New England rifle project. :thumbsup:

Ah, a living man.And i thought he was one of those guys from the 'old days'. :grin:

:hatsoff:

 

[Vaino]

Once in awhile a contemporary LR is pictured and whether it be a Lehigh, a fowler or this Virginia LR, some seem to have exagerated features? This Virginia LR seems to have a very thin wrist in width and height and the transition from the wrist to the comb nose seems exagerated to say the least. Seeing I can only compare these exagerated contemporary LRs vs the originals in the various reference books, I wonder why builders feel the need for such exagerations? I built a Virginia LR from Goehring's same Virginia pattern and it didn't look "freakish" { excuse my language} as this one does. Somehow when some contemporary versions of original LRs are built, they don't have the fluid lines or proportionality of the originals. Seeing my "hands on" experiences w/ originals is very limited except for those pictured in Kindig's and Shumway's books, I might be "all wet" in my assessment of this LR in particular, although to me, it's not a pleasing, esthetic shape. I don't intend to demean the builder's efforts...heaven only knows what time and effort went into this LR and some might even find it very intriguing.....Fred

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I think Chris Moyer built this one. If memory serves, it may be a copy of an original--or at least a riff off of one. Not sure of this though.

 

[tg]

Does the entry pipe seem rather close to the lock panels, giving it a shorter than usual forestock; or is it just my perception? the wrist does seem kind of skinny for an early gun, but I guess not everyone interprets the same traits into this type of gun? The smallish cheekpiece looks English but the Siler lock is Germanic I guess mix and match is ok but doesn't the lock set the date later than most like to place "early" Virginia guns? it is a nice gun far better than anything I could do butfor a pre 1770 gun I think I would have changed some things, don't think I would have browned it. but I am not an expert on these things it just seems "different" than what I would picture for an Early gun, but I guess the question is, what is early?

 

[Vaino]

Correction...The early Virginia LR I built had the butt shape profiled by Fred Miller from a pattern he copied off an original. If the pictured Virginia LR is a copy of an original, so be it and it illustrates my lack of exposure to originals.I guess they come in all sorts and shapes......Fred

 

[Mike Brooks]

It's a dead on copy. I've handled the original and it's "sister" rifle and this is the way they were both built. This copy has no exaggerations. Fred Miller can run you a pre carved stock for one of these, he has a pattern off the original.

 

[tg]

What date is this gun supposed to be from?Is it a for sure Virginia gun? I would think it to be Rev War not any earlier?

Does Fred hang out on any of the Forums? he used to be on the ML mailing list years ago and was a good source of a lot of good info, he always had a lot of info to share.

 

[rabjr]

The link says pre-revolution time period.

 

[tg]

I saw the mention of pre Rev War on TOWs write up but was wondering about the docums that support it, it may very well be just wanted to know how it was dated.

 

[Elnathan]

There is a very similar piece with a roundfaced lock that Shumway wrote up in Muzzleblasts, Oct. 1982. That one can be dated prior to 1775 due to the lock style, so I suppose that the "feather gun" is dated by analogy.

 

[tg]

I remember seeing the article in the mag now but can't find it, I guess it just doesn't look like it would be that far back to me, I would have guessed it to be closer to 1780 just at a glance.
Is this gun in the RCA books?

 

[tg]

I reviewed the article and how the author came to determine the origin and date of the gun, any of you more knowledgable guys out there think this is a mid 18th century gun from Virginia made for the Indian trade?or could it as well be a 1775-80 gun from elswhere, I see a lot of using other guns which are speculative as to time and place used to place this one, the author is one of the more knowledgable writers of gun history and I repect that but I do question this particular gun as being a for sure on the time and place,Mike,Chris, Okwaho am I way out in left field here?

 

[hawkeye1755]

TotW wrote:

The original gun was detailed in the May/June 2003 issue of Muzzleloader by Mr. Peter Alexander in an article entitle, A Study of an Early Virginia Longrifle. The study shows various different aspects of the gun along with Mr. Alexander’s detailed description.

Anyone who has that article?
:hatsoff:

 

[C_Laubach]

Here is a picture of the lock from the "original" rifle.

Chris Laubach

 

[tg]

The author suggested that it was a rather large lock and the early Ketland would be his choice with some filing if building this gun, it is an interesting gun as is the concept that is was made for thr NDN trade which is the reason for the long barrel as they were used to long barreled English abd French guns, Then if it was of Virginia origin would the NDN's there be familiar with the French style guns to the point of using the Frenchy influence in the buttstock? everytime I look at the gun or read the article more questions pop into my mind...then earlier ones pop out the other side as there is limited storage avaiable.