Why Flint ?

Birddog6- good info - I hadn't thought about the 'tuning' that eveyone seems to think they have to do to get a flinter to work, then they ruin it, then complain about poor working flinters, or ask on a board such as this why it doesnt work or is slow. You are right.
; The best advice would be to find someone near you who has sme experience with flinters in particular as a lot of cap shooters can look through a keyhole with both eyes at the same time.(when it comes to flintlocks that is) Good guys and well meaning, but a little narrow minded.
:Flintlocks are challenging to start with, but become second nature very quickly. They do teach a good follow-through, which is something most cap shooters don't do and miss because their ignition isn't as quick as it seems, coupled with barrel time - miss miss miss. It's bunches of fun to beat them or merely to shoot as well as the good ones.
: BTW I just tried your link and found no such URL.
Daryl

 

[Birddog6]

Daryl: Yes, I just got a message about that. Don't know what I did wrong but it was consistant ! ha ha !

I will try the link again. Think I had too may w's in the url.

Thanks

Custom Muzzleloaders & Custom Knives

 

[TwoShadows]

Yea verily Brothers Daryl and Birdog. Thou dost speak from the knowledge of past works. Thine own hand hast beset the task and found it to be good and wholesome labor. Thou hast prepared a way for him. Thine own council be above reproach. Surely good works are in the offing of the hand of the good Brother. Amen and so mote it be.....

 

This makes me wonder, would a masonic emblem inlay be too out of place or historically inaccurate on my jaeger? Jim James, Past Master H.O. Graul Lodge #672 ( Not ment to offend anyone of course)

 

[Zonie]

I have seen pictures of a old Pennsylvania Rifle with Masonic symbols, and of a newly made one as well.

As many of the people who were behind the Wig movement that stirred up unrest against the English and who later signed the Declaration of Independance were Masons I don't know why it would be incorrect.
The guns of the time of the Revolution usually weren't decorated very much but following the war and up to the 1820s-1830s decoration was the "in thing".

A Jeager might be a bit early for the fancy Inlay thing though.

 

[Birddog6]

J James: Everyone looks at things differently. I have seen allot of rifles with masonic emblems on them, mostly PA rifles. However, I feel quite sure if a feller back in 1720 went to a gunsmith that built Jaegers & told him he wanted such & such Jaeger built, in 6 mo the feller would have a Jaeger with a masonic emblem on it.
Also keep in mind that we don't see even a smiggun of the guns that were built. There were millions built we never saw, know of or can even imagine.
But I can tell ya this, if I wanted a Jaeger with a Masonic emblem on it, it would have one, regardless of it being PC, right, wrong, don't matter. You are paying for it & have it built like ya want it. Let someone 200 years from now say "Hey, look at that, it has a Masonic emblem on the stock" !




IMHO, Please thyself, you're only on this earth one time...

 

[Zonie]

I couldn't agree with birddog6 more.
As I have said many times, most of these guns of the 1700s and early 1800s were custom made. If the buyer wanted a special inlay or carving you can bet he either got it from the gunsmith or found another gunsmith.

This way of thinking explains why my Boys Squirrel rifle has Oak leaf carving on it even though I have not seen another rifle carved that way. It was made to my wants and the gunmaker did his best to please me.

As there are no survivors of those times living today, one would be hard pressed to prove there never was a gun with Masonic symbols on it. It is your custom gun. Feel free to build it exactly the way you want it.

 

[musketman]

As there are no survivors of those times living today, one would be hard pressed to prove there never was a gun with Masonic symbols on it.

I knew I seen a muzzleloader with a masonic symbol on it... I also realise that this is a percussion in a flint lock area, but I was just pointing out that they did in fact make firearms back then with masonic symbols on them... :winking:

I say, go for it J James... :applause:

W&C Ogden O/U Perc. / Masonic

W & C Ogden O/U perc w/ Masonic emblem, Owego, NY, 1857. German silver. Henry Parker locks.

 

Hey Moosketperson! Where do you come up with all those fancy pics of old and fine firearms????
You do some fine research and your posts are always informative.


If you guys go to birddog6's site look at the Bucks and American Jeager. They now grace my gun room walls.
One of these days I'll get time to shoot them though they are really too pretty to shoot, but that's what they were made for.

 

[musketman]

Hey Moosketperson! Where do you come up with all those fancy pics of old and fine firearms????

Years of watching Columbo, I learned to snoop... :winking:

 

[Birddog6]

Musketmat: This is quite an unusual rifle. Top barrel appears to be rifle & bottom appears to be a shotgun... Now we know where Savage got the idea for the sam in the modern centerfire rifle/shotgun O/U version.

Quite an interesting rifle you found, would me nice to see in hand.... Shoulder breaking buttplate....

Custom Muzzleloaders & Custom Knives

 

[musketman]

Musketman: This is quite an unusual rifle. Top barrel appears to be rifle & bottom appears to be a shotgun... Now we know where Savage got the idea for the sam in the modern centerfire rifle/shotgun O/U version.

It appears to be a .50 caliber top and a .62 bottom, or .45 top and .56 bottom...

They didn't state what it was, I was just happy to find one with the masonic sign inlayed into it...

 

During the cap era, multi barreled rifles and rifle/shotguns were very common in the States. A favourie of some was the three barreled swivel rifle by M.L. Rood. Carlos Gove's 2 barreled swivel guns were also favourites with many although he made over-under fixed barreled guns as well. Some of these were indeed, rifle/shotgun combos and side by side doubles were also in use, made in England and by makes such as Colt. Both Rood and Gove were from Denver.
QUOTE - "I much regretted then, and on many a subsequent occasion that I had not brought a shotgun with me, instead of the Sharps rifle; this I carried specially for bears, as it loaded very fast, in addition to the three barreled affair, of local make, for deer and antelope."
: An old photograph of mountain man Jim Baker shows him holding a multibarreled rifle of this type.
: The rifle-shotguns or combination guns were very popular in the 1850's.

 

[Zonie]

Another rifle with what I believe to be Masonic inlays on it is seen at the top of this picture.
I don't know the caliber. It is precussion and very large. I would guess it was made in the 1835-1850 time frame and IMO it looks like possibly Franklin County PA ?
If I am wrong about the inlays feel free to correct me. I won't mind.

 

[musketman]

Yep, that be one...

That thing has more brass than wood, I counted 41 inlays just in the areas that can be seen...

It would take a week just to polish them...

 

[Zonie]

Musketman: Of course you realize you have to quit making those disparaging remarks about my Franklin now. My little effort is no contest when it comes to the inlays many old guns had. :boohoo:

 

The top one and third one down appear to both be Bedford County rifles of 1850 to 1870 or perhaps as late as 1875 for the top one. The third down is earlier, maybe earlier than 1850 - I don't know. Just judging by the # of inlays. Highly ornate was the norm for late Bedfords.
; If not Bedfords, they still have Bedford hammers, typical of almost all that haven't been altered.
; The second down, could be a Dauffin county, couldn't it? I'm not too 'up" on the various counties, just a smattering of knowledge of them. The Bedford hammers I do know though - somewhat, cuz I got's one.
: The second one down, the swivel barrel, appears to have two diffrent hammers on it. The bottom barrel has a straighter length & larger knob on top but that might be just the picture makes it look that way.
Daryl

 

[musketman]

Musketman: Of course you realize you have to quit making those disparaging remarks about my Franklin now.

I like your Franklin, I think it would look nice in my gin rack... :winking:

You do some fine work yourself there, Zonie...