Hatfield Flintlock Rifle

[Klaus]

Hi Gents,

i`m searching since some times ago for any hint about the question if the Hatfield Rifle / Frontier Rifle has a historical paragon and herewith a place in traditionell History of Gunsmithing.
I found a link http://www.100megspop3.com/oldvalkyry/hatfield.html ,called the Hatfield Rifle Page,but infos here goes back in the 1970 only.
I found two Rifles, the Rupp Rifle and a York County Rifle wich nearing to the Hatfield Shilhouettes but far away neither for the rest of them.
Have you got any information about the Hatfield ?
thx for help
Klaus :wink:

 

[dyemaker]

Klaus,

In case you did not read it there was a recent post on this topic in general muzzleloading ( Rifle Similaritys). The photo is not working but the other rifle was a Northhampton/Allentown style. I Agree with what was written but just to add, I will point out this (replica) of a Leonard Reedy rifle. The Leonard Reedy patchbox is similar to the Pedersoli deluxe patchbox but it is a general type of eary patchbox. I had thought about this for a while too. Hope this doe's not confuse matters worse. Who knows what Pedersoli was thinking? Link
The rifle is in kit form from Clarke industries in Canada.

 

[Klaus]

Hello Dyemaker,

your`e right nobody knows what Pedersoli is thinking about they produce this rifles but Ted Hatfields are very close to the Pedersolis.
Thx for the hint and link i will take a look into this topic and i will attach the pictures i found for the similar rifle here next time

Klaus

 

[cowpoke1955]

I knew this fellow who got a .36 caliber Hatfield flinter the same time I bought my .45 caliber Pedersoli Blue Ridge flinter. We laid the two rifles on a bench, next to each other. The only difference between them, besides caliber and barrel markings, was the Hatfield had a maple stock and my Pedersoli has a walnut stock. You would swear that Pedersoli was making one rifle and stamping three names on it, Frontier, Blue Ridge and Hatfield.

 

[J.D.]

Pedersoli picked up the design of the Hatfield some time after Ted went out of business. IMHO, the Hatfieled/Pedersoli clone is a generic compilation of styles that might have been made in the late flint period, 1830s and later.

I have seen a bench copy of a Reedy rifle, and the Ped is not even close...not even close.

IMHO, the "original" Hatfield was a figment of Ted Hatfield's imagination, rather than a copy of any rifle or style of rifle.

God bless

 

[dyemaker]

I agree that the Reedy rifles I have seen photos of arent even close really. The similarity is the Roman nose that's all besides the similarity to patchbox design. Pedersoli states that the Frontier rifle represents the period of (1760-1840) which seems a bizarre statement. I think what needs to be done is someone who speaks Italian write Davide Pedersoli and ask him exactly what he had in mind.
:haha:
I think it would be interesting to find out for sure.

Here you see some patchboxes from the Berk County school kinda like on the frontier rifle. Link

 

[tg]

I think JD put is said well, these guns are of a traditional style but do not follow any particular school/style, the last gun on the page was mine at one time, and when you look at the originals from a 360 degree viewpoint and compare you can see the differences.

 

[Klaus]

Thanks for your infos
That will underpin my persuasion about the hatfield

this Rifle has no traditional paragon it`s rather a composition from different styles looks like a poor Hollywood Rifle.

Well,this Rifle do his work well at range and i got it very cheap from a friend of mine. But i will look for a real traditional Flinter in the future.
I ogle with an early Lancaster ...

but time will come to save some money..

thx Klaus

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Klaus,

happy new year! If you want a trad. flinter, perhaps fowler than have a look at the Log Cabin Shop. They have 2 nice Tule de Chasse there!Kind of semi custom gun.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[tg]

"I ogle with an early Lancaster"

A nice choice in guns. I made up one along the lines of some of Isacc Haines guns with a 44"swamped barrel and an early English lock, lock styles are optional but an early one is a must for early gun, as is a swamped barrel, some patchboxes fit the early period better as well, lots of things to think about good luck whatever you end up choosing.

 

[Klaus]

Hi Kirrmeister,

the same to you and thx for your hints about the log cabin..

have you got some new`s to tell about the arian winter huntingseason at bavaria? " Daisy " will bring some snow and snow storms this weekend so far we can trust to the weatherforecast..

cheers Klaus

 

[Klaus]

Hi TG

that`s the course i would take,but i`m looking for a wooden pachtbox instead of a brass one and
it should be an early one with the larger buttstock like the Ed Marshall have....

Klaus :v

 

[PreglerD]

Hi Kirrmeister,

the same to you and thx for your hints about the log cabin..

have you got some new`s to tell about the arian winter huntingseason at bavaria? " Daisy " will bring some snow and snow storms this weekend so far we can trust to the weatherforecast..

cheers Klaus

Hi Klaus,

thanks!

For the weather it don't look like snow here in the deep south. The foen prevents it. We have only a bit icerain. Good for hunting because season ends at 16th of jan, so only 8 days left.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[dyemaker]

The Pedersoli rifle may be a hybrid of sorts and it is true pictures cannot be compared to seeing a rifle in person but there are a few rifles in the publication section of the a aolrc (Association of Ohio Rifle Collectors) site that do look somewhat similar. I think it is correct that the Frontier/ Hatfield rifle looks most like a rifle of the 1830's onward.