Golden Age Arms?

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Joined
Nov 13, 2018
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Location
Far Southern Wisconsin
I have recently ran into a rifle marked Golden Age Arms, and know little to nothing about the maker other than what I have read here in some very old posts and on other internet places.
These were pretty nice kits I believe?

I can buy one for what I consider a very good price (even though I do not need one...… like that has stopped me before, and I only have one .45cal rifle now).

What can anyone tell me about them?
It is over 30 years old, percussion, .45cal, full stock with some "fairly" decent looking engraving, Douglas barrel, and I cannot see it in person.

Yes, I know buying it blindly like this over the internet is not so good a thing to do, and yes, I know I could have me a really nice one for all I have spent on my "others", but I like the hunt and do not plan on doing any more building!

I have emailed the seller already, and will ask more questions when and if they reply.

Thanks again in advance,
Dave
(a.k.a. "railshot, the orphan collector" :D)

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Its your money, if you like it buy it. But since you ask, for me I don't care for the looks of it. The butt plate doesn't line up with the bottom of the stock. And I sure don't like the looks of the side plate. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I have a couple of ugly X-wife's but all my rifles are fine looking.
 
Its your money, if you like it buy it. But since you ask, for me I don't care for the looks of it. The butt plate doesn't line up with the bottom of the stock. And I sure don't like the looks of the side plate. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I have a couple of ugly X-wife's but all my rifles are fine looking.

Heheh, I have a couple of those also, and this would be much less expensive than they were!
 
For me it would have to be real cheap as I agree with Juice Jaws about the look. The dog leg in the grip area appears off to me, but there may be originals built this way. I'm just not familiar with the style.
 
There was a Golden age arms in Ohio. I thinking it was Delaware Ohio in the 70s I did business with them but I think their out of business now.
I bought a pistol from them, thestock was too small for the parts and I had to make another. The lock and barrel was good quality.
 
For me it would have to be real cheap as I agree with Juice Jaws about the look. The dog leg in the grip area appears off to me, but there may be originals built this way. I'm just not familiar with the style.

These were kits correct ??? and not something that someone could just go in and purchase completed.
tenngun, it is very possible it is from Ohio, as the listing is somewhat close to there.

As I was typing this, I thought I would do another search for them, and ran into this on ebay.
It is a catalog for Golden Age Arms from 1997, so I "borrowed" a couple of pictures from the listing on e-bay.... heheh

I just had to post these pics, check out the prices!

Looks like they had some pretty decent kits, but what the builder did with this one in the wrist area is a little odd I must admit.

I do think I will pass, so if anyone else is interested let me know with a pm and I can send a link to the offering.

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I remember that company. I think I purchased a few items from them in the late ‘70’s. Not too thrilled. I have to say the stock really does look odd with the jog at the wrist. Is the area just ahead of the lock a repair, or messed up something or other. It looks like there are several holes in the forward end of the lock panel.

I think there are more fish in the sea...
 
I don't think GAA built that, that was from a kit.
Maybe the builder had some physical issue to shape it so.
 
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The lock has a flintlock plate. Maybe it is supposed to look converted. Golden Age had their barrels made by Douglas. The other parts in his kits were regular stuff. I used to stop in the shop when I was passing through Delaware, OH. He always had a few guns hanging on the wall for sale. Hard to say who built it or if it was even sold from the shop. The guns I saw in the shop were always signed by the builder.
 
It looks like an Afghan Jezail :)

If it were cheap I'd buy it but I have a soft spot for ugly guns

Glad I am not alone.... Heheh, I love to adopt orphans myself.

Unfortunately, I have not had a reply from the seller yet..... and to me, it is an orphan..... wish they would list a phone number to call.
Price is pretty good actually, and my "off the wall unusual unloved collection" could use another one to hang with them... Heheh....
 
That rifle looks like it was built for someone with a really long neck or special purpose. Maybe to shoot off the bench without having to duck down behind the rifle.
I have the Vincent kit pictured in the catalog pictures. My father bought it for me as a birthday present, and a friend assembled it in trade for some primitive clothes my wife used to make( She made sure I paid her for the work.). Then Frank Bartlett saw it and did some Vincent style engraving on it for free. He said it just didn't look right without engraving. Ended up a really nice rifle
 
Golden Age Arms began business in a small bookstore on High Street in Worthington, OH. They were 1 building north of the old Worthington Inn, and the lawn area between the buildings was frequently set up to throw tomahawks. This was while I was still in High School in the late 1960's. Jim Johnston was the owner, and for such a tiny shop he had an amazing amount of kit materials. My Dad bought some parts, and built a .40 cal caplock rifle, completed as I graduated High School in 1970. I have that same rifle today.

While Dad was building his rifle, I was cutting out sheet brass inlays as well as a few tiny dogwood flower inlays for Jim. Around this time, Tom White began building rifles with GAA parts & some for sale at the GAA Worthington shop. He became proficient enough to build NRA some Presentation rifles. I was out of High school and out of town in college around the time the shop moved to their Delaware address. Don't know what became of the company, or of Jim.
 
AZbpburner has it correct. Jim Johnson's first store was in Worthington then he moved about twenty miles North to Delaware then moved once again before going out of business. He handled high quality parts and kits as well as some custom made rifles and the occasional rifle that Jim built. He sold Douglas barrels that had their logo as well as Golden Age Arms logo stamped on them. The rifle you picture may be made from GAA parts but it most certainly was not made by them.
The catalog shown is from the Delaware location. That was right next to Bunn's restaurant best eating around.
 
Golden Age Arms was in Delaware, Ohio for many years. When their landlord raised to rent too much they pulled up stakes and moved to Ashley, Ohio. I have been in the Ashley store several years ago. They went out of business several years ago.
 
Most of GAA rifles that were sold as completed rifles were made by Larry Bryner or Dick Bingham, both very accomplished builders, both of whom are now gone. Most of what was built were Vincent style half stocks but others were available. The owner, Jim Johnston is still around and can be found peddling several books he wrote on firearms and accoutrements.
 


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