Whats a Virginia Rifle??

[redwing]

Just what is a Virginia Rifle? I have ask a number of folks this question, never seem to get much of an answer. Some say they trace back to one rifle, which they now think was made in Pa.
I think they sorta happened after the Mel Gibson thing and the "Patriot". I have one made by a very well known rifle maker. Its a great rifle shoots good. But to my untrained eye most of them look like Lancasters.
Who knows the story of the Virginia Rifle??

 

[Mike Brooks]

There are as many styles or "schools"of rifles made in Virginia as there are styles or "schools" of rifles made in Pennsylvania. get Shumways RIFLES OF COLONIAL AMERICA VOL II for more information.

 

[Stophel]

"Most of them look like Lancasters"...that's because a lot of the gunsmiths in VA were originally gunsmiths in Lancaster and York counties in PA and moved south at the end of the war!

 

[rich pierce]

Redwing, not sure if you are asking,
1) "What do people mean when they use the term, "Virginia Rifle" or
2) "What is a Virginia rifle?" (what is it like)

If 1) above, you have to ask the folks saying it but generally it either means:
a) an early styled longrifle with a sliding wooden patchbox, nice wide buttstock, swamped barrel, large caliber, styled somewhat after the famous "Faber rifle" OR
b) An early styled longrifle with English influence OR
c) An iron mounted slimmer longrifle with nice lines, an iron hinged patchbox, etc.
This is probably what most folks mean today when they say "Virginia Rifle". But such terms mean almost nothing. Even "Lancaster rifle" means little unless the approximate period is indicated.

If you are asking "what's a Virginia rifle like?" then it's wide open.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Or another angle...."What is a Virginia rilfe?"
It's a rifle made in Virginia..... :winking:

 

[szihn]

It's a rifle made in Va.
There were many "schools' and many styles made in Va. and they also were different from era to era.
For example a Winchester County Va. rifle made before the Revolution is not going to look much like a Winchester County rifle made in 1840, even though they are both Winchester County, Virginia rifles.
But, in a nut shell, a Virginia rifle is a rifle (or a copy of a rifle) made in Va.

Here's one I made. It's left handed. Made in the style of a Rev-War or early "golden age" gun.
The photos are poor, but maybe you can blow them up so you can see the detail.
Steve Zihn

 

[Gary]

Steve Zihn - Rev War or early Golden Age? With that relatively flat (yay, my favorite) buttplate and wood patch box, I'd say it leans more towards the Revolutionary War. Sure is a pretty gun you made.

 

[szihn]

Yes, it would be a rifle like those made in the Rev.War in many ways. it must be remembered that the end of hostilities was the reason that the "golden age" was brought about. At the end of the war there was a glut of gunsmiths on the market who no longer were getting military contracts of any kind. So they started making fancier and fancier guns to secure a place in the market place.
So that's the reason I call it a "Early Golden Age/ Rev.War gun". A gun such as this would probably have been made around 1782-85. Quite ornate, but with 1770-1780 styling.