1775-1785 Augusta/Rockbridge County, Virginia Rifle Sold Back to Top

This is a 1775-1785 Augusta/Rockbridge County, Virginia rifle based on the two rifles documented by Wallace Gusler in the Journal of Historical Arms Making Technology, Volume II (JHAT II). The patchbox and its engraving is an original design extrapolated from the boxes on the guns documented in JHAT II as well as those by John Davidson. The lock is a Chambers Early Ketland, filed, polished and engraved in a manner typical of most imported English locks with heat blued screws.. The 50 caliber, 44" long, Bivens profile Getz barrel is polished amory bright.  A White Lightning liner is installed. The rifle has modified Davis double set triggers that have been heat blued.   The butt piece and guard are neatly filed from yellow brass castings from Reeves Goehring. The rest of the mounts, including the one piece nose piece, are hand made from sheet brass. The stock is carved from a blank of very curly, stump cut, quartersawn,  hard maple from Freddie Harrison.   The barrel is hand inlet using gouges, period gunstock planes, and rasps. The stock is entirely scraped and burnished and the rifle is generally finished in a workman like manner. The forearem moulding and buttstock moulding were cut with a custom made scratch stock in the original manner and show the characteristic ripple from scraping very curly wood. Period correct tools and techniques were used with files, rasps, chisels, and planes being used for most of the work.. The stock is stained with aqua fortis and finished in oil.  I have fitted the scraped hickory ramrod with a plain sheet steel ferrule on the breech end that accepts a hand turned wiper made for the rifle. The wiper is in the patchbox. 

This rifle was awarded a Judges choice ribbon in the Master class at the 2009 Dixons GunMakers Fair. 

The length of pull is approximately 13.5" to the front trigger.  The drop is a little more than 3" and the cast off is a little less than .25". 

The technical details:

Price: $3950 (plus delivery charges - will deliver free within 250 miles of Richmond, VA)

Please e-mail me at melliott@valongrifles.com if you are interested.

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Iron Mounted Southwest Virginia/East Tennessee Rifle Sold Back to Top

Offered for sale is an original fully iron mounted rifle most likely made somewhere on the border of southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee probably between 1820 and 1830.   The lines of the breech stock, wrist and lock panels look Virginia while the mounts are typical East Tennessee.   The stock is a plain piece of Black Walnut in pretty good shape with the exception of saddle wear through to the ramrod hole.  They barrel has been shortened at the breech at least once about three inches.   All the parts appear to be original, and the lock and triggers still work exceptionaly well together.  The lock is a cheap hardware store variety with no fly or half cock notch.  There is stamped decoration (circles) around the muzzle and the buck horn rear sight.   The barrel is particlarly heavy and coned.  The coning makes it difficult to guage the size of the bore, but I estimate it at about 38 caliber.  This rifle shows lots of honest wear and in-service repairs. I see no evidence of modern repairs or restoration. Most people who examine it agree that it is a very clean gun made by a professional gun stocker.

Overall Length:  60"

Barrel Length:  42"

Caliber: 38

Price: $2650 (plus delivery charges - will deliver free within 250 miles of Richmond, VA)

Please e-mail me at melliott@valongrifles.com if you are interested.

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This page was last updated on 6/12/10

Copyright 2010  by Mark E. Elliott