Harper's Ferry Arms Company

[KABAR2]

I just picked up a Charlieville musket made by Harper's Ferry Arms company it is new unfired it has a little age to it so someone had it up on the wall, quality is good, wood to metal fit excellant the frizzen sparks well, the lock is dated 1976 I have found very little on the internet about this company... there is something on the Nssa board stating that barrels made after
1976 are approved so it looks like they made some 1860's era arms also... anyone one know about them?

 

[scarecrow243]

Hi try google for harpers ferry armory i think this should help

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

They had adds in "Muzzle Blasts" for a while in the mid-70s and I saw one of the reproductions of (I think) a Maynard carbine as well as a US M1861 rifle Musket. They were the first to make a '61 reproduction and it and the Maynard both looked good. Their reputation at the time was good and people considered them an up and comer as a competitor for Navy Arms, the biggest maker of repops at the time, but apparently, after one of the partners decided to run off with the money, they went out of business never to reappear.

 

[flintlock75]

They are listed in the 1977 gun digest.
They have several models listed, Charliville and 63'springfield. They were trying to compete with Navy Arms and Dixie Gun works as well as Century Arms and Ultra-Hi.
The 1977 address info is;
Harpers Ferry Arms Co.
256 E. Broadway
Hopewell, VA 23860

From what i have read you have a good replica that should shoot very well.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Ah, you are right, it was a '63 rifle musket, not a '61. Memory is a funny thing. :wink:

I do remember Ultra-Hi from back then but are you sure Century was doing anything with new BP firearms? I thought they only got into BP relatively recently with the kind of black powder arms that we don't mention here.

 

[LRB]

Had a friend that put a deposit on, I'm pretty sure, a "61" Springfield. It never arived, nor his deposit. I may still have their brochure.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Had a friend that put a deposit on, I'm pretty sure, a "61" Springfield. It never arived, nor his deposit. I may still have their brochure.

Wick, if you are correct my memory may not be as bad as I thought. That's a good thing. :hatsoff:

You're right, a number of people ended up out of luck with money paid and no product delivered.

 

[flintlock75]

Century International made/marketed alot of different model ML during the 70's. I dont think they were in busines for very long, they made Tower pistols, harper ferry pistol, kentucky rifle and smoothbore and a long tom musket as well as several types of shotguns. Dixie Gun works sold some of these back then as well.
I believe most of the parts were made in spain and belgum.
The Ultra-Hi guns were made in Japan.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Thanks for that information Flintlock75.

 

[KABAR2]

It seems that Virginia based gun manufactures don't last long..... This company and the ones who manufactured the Virginia Draggon come to mind.....

Thanks for the info this is much more than I had,
now I'll keep an eye out for some of their old printed matter....