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Virginia Rifles

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chuckcolas

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What makes a flintlock a "Virginia" rifle. They seem to be very similar to Pennsylvania rifles. I was just wondering about that. I have one, and I love it. I don't ever hear much about Virginia rifles. My guess is that because Virginia is so close to Pennsylvania, they probably have a lot of German building influence.
 
Many of the post revolutionary Virginia rifles were made by people who originally worked in PA (primarily York and Lancaster counties), so they naturally resemble PA guns. There are other Virginia gunmaking "schools". There is also a LOT of speculation as far as Virginia rifles go, particularly in earlier periods. Frankly, there's also a good bit of fantasy involved as well....
 
As the smiths moved down the frontier, so did thier styles. Ive seen pictures of Carolina rifles that look a lot like my Sheetz School Virgina.

I think the Virginia is more squared than a Pa.
Lots of folks that handle my Virginny say its better balanced than a PA also.

The only PA I shot, had trigger problems ( they were set to light for my meat hooks). It was nose heavy also.

But overall a heck of a lot lighter than my Sheetz.

I prefer it because the rondies have lots of Pa hanging around. My VA is the only one in these parts :)
 
sawbones said:
My guess is that because Virginia is so close to Pennsylvania,

What you talkin 'bout?? One's a full 2 hours north, other's near 2 hours south!! :rotf:

I've been looking at the Virginia's, stock style seems very close to Armstrongs/Emmitsburgs to me.
 
rubincam said:
-----YA'LL-----


Maybe in Pa its misspelled YA'll. :doh:

Y'all got that now, yous guys? :rotf:

Marc

Born in Massachusetts and transplanted in Texas.

Y'all send one of each and I'll be more than happy to settle these differences and then I can know for sure, too.
 
What time period are you wondering about? Earlier Southern guns often have a mix of German and English features and alot of times leaned more heavy toward the English - use of English locks, carving based on typical English work of the time period, cheekpieces generally less prominent than what you'd expect to see on an American rifle with a lot of Germanic features, etc.
In the earlier days there were guns made in Virginia by smiths who settled there originally and others by gunsmiths who came from the North, all had different influences and there's a wonderful diversity to the work they turned out. There is no one "Virginia Rifle" so to speak, sometime check out Rifles of Colonial America vol 2, there's a section on guns of the South that would give you a good idea of what we're talking about.
 
It's a lot more complex than that. There were many Schools of Pennsylvania longrifles over 150 years or more. The late 19th century designs(in my opinion) did not balance as well ,with their straight heavy barrels, smaller calibers, and pronounced drop on the stock; not so with the 18th century and Golden Age rifles.
As the settlers moved to unoccupied land down along the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains ,so did the Swiss and German gunsmiths of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Styles changed and innovations were incorporated and the rifles of Virginia and the Carolinas were the result. An over simplification to be sure. Ron
 
There are several books that include pictures of rifles made in Virginia includine those books by Jim Whisker.

Another source worth checking would be the series of articles that Wallace Gusler has written for Muzzle Blasts since 2003. He has shown dozens of Virginia made rifles. Many of the back issues are available from the NMLRA. The Blasts I recieved Friday had a Valley of Virginia rifle that was stocked at about the time of the Revolution using some parts salvaged from a ruined PA rifle.

Gary
 
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