New member and my first muzzle loader

[jackson]

Hello to all, although I've collected firearms for 40 years I recently acquired my first muzzleloader, a Kentucky rifle made by Jacob Dickert that my father bought from his brother in 1972 for $2 so he could place it above our fireplace in rural Maine. Obviously, he never knew of its maker or its significance until he gave me the rifle 20+ years ago upon his retirement and I examined and researched it, I immediately gave it back to him explaining I couldn't accept something so potentially valuable and assumed he later sold it. On my last birthday I was amazed to be given the rifle again along with an appraisal and description from William Guthman dated 2002. I plan on posting pics and a description as soon as I have time and was wondering if there was any particular area of interest, the rifle is far from original having been converted to a percussion cap in the 1840s and has been repaired several times but to me has an interesting family history that I plan on passing to my nephew in my own retirement.

Jackson

 

[olskool]

welcome from SC Jackson! great story, i want to see those photos. there is a lot of wisdom here, have fun,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Piquant]

Welcome from south Louisiana

 

[Tradbow]

Welcome. Post some pictures and the appraisal documentation as that would be very interesting also.

 

[54ball]

Wow Jackson!
I was not expecting to see a Jacob Dickert as a a “first muzzleloader”!!!!

Please post pictures.
Yes there is a great field of interest.
Dickert is one of the most famous makers of the Colonial/Federal period.
The rifle could be worth 10s of thousands if it’s legitimate.
What may look like poor condition for a lay person may be spectacular for an 18th Century Kentucky Rifle so resist the temptation to have it worked on.

If preservation work needs to be done it needs to by someone who knows these, aka not a local yahoo gunsmith who hung a shingle.

Again please post photos.
I would suggest joining the Kentucky Rifle Association.

 

[hanshi]

Welcome to the forum from Maine.

 

[fishmusic]

Welcome from Texas. Please post the pictures. I am trying to recreate a Jacob Dickert rifle and pics of an original would be very helpful.

 

[RobertIN]

Welcome! Looking forward to seeing it!

 

[Salty Cracker]

Welcome. Would appreciate photos of the rifle and history you know of it. One of Lancaster Co. Most prolific gunmakers.

 

[oldwood]

Welcome from Pa. Dickert rifles came heavily into play during the Americal Revolution. On the frontier , folks mistakenly called them Deckard rifles. And in time , a young gunsmith named Dreppert married Dickert's daughter , to add further confusion to history. Dickert , and Dreppert partnered up , and were makers of many fine working rifles , both plain and fancy. Plain rifles cost 2 buckskins , or $ 2 , while fancy rifles cost $12 or 12 deer skins.

 

[windini]

Welcome from WNC! Looking forward to your pictures.

 

[jackson]

I'll try to post more pics soon, the rifle really is a hodgepodge but I thought given the Dickert connection it may be of study interest to this group.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Very nice. The patchbox finial says Lancaster daisy yes. Nice original barrel. Can you photo the entire rifle?

 

[sheriff john]

Hi from Northeast Missouri boyhood home of a smart aleck named Clemons and a black Catholic priest named Tolton. This time of night, some on this forum might be in their cups. It's all good. Are you a Yankee?

 

[jackson]

After speaking to my father (he's 83 ) about the history of the rifle I was told that his brother ( my late uncle ) inherited it from their grandfather who inherited it and other personal effects from his ( great ? ) grandfather who was named Zacheus Copeland and was a soldier in the revolutionary war, I have no proof of this of course other than family lore, as to the question about being a Yankee? , my family sailed from Scotland to Virginia in 1651, Ill post more pics this weekend.

 

[azmntman]

Welcome from Northern AZ. That is about the coolest I have seen on here for many moons. And I believe it was appraised LOW. If I had the $ would pay more than that!

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Welcome from Alberta.

 

[jackson]

I should add that I will post any pics requested and would even invite any nearby members to examine the rifle personally but under no circumstance do I intend to sell it and don't believe that a restoration would make sense given the obvious conditional issues.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Please put up more pictures for those of us interested from the other side of the country! I’d love to see the whole ritoofle.

 

[toot]

Welcome.