Scratch built longrifle

[Bob McBride]

Spoke with them by phone yesterday. Approx. 3 years for delivery.

That’s a tiny bit long. Anything over 18 months and I put a deposit in to get in the pipeline and forget about it until they call.

 

[Capnball]

Williamsburg is not currently taking commissions for rifles.

I remember asking the guys (hypothetically) what the cost and build time was, it was over a year and $2000.00. that was like 10 years ago.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I think you decimal in one notch off.

 

[Capnball]

I think you decimal in one notch off.

Decimal? Or Decade?

 

[deerstalkert]

Decimal? Or Decade?

 

[Westporter]

Decimal? Or Decade?

Probably both. I was quoted $25-30K.

 

[jefair1]

I was in Williamsburg in the early 80's and the price then was $10k and 3-4 year wait.

 

[MTGUNNER]

Yep! He's awesome!

I loved his scratch-built double barrel flintlock shotgun!!!!

 

[Vaino]

I think nearly all builders who make MLers for a living would be able to construct a LR from what is described as "from scratch".....but supporting oneself and family in the gunbuilding business doesn't financially allow it. Even many of the original builders bought the locks and bbls as many of us do today. Also bought by many original builders were brass Bplates and TGs.

Making bbls requires a forge and rifling machines, etc, lock making from scratch requires a lot of time and TGs and Bplates require casting equipment and patterns.

If today's builder buys the bbls, locks, Bplates and TGs, builds from a blank and makes the rest of the parts, he emulates many of the original builders. ......Fred

 

[Westporter]

Well, I am back on the hunt (pardon the pun!) to find a builder/maker for a complete, made from scratch, "lock, stock, and barrel," bespoke flintlock rifle. Any updated suggestions on who might be a possible source/maker?

 

[sheriff john]

I think there are craftsmen in other parts of the world quite capable of creating most anything using the same primitive tools available to 18th century gunsmiths in America. Some still do this but what we see are strange-to-us Arabic types. Ship them some curly maple, something to copy, who knows? I'd hate to be the project engineer.

 

[deerstalkert]

see if you can contact a feller name of Steve Zihn in Wind River Wyoming. builds spectacular guns.
szihn

wyoming.com

 

[Kevin Houlihan]

Well, I am back on the hunt (pardon the pun!) to find a builder/maker for a complete, made from scratch, "lock, stock, and barrel," bespoke flintlock rifle. Any updated suggestions on who might be a possible source/maker?

I would contact Brad and Shane Emig at Cabin Creek Muzzleloading. They have made guns from scratch including the wrought iron barrels. I spent a week in their shop at an engraving class 2 years ago and was quite impressed with their work. Good luck
Kevin

 

[Westporter]

I would contact Brad and Shane Emig at Cabin Creek Muzzleloading. They have made guns from scratch including the wrought iron barrels. I spent a week in their shop at an engraving class 2 years ago and was quite impressed with their work. Good luck
Kevin

Thanks - sent them an email inquiry this p.m.

 

[tenngun]

Sam Falada of navy arms spoke about building kit guns. As you can buy a kit some times in which the gun is all put together and all you need do is sand and finish. Others are more complex requiring inletting all or most of the parts, with increasing levels of skill.
He said he bought one kit ‘for the experienced builder,’ he got a box with twenty pounds of pig iron and a bag of maple seed in the mail.

 

[Capnball]

You can watch the Colonial Williamsburg gunmaker video on youtube and see just how much work is involved.

I actually asked the gun maker at Williamsburg how much to build a gun. The first thing you gotta do is get on the three year waiting list. Then you pay them by the hour. They keep a book on each build and you pay whatever they get per hour of work. It's ridiculously cost prohibitive. I mean you can probably find a very nice 18th century gun in working order for less.

 

[C.Laubach]

If your truly looking for a totally hand made rifle (i.e. hand forged barrel, hand forged lock, sand cast hardware, hand filed wood screws, etc.) the list is short. I haven’t forged a barrel sense my father past away over 3 years ago. And don’t know two many people out there doing it today. So, Brad and Shane are probably your best bet. As what has already been posted you are probably looking at around 25k … I wish you the best of luck in you search.

Chris Laubach

 

[okawbow]

I have made a matchlock gun from scratch. I made the barrel from modern steel, though, but made every other part, including the screws.

 

[MooseHunter92]

You can watch the Colonial Williamsburg gunmaker video on youtube and see just how much work is involved.

Just watched this and was very impressed!

 

[Rudyard]

Historically it wasn't normal to make the entire the trade bought in barrels or locks & mounts from specilaist makers much like today I saw Jim Hash's gun made entirely of Damascus & silver mounted but this is a' tour de force' . "This I can do " & quite untypical ' Iv.e had to make early locks often enough if no ecconamic option .
Rudyard