#417- Here is a real flight of fancy. I always wondered why some old time inventor didn't design a breech loading flintlock that would un-breech with just a quarter turn of the trigger guard, allowing the shooter to roll in an oversize ball followed by a charge of powder, then close the breech with a quarter turn back. So I decided to try it myself. The rifle is a transitional style with swamped Colerain barrel in 54 caliber, meant to use 570 ball or bullet, AA maple fullstock, all iron mountings for strength, semi-military appearance, DST, Baroque/Rococco incised carving. You can always muzzleload it with a 530 ball & patch in the usual fashion if the breech gets locked up. The trigger guard is hooked up and the mechanism is tested and works. (Works best in the rain and wet) It's really fun to HooRah the guys at Rendezvous with this unique rifle. POR- will always consider an offer

#530- Original serial #915 Green River RifleWorks Leman Trade Rifle in 45 caliber, GRRW seven groove 33 inch barrel one" diameter across the flats, plain maple half-stock stained dark, brass Leman style butt plate and trigger guard, single trigger actuating the Kern coil spring lock, pewter fore-end tip. NEVER FIRED. This is an early one, the lock is a Kern rather than the later flat spring Silers, the trigger guard and buttplate are cruder sand castings, not the later more sophisticated black sand castings,  The tang tip is squared, not rounded as were the later ones. The pewter tip is not gracefully shaped as were the later ones, The barrel is not signed by the gunsmith as they were later on, but the GRRW stamp on the barrel is plainly legible. This is a prime example of an early GRRW Leman Trade Rifle in unfired condition. The gentleman who sold it to me claimed that it came out of an office safe where it had lain since it was built in the early 1970's, but it has seen some handling. There are a few very minor handling marks and there is a repaired crack in the wood to the left of the tang. Nobody claims to know how that happened. This is a not much used, never fired early Leman rifle for the GRRW collector. POR OBO

#539 Jaeger flintlock 69 caliber 'masterwork' by DOC. In the Germanic tradition, every journeyman had to produce a masterwork in order to graduate into the top ranks of gunmakers. I started work on this rifle in 1972, and it has turned to be more of a 'try gun'  than a 'masterwork'. I have used it to try many new (to me) techniques, including wire inlay, ivory carving and inlay, poetry (verse on the top flat of the barrel), flintlocks from scratch, sliding wooden patchboxes, chiseled and scenic engraving, complex bas-relief carving, etc., and I'm probably not done yet. 

The flintlock is one I made. It's the size of an English trade lock but with Germanic features. After building that one, I decided I would buy them from a specialist. I also made the DST and decided the same thing. I still occcasionally make a flintlock, but only when I can't buy the model or style that I want.

The large silver inlay on the cheek-piece is heavily engraved, showing a cupid in the tree to the left, a naked woman lying under the tree and an amorous cross-bow wielding gentleman kneeling over her. Both the brass trigger guard and butt-plate are heavily engraved. The inlay in the butt-stock is carved ivory, as are the inlays at the wrist. All that carving is in bas-relief.

The side pieces opposite the flintlock are ivory, the real stuff from an elephant, carved to match the bas relief carving in the wood.

The inlays shown here are ivory too, carved to match the wood. The rifle weighs in at 11 lbs. , but holds pretty well.  It needs the weight, a shot with a 69 cal ball and 180 grains FFg  will set you back a step. The recoil is solid, to say the least.

#546- Pauley 504 caliber in line Sporting Rifle with false left hand lock and side lock safety.

        The English made many sporting rifles with the sidelock on the left side, but meant for use by a right hander. They had noted that the right hander's thumb lies in perfect position to cock a left sided hammer . This rifle, made by DOC, is made in that style. It's fully useful for both right and left hander. It is 504 caliber, with White 1-24 twist rifling, made for the same Power Punch and Power Star bullets that shoot so well in White designed rifles. The lock and hammer are false, as were all of Pauley's designs, pulling back on the hammer cocks the in-line mechanism so you can cap it ready for the shot. There is also a Side Lock Safety, designed by DOC, that locks the trigger in SAFE when straight up, and releases it for FIRE when horizontal. It is located on the right side. The folding rear sight is mounted on a quarter rib. The tang is long, and will accomodate a tall Vernier rear sight if wanted. POR 

The stock is walnut with nice grain running correctly through the wrist, the pistol grip is capped by rosewood. Both are stained English Red, then varnished with Brownell's fantastic waterproof epoxy varnish. The metal is finished with bright blue Dura-Coat, a better and more durable finish than any ordinary brown or blue.

The Side Lock Safety is seen here at the rear of the sidelock panel in a very ergonomic position. (PHOTO LEFT) It locks the trigger, which locks the hammer, when upright on SAFE. Push it forward for FIRE. The trigger is single, with a 2 lb. letoff. It is adjustable.  The left sided cocking handle, seen above in the middle and right photos, is actuated by a braided wire, which means you can cock the hammer (seen on the right above) then push it forward out of battery for the shot (see below, left) That way there is no weight on the inline hammer.    

Also, the hammer cocking handle can be rotated into the up-lifting safety notch for a second and very secure SAFE when the rifle is cocked.  (photo left, above) The quarter rib and folding rear sight can be seen in the photo right, above. The front sight is a fiber-optic red bead on a ramp. The ramrod rides on an under-rib and is held by two ferrules. The long tang will take a Vernier rear sight if you want, The fore-end is styled after Henry. There is a rubber recoil pad, which does not look at all out of place. The English originated leather covered rubber pads at about the time this rifle was designed in 1812. J S Pauley London is engraved on the lockplate. The rifle has been accurized, shoots into three inches at 100 yards with the open sights and my old eyes and it is right on the money at that range with 80 gr fffG 777 and a 500 grain No Excuse bullet.

#566- A brand new never fired Virginia-North Carolina infuenced 58 caliber smoothbore "Black Rifle' with dark-stained smooth-grained cherry stock and all iron mounts, including iron patchbox cover,  finished dark in the old style for hard use in the deep woods. Barrel is a 44" swamped Colerain in 58 smoothbore for patched round ball. It sports low rifle sights, lock is a Chambers English Trade lock, the touch-hole is a stainless insert and is properly SunSetted for fastest ignition.. Like all Chamber's locks, this one is a fine sparker. If your persona is a southern deep woods hunter, this is the gun for you. 

This fine smooth-rifle is now located at trackofthewolf.com. Their photos are the best and show detail better than any other website. GOTO trackofthewolf.com, deal directly with them if you want to buy the gun. you won't be disappointed. Guaranteed. 

This 'smooth rifle' should be a real killer in the woods with either ball or shot. Showing a lot of mixed early German and a few English features, note the very German features in the carving to the rear of the cheek-piece, It could have been used by the Militia at Cowpens. Tarleton's English are still running. 

The patchbox opens with a latch actuated from the buttstock. The latch is hidden behind the patchbox lid and is spring loaded. There is a large storage area under the lid, big enough for not only patches but also cleaning tools, grease and oil.

While the lock and the sidelock piece are English, the buttstock shows carved decoration very much in the German style. The stepped wrist is also German. Both details are  often seen on Jaegers.

Several pictures of this gun can be found in several longrifle picture books. It's quite a famous piece. The best are on p.83 of 'Rifles of Virginia', by Whisker

A smoothbore rifle loads faster and shoots harder and is almost as accurate as a rifled gun and can use a shot load too. It's a natural for a one gun guy on the far frontier.

#567- Southern-Virginia walnut stocked step wrist rifle as per Klett in 50 caliber with walnut fullstock and all iron mounts. The barrel is by Colerain, swamped, 54 caliber, 44 inches long. The walnut is excellent quality with good figure in the butt. The lock is by Davis and throws fat sparks. It is much like his Tulle lock but round faced, coming real close to matching an original English trade lock. There is a four piece iron patchbox with domed lid, a modest amount of incised and raised carving  and Klett's inimitable engraving. The conformation of the stock is excellent for off-hand shooting, it handles really well. POR Make an offer. We like to dicker.

This rifle is now at trackofthewolf.com. GoTo their website for the best photos in the world. Deal with them if you want to buy it.

I could not resist shooting this fine rifle. I took it to a match in Price UT the last week-end in Oct '09, sighting it in same time as shooting the match. We fired 80 shots. I used the same flint through-out and had 3 miss-fires. I used 60 gr ffg Goex  and a 490  ball with 22 thou ticking spit patch. I swear every shot hit exactly as I shot it. I could call every shot, even though I started with a thinner patch and graduated to the thicker one. Accuracy did not seem to change. It was just as accurate with a thinner one (18 thou) as the thicker 22 thou but it did get dirtier faster, then cleaned up with the 22 thou patch. I did not clean it through-out the shooting. I consider this kind of behavior the hallmark of a good barrel, shoots anything, cleans up with the right combination.

The patchbox is engraved Klett style. All screws have been  polished and fire blued. The patchbox opens in original style with a latch on the buttplate.

The lock is an English Trade lock by L&R, a beautiful reproduction of the lock that was so successful in the frontier gun trade. It sparks as good as it looks.

All in all, this is a beautiful Southern rifle with obvious southern provenance. It is marvelous how elegant design features from earlier English and  German guns were blended into an equally elegant style by Southern gunsmiths like Klett. It is a wonderful rifle for offhand shooting. POR OBO

#572- Dutch-German light wheel-lock, 40 caliber, rifled for round ball, all iron mounts and furniture. POR-OBO

The barrel is a swamped Green Mountain, the wood a nice piece of walnut, shown in the square. The lock is from The Rifle Shoppe, and comes as a kit. Its provenance is German, meant for a pistol, but just right for a light caliber rifle. I could not resist the challenge. You can see that it is my project #123. Watch for more photos as it finishes up. Doc's Latest Adventure is featuring it as an ongoing project, with lots of photos and brags as the gun progresses. Click on 'Doc's Latest Adventure' above to follow its progress.

#573- Fancy Bucks Co flintlock rifle probably by Andrew Vernor, the original rifle belonged to John Frie, who was the leader of the Frie's Rebellion, protesting a tax on the number of windows in a man's house.  It is 50 caliber, straight 15/16th inch octagon barrel 40 inches long by Ed Rayl, brass furniture on an AAA maple stock, Premium Siler lock by Chambers, DST,  with a brass side opening patch box engraved 'John Fries Gun' and Vernor's inimitable incised carving. It is traditional in every sense. Photos of the real thing can be found in  Kindig's, "Kentucky rifles in the Golden Age".  SOLD

We know that the gun belonged to John Frie because he is identified with his name engraved on the patch box.

This rifle is brand new, never fired. That's unusual for me, I usually shoot everything I make. This is a NICE rifle.

Something about John Frie must have been effective, the window tax does not persist to this day. They tax everything else but not windows. Interestingly, the window tax concept originated in Holland. Only the wealthy could afford windows, thus the tax. Sounds like 'tax the rich' which has quite a familiar ring right now.

#574  Doc-built repro of Classic early FlintLock rifle by Dickert, slim and light with 7/8" octagon 40" barrel in 50 cal by Rayl, nice AA piece of maple, Chambers best flintlock, early single trigger, brass furniture, Dickert's early engraved patchbox and carving. Pull is 14', weight 7 lbs and light for a long rifle. The carving is classic Dickert as is the engraving.   SOLD

The original patchbox is a famous one. It's not on a rifle, as the original rifle was destroyed. Many of Dickerts  patch boxes resemble it, but this one is the fanciest. Dickert's stuff can be found in all the major picture books. Some of the best are in Kindig's big book on 'the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age'.

#575- Bedford Co. Longrifle, copy of a fine rifle by Joseph Mills,  with 45 caliber Rayl barrel 42 inches long mounted in AAA fancy maple stock, L&R traditional Bedford Co. flintlock and DST.  Furniture is brass with silver accents. Drop on the stock is pretty steep, excellent for offhand shooting. The rifle mirrors the early style flint rifle, with more carving and less inlay work. The Bedford rifles heavy with inlay were all made late in the 19th century.  SOLD

The rifle is quite light, less than 7 lbs. and very handy for offhand shooting. The pull is 13.5 inches, but the steepness of drop makes it hold beautifully for stand on your hind legs shooting.. Rayl  barrels have an excellent reputation for accuracy.

There is typical Bedford Co engraving on the brass patchbox and an eagle on the star on the cheekpiece. My photography doesn't show it very well but it can be seen on the original on page 104  of "Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Co. Gunsmiths" The teardrops at the wrist are decorated with hatching.

The lock is an elegant thing. It is as fancy inside as it is outside and is a great sparker. Don't let its slim elegance fool you.

The maple is AAA, finished with oil in many layers, polished between coatings. 

There is a traditional double bolted tang, touch-hole is SunSetted properly, the DST is  a specific model for Bedford Co. rifles. The lock is one of the better designed and executed on the market. The internals are even more elegant than the external parts. As an aside, I once visited Calvin Hetrick in Maryland back in the 60's. He had hundreds of these lying around the house. He is long gone and so is the collection. It's very hard to find an original now and even more expensive to buy one.

#576 Lion Beck-  A reproduction of the famous flintlock rifle by J P Beck of the Lebanon School with a rampant Lion behind the cheekpiece. This is the finest piece of maple I have ever worked on, intensly curly and hard as a rock. Barrel is by Rayl, 50 caliber, swamped and 50 inches long. Pull is 15 inches. The gun has already SOLD.

All the furniture is Beck, in brass. The exception will be the double headed eagle on the cheekpiece. The lock is Jim Chambers finest Premium. The buyer is 6'-7" and it fits him perfectly.

#577- Wender over-under swivel breech- Lancaster style flintlock over-under rifle with 3/4 inch diameter Bill Large barrels in 45 cal for round ball (I've been saving those barrels for years). Stock is AA good quality maple, furniture is brass, the flintlock is back action, the swivel lock mechanism is in the front bow of the trigger guard, pull on it to swivel the barrels. Dickert style Lancaster furniture. The lock sparks quite well, no difference either side.  SOLD

The original stock decoration and patchbox engraving can be found on page 85 of Kindig's "Kentucky Rifles in their Golden Age", the original by Dickert . There is a fancy rendition of G B White on the brass piece opposite the flintlock. Sorry it's so hard to see.

Operation of the Wender mechanism is easy. Wender translates as winder in English.  After the first shot, bring the hammer to half-cock, then pull on the front of the trigger guard to unlock the breech, swivel the barrels around, the spring loaded detent will stop the barrel in the correct position. Then cock the lock, aim and fire. The locks both spark quite well. Trigger let-off is about 4 lbs. Pull is 14 inches. Weight is up there, even with 3/4 inch diameter barrels simply because there are two of them, at 9 lbs.

Watch below as the Wender is cycled.

Above, you've taken a shot and pulled the cock to half-cock with the frizzen open. Note that the lower frizzen is closed. The trigger finger is on the trigger.  Above right, the trigger finger is shown pulling back on the front of the trigger guard, which releases the catch, the barrels can then be rotated with the left hand.

Above left, the barrels are about 1/2 way around, the open frizzen is now at the bottom in front of the finger. Above right, the rotation is about 2/3rds complete with the closed frizzen coming into view up top.

Above left, the previously bottom barrel with closed frizzen is almost in place. Right, the barrel has clicked into place and the trigger finger is back on the trigger. It all takes only a few seconds. Must have been a real surprise to that charging Shawnee who thought your first missed shot was a chance for an encounter of the closest kind.

Interesting, I've been building doubles for years. This swivel 'Wender', (Winder in English) is the most complicated to build of all. A side by side is a cinch compared to this project.

#579- Very fancy Jaeger rifle by DOC, the brass furniture is from an elegant one by Paul Poser, 31 inch swamped 58 caliber barrel by Colerain, Elegant chisled flintlock, handmade by DOC, elegant AAAA European walnut, DST, chisled brass furniture including brass insert in the patchbox lid, elegant carving and engraving. This is a beauty!! POR OBO

The rifle is incise carved from one end to the other, in the Baroque-Georgian-Rococco style popular in the 1750's in Europe.

The flintlock is an elegant thing, just look at the hunting scene on the lockplate. It's smaller than you would expect, only 5 1/2 inches long and one inch wide..

Jaeger's have a reputation of being thick, heavy and clumsy, but this rifle is the antithesis of that statement. It is probably the most functionally elegant flintlock rifle that I've ever built. Not only is it beautiful, but it handles like a dream: quick to the shoulder, the eye right on the sights, the flintlock drips sparks and the touch-hole is properly sunsetted for fastest ignition. I haven't shot it, but it should shoot every bit as good as it looks and holds.

The ramrod pipes are beautifully designed and executed. I just love that gargoyle  on the rear pipe. I think he is sticking out his tongue at the tax man.

The side-lock casting shows a bit of French influence. The French were the leaders in arms design at this time. Their work was greatly admired and widely copied.

The brass castings are exquisitely done, the best quality that I've ever dealt with. Their design is elegant, more than matching the carving and engraving. If you look close, you'll see the French influence here , too.

The barrel is heavily engraved up past the rear sight and around the front sight, in the same elegant Baroque-Georgian- Roccoco mix as the castings.

The incised carving goes all the way up the forestock.

The stock is oil finished. European walnut is known for the elegant black streaking and consistent grain formation. It is very strong yet elegant. The barrel is heavily engraved at the breech up past the rear sight and the muzzle with roccoco scrolling and my signature- quite elegant. The barrel is browned. The lock is antique rust blued. Rubbing  successive coats of oil into the lovely stock has produced a lovely sheen. I wish the photos were better, they don't do the gun justice.  Make me an offer I can't resist.

#580- DOC-built 451 caliber English Sporting rifle with super fancy walnut halfstock, really an elegant piece of wood. You can see that the breech is a Manton with Drip Bar over the traditional flat spring lock. There is a pistol grip and Alexander Henry forearm. The lock is a Henry design too. The Kelly barrel is tapered octagon 30 inches long in 451 caliber with 1-20 twist and shallow 0.035 thou deep grooves,meant for long lubricated White (or Whitworth) type elongated lubricated bullets. These guns are terrific hunting rifles and are capable of 1000 yard target shooting. All furniture is iron, the buttplate is checkered wood, an English whim of the 1860's. There is an under-rib with two ferrules. The barrel is browned, the other iron furniture blued and the stock varnished English style. Sights are a Globe front and English style adjustable  ladder rear- looks much like the adjustable ladder rear Springfield sight that was so popular from the 1850's on. (Springfield copied it from the original English Sporting-Target rifle sights) POR-OBO don't be afraid to make an offer.

.POR

Although this is a beautiful rifle, it was designed to be used. It is extremely functional and ergonomic, every part of it friendly to the user.  The butt is thick and wide to soak up recoil, it fits shooters using either hand without alteration, balance is superb for offhand, sights are adjustable and good for up to 700 yards as is.

Look at all the steel surrounding the nipple. It's the strongest system in the world, bar none. The drip bar above the lock just in front of the bolster gets rid of the weak wood above the lock that you see on Hawkins and the like. The rear sight is the spring loaded ladder type with a sliding adjustable notch-on-bar.

The butt-plate is checkered ebony (wood), The trigger guard comes off by removing the two screws than turning the trigger guard off the plate. It takes 5 turns to get it off. The trigger is single and pulls off at 4 lbs.

POR

The lock is held by a single bolt and the barrel by a single key. The accents are German Silver except for the brass ramrod tip. Weight is about 8 lbs. The rifle throws up to a 520 grain lubricated bullet with terrific accuracy and force. Ballistic Coefficients are up at .300 for fantastic downrange performance. Bullets load slip-fit so second shots are fast yet accurate. These are the best of the traditional muzzleloading rifles.

These Sporting Rifles are truly extrordinary. The barrels were originally designed by Whitworth using a long hexagonal bullet and a fast 1-20 twist. That bullet was later modified by various English designers including Rigby and  Medford, then later by myself, becoming the multi-grooved, round cross section, lubricated bullet used nowadays in Whitworth, RIgby and White rifles. All are capable of astounding long range accuracy and superior down range killing power. I can't claim much in all this- all I did was adapt the Old Masters ideas to modern production techniques. None-the-less, these are the finest, quickest and most powerful modern muzzleloading hunting rifles in the world! 

#582- Dutch inspired Wheelock with authentic lock kit from the Rifle Shoppe and swamped 42 inch barrel in 54 caliber from Colerain. The walnut fullstock is pretty plain but has great grain structure especially through the wrist. Pull is 14". All furniture is iron with a forged trigger guard, double ferrules holding the ramrod and plain fore-end tip. There are two bolts holding the lock in place. The lock is cased a gray-blue and it has front and rear sights. It is amazing how well balanced this rifle is and how well it holds. Manufacturing a wheel-lock from scratch is quite a project.  SOLD

#590- Here is another DOC-built English Sporting Rifle with rather plain but strong grained walnut stock, pistol grip and fancy contrasting wood butt plate, English style. The butt  is checkered in the English fashion. It sports a traditional flat spring Henry percussion sidelock to fit the heavy metal Manton breech, plus drip bar, which gets rid of the weak wood just in front of the lock. There is a single fore-end key in silver ovals to complement the Henry fore-end tip. It has a single set trigger which will fire the rifle set or un-set, an under-rib with double steel ferrules and adjustable tall Vernier long range rear sight with Lyman front sight (with interchangable apertures) to match the Kelley 451 caliber 1-18 twist shallow groove barrel. The grooves are 0.035 thou deep, designed to use 500+ grain White/Whitworth style long lubricated bullets capable of 1000 yard target as well as closer ranged hunting. All the superlatives applied to the #580 and #581 Sporting Rifles above also apply to this one, except for the plainer walnut, and it has the advantage of the Single Set trigger, which is a nice feature.. POR  Make an offer, we listen.

The barrel is a lustrous deep brown while the lock, tang, trigger and trigger guard are a deep hot blue. The walnut has been finished with penetrating oil under varnish. The wood is not very lovely but it is strong and close grained.

The vernier rear sight is tall enough for 1000 yard shooting. It folds out of the way, either forward or backward. It was made by Pedersoli and adjusts in all directions. The single Set trigger will fire the rifle with a 4 lb. pull if not set, it can be adjusted down to an ounce if set. 

All screws are fire blued, as is the forearm wedge. The ramrod is hickory with a brass tip, drilled and tapped for assessories. The Lyman front sight comes with about a dozen different configurations of inserts.

 #593- Mid-Eastern Bench or Over-the-Log gun, new stored GRRW barrel 58 caliber 1 1/4" between flats. 36" long, strong grained perch-belly walnut stock, Manton hooked breech with drip bar, DST, Blued steel furniture including checkered iron buttplate. About 14 lbs. GRRW barrels are always super accurate. POR

#594 English Heavy 8 Bore (83 cal) Sporting Rifle  by DOC, tapered octagon to round barrel by Rayl 36 inches long, slow twist for patched round ball, heavy figured walnut especially selected for stregnth of grain through wrist, checkered wrist, broad iron buttplate, English butt with low cheekpiece, Henry percussion flat spring lock with drip bar, single trigger, double ramrod ferrules on iron under-rib, 2 leaf rear sight, all iron furniture, weight about 12 lbs. Meant for Big Stuff. POR

#595- Doc-built side by side 20 bore double flintlock smoothbore rifle, barrels tapered octagon to round, low rifle sights, side by side flintlocks, double trigger, rear trigger actuates left lock, front trigger does the right lock, lock panels tapered to the rear with inset locks for excellent grip conformation, double keys surrounded by silver ovals, barrels regulated for stout loads with patched round ball, can shoot shot loads as well. POR

#596- Doc-built 16 bore side by side flintlock fowler, fancy walnut with correct grain in the wrist and fancy figure in the butt, classic proportions, Egg flintlocks, double hooked breech, lock panels tapered to the rear, steel furniture, silver trim, checkered grip, regulated to shoot patched ball as well as shot. SOLD

#597 Doc built lighter LEFT HAND Hawken rifle, plain but extremely sturdy maple stock, Green Mountain 50 caliber octagon barrel one inch across the flats and 32 inches long. rifles with 1-66 twist for patched round ball. All iron furniture except silver fore-stock ovals, (not there yet in the lower photo) and silver nose-cap. There are no known antique left handed Hawken rifles, but this one is as close as you can get with a repro. POR

Pull is 14.4 inches, for the taller among you left-handers out there. Weight a bit heavier than the other two light Hawkens illustrated, because of the solid wood. All parts are top quality, nothing better available on the market.  For sale OBO as is, in the white, or finished, later.

The styling is classic with all the expected Hawken features like: long bar DST attached with double bolts to a long tang full length of the wrist, double keys with silver surrounds, double steel ramrod ferrules, Modena type rear sight with silver front in brass base, scroll iron trigger guard, beaver-tail cheek-peice in front of curved iron Hawken style butt-plate.  It does make a handsome and elegantly functional rifle. 

#598 Lighter Hawken percussion half stock rifle by DOC. Plain Plus walnut stock. Green Mountain barrel in 50 caliber, 1" diameter, 32" long, 1-66 twist for patched round ball. Absolutely traditional in every way. 14 inch pull. All iron furniture. Silver trim. All the Hawken features you have come to expect, like double bolted wrist, long bar DST which fires set or unset, long tang, double keys in silver surrounds, stout 7/16th inch ramrod, double ferrules on soldered rib, silver nose cap. Barrel and most furniture  browned, lock  finished antique blue, barrel will be marked 'Hawken- St. Louis', my GBW cipher will be found on the bottom of the barrel. For sale as is, or finished, later.  POR

#599 Sporty Hawken rifle by Doc in 54 caliber with fancy AAA tiger striped maple stock, Green Mountain barrel 1" diameter X 32" long, 1-66 twist for patched round ball. Iron furniture with silver trim,  trigger guard has the occasionally seen spur.  14 inch pull.  Hawken features  like double bolted wrist, long bar DST which fires set or unset, long tang, double keys in silver surrounds, stout 7/16th inch ramrod, double ferrules on soldered rib, silver nose cap. Barrel and most furniture will be browned, lock will be finished antique blue, barrel will be marked Hawken- St. Louis, my GBW cipher will be found on the bottom of the barrel. Absolutely traditional in every way. For sale as is, or finished, later.  Classic Hawken features throughout. POR

#600 Bridger Hawken 58 caliber by  DOC, AAA maple stock, tapered Kelly barrel 32 inches long  with 1-72 twist for patched round ball , Classic Hawken conformation withy all the minor details exactly right, copies the Hawken that belonged to Bridger now in the collection of the Montana State Historical Society, Doc designed the master for the stock carving during his GRRW years. All iron furniture including fore-end cap, silver trim, adjustable step rear sight, long bar DST double bolted to tang, this is as close a copy of the original Bridger rifle as there is available. Available as is, or finished, later.  POR 

#603- French Fusil de Chasse, C grade, 20 bore with 40 inch Colerain octagon to round barrel, gorgeous AAA maple stock with fierce tiger stripe , all fancy brass furniture. Made for shooting ball but can handle shot as well. Very graceful, well balanced and quick in the hand, much lighter than you would think. The French were in the forefront of arms design as early as the late 1600's. This design surfaced in the 1700's and was imported by the shipload. It was a favorite on the Eastern frontier.   POR Make me an offer I can't resist. The turkeys will be gobbling in 2  months. It's time to buy.

This hunting gun is equipped with an interchangable Colonial brand choke, the one in it now  is a super-full, but it comes with a choke bore insert as well, so you can shoot ball if you want, or shoot tight patterns at turkeys like I did with it. When the 2009 turkey season loomed, I got a bee in my bonnet (Scotch ancestry) and threw this gun together, didn't get the metal completely browned nor the maple past the stain stage, did finish the lock, (which is blued and a fantastic sparker). I fired two shots at a turkey target for pattern purposes. getting 9-12 head and neck hits at 30 yards with 1 1/2 oz #7 nickel  plated shot over 90 gr Swiss fffg, the next four shots killed toms from 25 to 44 yards. I called one tom within three feet, then jumped up and killed him on the run at 33 yards as he tried to escape. The brag is not in the good shooting but in how fast the gun was to the shoulder, light and quick. It's a fine hunting gun. It's no wonder the Eastern Indian liked it so much, to the delight of the French traders and the agony of the British. After the season, I finished the gun, it's ready to complete your Eastern Indian or French Voyager persona, or take turkey hunting next spring.

#610- Springfield 1835 musket- standard military dimensions and finish, 69 caliber smooth-bore, all top quality parts.

The barrel came from Colerain, the lock parts and other castings from the Rifle Shoppe, the wood from Dunlap. 

The perfect musket for an early Southern recruit in the first battles of the Civil War. There were many flint muskets used early on and were favored by many. They were faster than a percussion musket simply because you didn't have to fish out and fit a cap to make it fire. Perfect for the Battle of Bull Run on the Souhron side.

#611- Pauley traditional inline pistol by DOC. White inline action in 50 cal swamped barrel with 1-24 twist rifling for patched round ball or bullet. Brass furniture, Doc's side lock safety mounting where the frizzen used to go, second safety on the hammer handle itself (rotates up into a lock notch, false hammer cocks the inline hammer. AAAA maple full-stock. More photos to follow as it finishes up. POR

Marked 'J S Pauley-London' on lock plate. DOC's GBW cipher at barrel rear. Uses a #11 cap. The brass sideplate is engraved with a rampant dragon.

Interesting, the balance in the extended hand is pretty good, probably due to the swamped barrel. The trigger pull is light and quite soft and is adjustable. The rear sight is low and adjustable, the front a blade is soldered on, as original.  White .504 cal barrels have proven to be very accurate with 20-30 gr FFFg and a 490-495 ball with .010-.015 patch. You will also be able to shoot White slip fit .503 bullets, the 400 grain being preferable with up to 80 gr. powder, the   White PowerStar 300 0r 435 grain saboted bullet with same load. It will kick hard but be very effective on whitetail deer. I once killed a 154 B&C whitetail with that load in a similar pistol.

#612- English influenced Lancaster style traditional flintlock pistol with fast twist rifled brass barrel by GRRW in 58 caliber. As far as I know, this is the only brass barrel GRRW ever made. AAA maple stock with brass furniture including grotesque mask butt cap. Round faced English flintlock by L&R, single trigger. acorn trigger guard, low rear and front sights done in the traditional manner, a modest amount of Lancasterish carving.. 

The carving is cut in, only waiting for an artistic urge to get it finished. There will be some engraving on the sideplate as there is on the barrel, with my name in script on the top flat.

The detail on the pistol is decidedly Lancasterish. Note the low rear sight at the front of the tang. Watch for more pics are the gun finishes up. POR OBO

#613- French Dragoon pistol, a very traditional military 20 bore smoothbore personal sidearm, issued by the French, perfect for a Revolutionary persona. Photos will follow as it finishes. POR

 #617- Wender rollover flintlock rifle, 3/4 inch octagon barrels, 36 rifled and 45 smoothbore. Classy 4A maple stock, 2 pieces of course

This should be a great small game gun, from squirrels to turkey.

#618- Snaphaunce Lemon Butt 20 bore smoothbore pistol, just the thing for your 1600's persona. Miles Standish probably carried one.

    #621 Early Fullstock Percussion Hawken rifle, 50 caliber, one inch octagon GreenMountain barrel 40 inches long, great-grained but plainer walnut fullstock, traditional engraved flat spring lock signed J&S Hawken, double-bolted long tang, Hawken percussion breech with flat-to-the-wrist trigger guard mounted on long DST bar. Traditional in every sense of the word.  The walnut needs to be sanded and oiled and the iron needs browning, but its for sale as it is, or later, finished. POR OBO. Watch for more pics as it progresses.

The the furniture is iron except the German silver key surrounds. There are three flat keys. The DST fires set or unset.  The sights are a Modena style rear and G. silver blade front on a brass base. The only thing missing is the iron Modena style patchbox. Watch for it to appear as the gun finishes up. This will make a superb hunting rifle.

#622  Bridger style half stock Hawken rifle in 69 caliber, beautiful 1 1/8 X 1" , 36" long taper barrel by Rayl, best quality parts, plainer AA maple stock purposefully selected with grain running through the wrist for strength, traditional double bolted long tang and long bar DST, double fore-end keys, as well as strictly traditional Hawken breeching and lock. Side opener iron patch box (not shown-coming later), silver trim. Long bar Hawken rear adjustable sight. Front sight and fore-end cap missing- coming later. Very handsome, modeled on the Bridger Hawken rifle that GRRW had here in town for a few years back in the 1970's.

#623 Gemmer-Springfield trapdoor rifle in 40-65 caliber built on 1869 marked black powder only action with new octagon 40-65 barrel by Kelly. AAA grade Bridger Hawken style stock with iron furniture and silver trim. You can see that the hammer nose needs some forge work. . More photos to follow as the rifle makes progress.

After Jake Hawken died of the Cholera and Sam eventually retired, their shop was purchased by Gemmer, who continued making rifles in the Hawken tradition. When cartridge guns came to dominate the frontier, he added  custom rifles, like the reproduction illustrated below, with distinctly Hawken features. There are only a few known. An original will cost you a fortune.

The photo shows classic Hawken conformation: Long bar DST double bolted to long tang,  double fore-stock keys with silver roundels, long decorative adjustable Hawken rear sight, beavertail cheek-peice for right handed shooter, double steel pipes on a soldered  under-rib, 9the pipes are silver soldered to the rib, the rib is silver-lead soldered to the barrel- just like the originals), scroll trigger guard., all with trapdoor Springfield action added, with hooked breech for easy take-down. The barrel plus action are 36 inches long, the octagon barrel tapers to .950 at the muzzle from 1.10 at the breech, weight is about 9 lbs, pull is 14 inches.

This will give you a hint as to what the walnut stock will look like, nice figure in the butt, good close tight grain. Note that many of the features that we call Hawken are really English- copied from the fancy London made English sporting guns that were brought over by English sportsman and which the Hawken brothers  popularized on the western frontier. About the only feature that is not English is the deeply curved buttplate, which is distinctly American.

#624 Doc built English Sporting RIfle 451 caliber, used but in great condition. Douglas 451 barrel in perfect condition, mounted in Red English finished laminate  straight gripped stock with inch thick butt pad. Traditional flat springed percussion lock with heavy but handsome Manton style percussion breech. Very accurate, capable of long range shooting. DST can be finely tuned. Best load is 70 grains Pyrodex-P and a 460 grain White or No Excuse slip-fit bullet. I watched this rifle take down a good sized sheep at 125 yards one day. The critter went over like a tree and hardly wiggled. This is a great hunting rifle capable of target work.

This rifle started life years ago as a prototype for White Systems, but never was accepted so never came into production. As such, it is one of a kind. It came back into my hands through a trade up to a more expensive fancy rifle.

There is a long tang for mounting a tall Vernier sight if wanted. The black finish is Black Ice Teflon, perfectly waterproof. The finish on the wood is a clear two part epoxy which is likewise waterproof and very scratch resistant.

#630-  1814 Common rifle, this one has a 54 cal Colerain barrel, cast parts by the Rifle Shoppe, excellent walnut for a military grade rifle, with a cut out on the cheekpeice as was often done with this rifle. There is a beat up, rusty original on the nearby Ute Reservation with the cut out plus brass tacks, beads, leather and feathers. I'm thinking of copying it. Maybe if I bury it for 100 years it will come out like the original.  No, there are no photos of the original, family will not allow it.

Obviously, the metal and wood are not yet finished sights, barrel bands and band springs and all small parts are in place. It only awaits finishing. You can see how handy a light hunting rifle this would make. The fact that a few of them still exist in the West is testimony to how well they were liked and how well they endured.  There were only 1500 of them to start with.

#655- 45/70 Double Rifle rebarreled by DOC, originally started life as a high quality German 20 gauge double shotgun. It has the best of actions, with double lug underbite and fits up as tight as my banker. It has yet to be regulate4d, ribs are not in place. It's been a fun project. Watch for more pics as it gets done.

#656- Volunteer Baker Infantry Rifle, 62 caliber Colerain barrel 36 inches long, Original Tower marked lock, SST, Baker furniture with bayonet lug. The walnut is beautiful.

Late, late military flintlock. Designed for use on a short rifle but widely sold for use by para-military units who supplied their own arms at their own expense. Note the absence of an outside frizzen spring. Spring loading of the frizzen is supplied by mainspring pressure through a transfer bar inside the plate.

#657-J P Beck flintlock repro. Barrel is a 50 caliber swamped Colerain, flintlock is a Chambers, Maple is AAA. There will be lots of carving and engraving. I love Beck's work, it's a real pleasure to have him as a mentor. More photos as it finishes.

#658-  Fusil de Chasse in 16 gauge (67 caliber), smoothbore of course. AAA maple, will have fruitwood finish, classic brass furniture, early flintlock. Your courier de bois persona will be tickled with it.

#659- Baker Ordnance Carbine with a 62 caliber tapered Colerain barrel in 62 caliber, a mix of brass Baker and Land pattern carbine furniture, flat faced Baker flintlock. A very interesting traditional variation on the Baker theme. More photos to follow as it finishes.

#660- Andrew Vernor flintlock rifle with 50 cal 7/8ths octagon barrel, with classic Vernor incised carving, patchbox and engraving.

#661- 8 bore percussion double smooth rifle, that's 83 caliber, in a beautiful, close-grained, very solid walnut stock, meant to shoot a 2 oz. ball at truly big stuff. Barrels are 24 inches long, side by side, will be regulated to hit at 25 yards, weight will come out at about 12+ lbs. Should be a grand back up gun for the 8 Bore rifle above. I even bought a Led-Sled just so I could regulate this one.

#6620- 4 bore flintlock shotgun with tapered octagon-round barrel by Rayl, lovely walnut with grain just right through the wrist, English Trade flintlock, all steel furniture, weight will come out near 12 lbs. Meant to shoot 2+ oz. shot or a 4 oz. ball, which is what Selous did in Africa on elephant. He had one very much like this in his early years. He carried a sack of powder on one side and a sack of balls on the other, most shots at 15 yards or so. He writes of loading powder by the fistful.

#663- Over-Under percussion double 20 gauge X 50 caliber rifle (round ball), original back action locks, double triggers, regulated so ball from either barrel will center at 50 yards, usable with shot in the 20 gauge barrel as well.

#664- Over-under percussion rifle in .451 X .451 caliber for White slip fit bullets, regulated to strike center at 100 yards, original back action locks, double triggers, all iron furniture.

#665- Flintlock drilling with side by side 20 gauge shot barrel on the right, 50 caliber round ball rifle barrel on the left and 36 caliber round ball rifle barrel underneath. Yes the flintlock for the under barrel will be upside down, which works surprizingly well.. All iron furniture. All three barrels regulated to center at 50 yards.

#666- Classic lightweight side by side double flintlock fowler in 20 gauge. The walnut looks pretty ugly here but is pretty underneath all that grime and stain. Manton flintlocks, double triggers, single fore-end key, less than 7 lbs. Iron furniture with a touch of silver.

#667- Dutch Officers Fusil in 16 gauge (67 caliber) with unique chisled brass furniture, very nice walnut with slight underbelly and forearm swell, chisled flintlock, octagon-round barrel by Colerain 40 inches long, sling swivels. Watch for photos as it finishes.

This lock is as beautiful as they get. It has an internal bridle but lacks one on the frizzen. A large shouldered screw assures good fit and function for the frizzen. This military arm is a copy of one made just before the Revolutionary War. It will be the perfect longarm for an American patriot of Dutch descent going up against the British. No shooting 'til you can see the white's of their eyes!!

#668- Classic 12 x 12 flintlock double fowler, 28 inch barrels, Egg flintlocks tapered to the rear for a narrow wrist, double triggers, blued steel and brass furniture, cherry stock.

#669- Dutch 8 bore doglock fowler with 50 inch long barrel by Rayl, early Dutch doglock, brass furniture, Dutch influenced relief carving, the perfect piece for a re-enactor from Hoboken

The Dutch imported lots of arms in early America, many of surprisingly high quality for the time. This early lock is very well designed. Despite the lack of internal or external bridles, it should be an excellent sparker and provide centuries of service. It helps that it's made of modern steels. Note that the frizzen spring has a very early, wheel-lockish appearane.

#670- Snaphaunce fowler in 12 gauge in the style of the Forbes fowler that came over on the Mayflower. All iron furniture, forged trigger guard, unique safety included on the lock.

I had a few flintlocks to repair and assemble, just could not resist  putting this big snaphaunce together. As you can see, they are much more complicated than a classic flintlock, but are far easier than a wheel-lock. The snaphaunce shares some of the features of a wheel-lock, mainly the trigger mechanism and the sliding pan cover.  It also features  two separate safety systems, a safety that locks the trigger sear located to the rear of the lock, (the safety lever above is shown in the safe position.)  Also the pan cover can be closed to hold the prime ready to go, and the steel (frizzen) can be locked upright out of the way, something you cannot do with the combination frizzen-pan cover of a classic flintlock. SOLD

#671- Early doglock fowler by Cookson in 12 gauge, tapered octagon-round barrel by Colerain, brass furniture, nice close grained walnut, early features. Should be a great turkey gun.

The 'dog' or safety catch, is located right behind the cock. It provides an additional safety measure with this lock as it has a safety catch  cut into the tumbler. Most doglocks do not, so this one is likely a johnney- come- lately. Note the lack of bridles for the tumbler inside the lock and for the frizzen on the outside.  Both are early features, very early in the 1700's.

#672- Wheelock with original lock by Zelner made about 1550 in Austria,  swamped 54 caliber barrel by Colerain, DST, handsome European walnut stock, chisled brass furniture including a brass patch box cover, lots of carving and engraving to match the baroque lock. More photos to follow as it finishes. This is a special project. I have had the lock for 35 years, the wood for at least 10, and finally have acquired enough skill to attempt the  project.

This original lock is by Zelner who made guns in Austria in the 1500's.  The lock dates from probably the late part of that century. He was a well known maker. The lock is likely more valuable without the rifle I'm going to append it to- just can't help myself- the artistic challenge is too great.

#673- 10 bore double side by side fowler, 32 inch barrels, beautiful piece of walnut, later goose neck flintlocks with panels nicely tapering to the rear, double triggers, all steel furniture finished antique blue or brown.

#674- 10 bore double side by side fowler, longer barrels at 38 inches, walnut nicely configures with elegant sweep through the wrist, late double throat flintlocks with panels tapering to the rear for a slimmer wrist, double stock keys, iron scroll trigger guard, wide iron buttplate, double fore-end keys.

#675- Doc made Pauley double side by side rifle 504 caliber for heavy White slip fit bullets, AAA walnut with great grain structure and strength,  stainless steel barrels and actions, coil mainsprings, copies Pauley's 1812 patent for the very first inline rifle, uses #11 or musket caps (for dangerous game), double triggers, all iron mounts and furniture, double safety with one incorporated in the separate cocking handles and another controlling both barrels (locks the sear) with thumb control adjustable for either left or right side. Pauley's hammers are false and are used to cock the in-line hammer. The triggers are Doc's invention, only improving on Pauley's concept.

This rifle is meant for big loads with big bullets for use on big, dangerous game. 150 grains 777 or Pyrodex P plus a 600 (+) grain bullet recommended. There are double recoil lugs to hold that recoil, plus hooked breeches for easy access and cleaning.

#676- Flintlock double fowler in 16 gauge with original nitro proofed barrels with full and modified chokes. Stock is lightweight cherry with good grain structure. Furniture brass with a bit of French influence. Double triggers actuate the Egg locks. Lock panels are tapered to the rear for a small grip.

#677-Sporting Rifle with White round tapered barrel in 504 caliber, quilted maple stock, will have 'Prince of Wales" style round knob grip, classic Manton breech with long tang, under-rib with two ferrules, steel furniture, sling swivels, red rubber recoil pad, a solid gun meant for the dedicated hunter. The wood has been sitting around  for a long time, the stains seen here will all disappear, it will be stained English Red and varnished. SOLD

                     Coming sometime (sooner or later) in no order of appearance

Another Baker Infantry Rifle

2 Brown Bess flintlock muskets. long land pattern, one with early iron fittings and wood ramrod the other brass.

Several Double flintlock fowlers in 12 and 20 gauge

.615 cal double percussion African rifle for 900 grain SuperSlug

.730 cal percussion double African rifle for 1200 grain SuperSlug

Brown Bess re-stocked Hudson Valley style

Hawken rifle in  62  caliber

1795 US flintlock musket

Short Fergusson turn-breech flintlock sporter

1842 Southern Palmetto percussion musket 69 smooth-bore

Several Dimmick St Louis rifles

Several Dutch fowlers

Pair of lightened Ruger Old Army percussion pistols with custom octagon barrels, fluted cylinders

Three barreled percussion drilling, 2 above 50 cal, tight twist for slug, 12 ga. under barrel for shot

1816 flintlock 69 cal musket with original restored lockplate

Ausbruck military jaeger

French & Indian War rifle 62 cal. rifled with mixed French/English furniture

3 barreled percussion Wender in 12 smoothbore, 62 and 50 rifled

Cadet Rifle with original military rolling block action and barrel 50-70

Cadet 1830'S flintlock musket 58 cal. smoothbore 

Olympic style percussion target pistol with Hamilton in line action

1/3 scale cannon by Norman Wiard

5/8 scale breechloading cannon by Whitworth

Virginia rifle restocked with all original parts

Leman rifle with original barrel

Schuetzen 10 lb target rifle

several 1895 Mauser bolt action rifles for heavy bullets and BT209 powder

Whitworth long range rifle in 451 caliber

Griffin 12 bore flintlock fowler

Hagerstown Hawken flintlock

Break open 12 bore double percussion shotgun

10 bore Colonial doglock fowler

10 smoothbore X 69 rifled side by side double flintlock

pair 62 caliber percussion & flintlock double rifles

69 caliber percussion double rifle

69 caliber Jaeger flintlock double rifle

Southern Mountain rifle in 45 caliber

Several Lehigh Valley flintlock rifles

Kentucky stocked BB gun

Beyer flintlock rifle

Short English flintlock sporting rifle 58 cal.

Fusil Fin

flintlock mortar gun for tennis balls

Southern perc rifle leftie with original Golcher lock

Several percussion Wender rifles

Tennessee iron mounted rifle

English 12 gauge half stock flint fowler

Several heavy caliber Plains pistols

NorthWest gun in 12 gauge

Elegant Jaeger by Poser

Edward Marshall rifle 62 caliber

snaphaunce & doglock pistols

Several 12 bore double flint fowlers

Kings German Legion rifle

Nock Volley gun in 45 caliber

7 barrel goose gun in 32 caliber