your favorite style of rifle and do you own one?

Lancaster school definitely has the lines that are my favorite. Never really cared much for the droopy, curvy butt of the Lehighs. I like 'em straight in the rear. I think Dickert and Haines were definitely great builders, but Melchoir Fordney rifles give me chills. That guy was a real artist.

I do currently own an Early Lancaster, but it's still being built. ::

My second favorite is definitely Emmitsburg. Armstrong rifles are incredible. Hoping maybe to do one of those for my 2nd build. :redthumb:

 

[WV-Rocklock]

I liked the Southern style rifle untill I finished my Haines. It may be the swamped barrel, which is the first and only one I have but it's now my favorite.

 

[Maestro]

Personally, I'm fascinated with the Christian's Spring guns and their evolution into the Lehigh/Northampton school due to the fact that I live there (here!).

I own an early Dickert copy (RCA #48) in .50 cal. built by Tom Caster and I love it!

- although Dickert's Lancaster school, there's a Christian's Spring influence, considering the "Moravian connection" between the two locations; and with Albrecht (from Christian's Spring) moving out to Lititz and all.

I like Stumpkiller's new gun, too - looks to me exactly like what I would imagine an "early" Lehigh/Northampton to look like. I'd love to have something like that in a .36 cal. someday and maybe a Christian's Spring in .54 and a Jaeger in .58... something about those "funky looking" New England and Hudson Valley "club butt" fowlers keeps growing on me, too...
...so many guns - so little time.

 

[Ridge]

I love Berks County rifles. Yes I own one. It's a golden age in 40 cal.

My all time favorite gun.

 

[LSU TIGER]

Here's a Christian Springs rifle I built and sold. I've got another rifle from the same school planned.

 

[Rat]

I'm with the Russ-T on Jeagers, now that is style.

I also like the "transitional thing". My Jeager has no patch box, has a nose cap, and a English style lock instead of a more Germanic type. (it was going to have the Davis German type lock, but wound up with a Chambers Colonial Virginia, and I am very glad it turned out that way) I also prefer iron trim, most of the time on rifles, and that kind of took/led me to the Jeager type rifle, although you do see brass mounted Jeagers.

Anyhow, I can really imagine the rifle being built by perhaps a second generation German-American gunsmith, in America, but at a time when the Jaeger was fading and the Long Rifle was coming, but not really here yet...someone who was not so tied into tradition that they could not mix some American and English influence, and parts in with a good basic .61 calibre Jeager rifle.

Rat

 

[Barbaric1]

It's pictured in the Colonial Rifle books you can get through the NMLRA, the title escapes me. And ML Brown's Firearms in colonial america, Smithsonian.

 

[big bore 75]

Well as to a favorite I have a problem, I love them all,
big, short, long, wide, skinny, plain, fancy, they keep us busy building, collecting, cussing,wondering,thinking, almost reminds me of women opps did I say that :kid: haha sorry ladys no offence intended just my love. bb75 :imo:

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Own one rifle, Late Virginny Sheetz school.

Why? Because the stock will hold the best barrel and lock I could find.

Iron furniture, so Im shootin, not cleaning and polishing.
45 cal so I can hear when the gong is hit.
Flint because its faster than caps, and is way higher on the coolness scale.

 

[B.Habermehl]

I love the early Reading guns and the English fowlers. Haven't built a Reading gun for myself yet. Have the parts for a couple salted away. I have one John Newcomber rifle(so called John Bullard) built and soon will build another in a smaller cal. I have a short English rifle I built In 58 cal. And a couple of smoothies. I have a super skinny Cumberland county .36 cal rifle I call my tooth pick for obvious reasons. BJH

 

[C_Laubach]

Berks/Reading for me.

 

[rich pierce]

Ouch. I am having a severe jealousy attack. Not only do you have exquisite rifles, you built them. Keep making heirlooms faithful to the originals.

 

[SAJones]

As with most everyone else here, I like a whole assortment, but I think the Lancaster County style is my favorite. Made two. One a .36 w/ assorted parts gathered over a period of three years, and a .54 Haines style. The Haines was my first "kit" rifle, bought from Getz 'bout a decade ago.

 

[tg]

I have owned quite a few different styles but find my Chambers Early Virginia (smooth rifle)to be the most comfortable and best fitting gun, next to the Early Lancsater (from TOW parts) similar to some of Haines work...as I have drifted more towards the smoothbores I think the French fusil will be the one I take of the wall most often in the future, when I mentioned that to a friend his first response was "how much do you want for the Lancaster"

 

[LSU TIGER]

Chris is too good! I'm gonna put him in a trance and get all the know-how outta him ! :shocking:

 

[ol vern]

My vote is for the plain iron mounted guns from Appalachia. They wrote their share of history and put food on the table for a lot of folks.

and yes I got three a 32 flint a 36 flint and a 50 cap lock.

 

[Old Charlie]

At this point my Lancaster is number one on my list.
Old Charlie

 

[C_Laubach]

Rich & Wayne, thanks for the complements.
Rich

 

[750k2]

Tenn moutain - I have a custom 40 and a TVM 40 on order. But became hooked on JP Beck and just had to have a 54 Beck built - will be done in early 06.
Still need a Fusil and then I'll have to pick another.

They are all special in their own way. Like my kids they are all different and yet I love them all.

:relax:

 

[LSU TIGER]

Chris, just keep your eyes on the swinging watch... you're getting sleeeeepy.... :shocking: :crackup: :crackup: