Lets see some of those Long Rifles!

[roundball]

Great looking rifles Fred...

 

[roundball]

Great looking rifles Fred...

 

[Ash Eyler]

Ok, this is a question for everyone with knowledge beyond my own, and since all of you are older and wiser than myself, i hold your advice and opinions high. So if i wanted to get a "Kentucky" Style longrifle that was the closest to appearance and style of around 1750-1780s what would be the closest resembling rifle out there, or maybe one pictured in this topic????

think.......Simon Kenton :wink:

 

[Ash Eyler]

Ok, this is a question for everyone with knowledge beyond my own, and since all of you are older and wiser than myself, i hold your advice and opinions high. So if i wanted to get a "Kentucky" Style longrifle that was the closest to appearance and style of around 1750-1780s what would be the closest resembling rifle out there, or maybe one pictured in this topic????

think.......Simon Kenton :wink:

 

[roundball]

Member Rich Pierce is very knowledgeable in this area...hopefully he'll see your post

 

[roundball]

Member Rich Pierce is very knowledgeable in this area...hopefully he'll see your post

 

[wattlebuster]

Fine lookin rifles Fred :bow:

 

[wattlebuster]

Fine lookin rifles Fred :bow:

 

[Number19]

My 2nd Lancaster...early or late?

Flat butt plate - has to be early. But no piercings and domed shaped lid - early indicators. Can't tell from the photo, but the stock should be thick - around 2"

 

[Number19]

My 2nd Lancaster...early or late?

Flat butt plate - has to be early. But no piercings and domed shaped lid - early indicators. Can't tell from the photo, but the stock should be thick - around 2"

 

[Vaino]

Thanks to all for the kind words....yes, the butt is 2" thick. A lot of mighty fine LRs built by the members...a lot of talent.....Fred

 

[Vaino]

Thanks to all for the kind words....yes, the butt is 2" thick. A lot of mighty fine LRs built by the members...a lot of talent.....Fred

 

[suzkat]

Swampy is that styled after a Silas Allen rifle?

We really could use a separate place or at least a sticky where people can post their rifles/smoothbores...

My New England style .58 cal Deer buster...

My New England style .36 cal Squirrel rifle... http://www.nimrodsplace.com/ne36o3hr.JPG[/quote]

 

[suzkat]

Swampy is that styled after a Silas Allen rifle?

We really could use a separate place or at least a sticky where people can post their rifles/smoothbores...

My New England style .58 cal Deer buster...

My New England style .36 cal Squirrel rifle... http://www.nimrodsplace.com/ne36o3hr.JPG[/quote]

 

[rabjr]

You notice his trigger? :thumbsup: Actually its more Welcome Mathewson's work than Silas but there is a little of him in it yes. :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

You notice his trigger? :thumbsup: Actually its more Welcome Mathewson's work than Silas but there is a little of him in it yes. :thumbsup:

 

[illuveatar]

We were talking a little about ELs in that TVM thread which went missing recently (where'd it go?? :idunno: ) Anyway someone suggested that early lancasters generally had round faced locks too. I inquired but didn't get to see any of the responses. Is it correct to say that ELs had round faced locks ?

Are round faced locks common to particular builder or other region/ era ?

Oh and I too would like to see a photo gallery to which users could post their guns. We may have issues is someone posts their TVM Late Lancaster in the Late Lancaster subsection. So I think it would be best if there were no regional subsections save maybe for photos of originals.

 

[roundball]

that TVM thread which went missing recently (where'd it go??)

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/269561/pid/1149194/post/last/m/1/#LAST

 

[Bob J]

Fred, those are gorgeous rifles (and I'm partial to Lancasters, though don't own one...yet :wink: ).

 

[Number19]

... someone suggested that early lancasters generally had round faced locks too. I inquired but didn't get to see any of the responses. Is it correct to say that ELs had round faced locks...Are round faced locks common to particular builder or other region/ era...

By and large, the American longrifle had two primary influences in its development - Germanic and English. Pennsylvania longrifles were primarily of Germanic influence. Southern rifles primarily were of English influence. Now you also had the Great Wagon Road running south from Philadelphia to North Carolina. This was a major migration route during the early colonial period. In southern Pennsylvania you had the Susquehanna River running northwesterly. Lancaster was on the northern side of the river and York was on the southern side of the river.

Germanic locks had flat faces. Some of the early Germanic locks were a little more rounded but still had the flat face where the hammer bolt fit. The round faced lock was English.

North of the Susquehanna River was primarily Germanic influence, so the Lancaster rifle had the flat Germanic lock. York however did have some English influence. Being on the south side of the river, access to Baltimore was as easy as access to Philadelphia, but still the York rifle was primarily Germanic. York was an important settlement on the Great Wagon Road, with the migration of supplies and people going south into the Upper Valley of Virginia. Shepardstown was only about 75 miles from York and Winchester only a little more than 100 miles away. These two settlements were almost the same distances from Baltimore. As a result of this, the Germanic influence on rifle building in the Upper Valley was very strong. York trained gunsmith Philip Sheetz settled in Shepardstown around 1770 and Lancaster trained Simon Lauck, Sr settled in Winchester around 1780.

South of the Upper Valley was the James River area. From this point south, plus the whole of the tidal water area, the English influence dominated.