Author Topic: Gunsmith questions  (Read 6875 times)

shooter93

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Gunsmith questions
« on: July 23, 2010, 02:44:04 AM »
I was reading in a couple of books about olde Gunmakers. There were letters sent between Hacker Martin and Lester Smith, things like that. One gentleman mentions a Gunmaker by the name of Samuel Lafayette Click. It was said he learned Blacksmithing in prison and made " The finest half stock rifles you ever did see" He had some distiquishing techniques to his rifles. He would have been active in Tennessee in the 1870's. I've searched around and can't find anything about him or pictures of his rifles. Maybe he was just too localized but anyway....has anyone here heard of him or seen pictures of his work? Thanks.
Scott

Offline JCKelly

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2010, 08:11:20 PM »
Frank M.Sellers' 1983 American Gunsmiths shows a Samuel Click in Kendrick's Creek, Pennsylvania 1887
Original source of information would have been a local  1887 directory.

shooter93

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2010, 06:15:23 AM »
Thanks JC....any idea if there are any pictures of his guns in the book?
Scott

Offline JCKelly

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2010, 06:48:46 PM »
No pictures in Sellers' first book. The new edition is supposed to have more names.

There is a small town in Pennsylvania called Kendrick, in Clearfield County. Don't know about the creek.
Kendrick is on Rt 53 roughly 10 miles SW of Philipsburg.

You might search thru various books on PA makers (Whisker has some) and look in, say the 1870 or 1880 census for Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Many rifles of this period had steel (as opposed to wrought iron) barrels, often made by Remington or some other commercial barrel maker. The barrel maker's name may be on the bottom, the rifle builder's name on top. There was also a Lull & Losey on Six Mile Creek, in Motts Corners, in soutwest NY that had a barrel mill (info courtesy the late Holman Swinney & Abiel Losey's descendent, Mr Rick Losey). Runs in my mind there was a barrel maker in Pittsburgh, tended to sell down-river to Ohio makers but I disremember his name.

Offline Collector

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2010, 03:38:19 AM »
Shooter93,  I had a signed/initialed (S. L.-C.) Samuel Lafayette-Click (his last name was hyphenated, I'm pretty sure) rifle which I sold through TOTW, approximately 2001/2002.  Picked it up while traveling in TN, late-ish 70's, Johnson City area.  Found and purchased by just asking a store owner about old rifles.  Details as I recall:

1.) Ash stock, no cheek piece and pretty well balanced for off-hand shooting.
 
2.).440 rifled, (can't remember exact length-maybe 39 or 40 inches.)  Barrel was commercially made- underside of barrel, in the stock, showed evidence of grinding, sharp profile and edges and had a company stamping just forward of the breech.  All exposed edges were rounded and uniform brownish-grey in color.

3.) Half stocked with poured pewter forend piece, oval coin silver (?) escutcheons with round steel pin to hold barrel, brass triggerguard, brass curved butt plate.

4.) Solid rib sweated to bottom of octagonal barrel with two (2) brass ramrod pipes sweated on to the rib.

5.) Back-action Golcher lock, with hunting scene, held to stock by one (1) lock bolt and simple brass washer with a small 'tit' or extension detail (square-ish maybe,) to secure it in place.  No side panel, stock profile was just smooth and had a round contour, opposite the lock.

6.) Straight octagonal barrel, breeched with long-ish pointed tang with one (1) bolt through trigger plate and one (1) wood screw at the rear.
 
6.) Low brass front sight and low iron rear.

7.) Single set trigger.  (functioned only when set)

8.) Upper case initials S. L.-C. were large and deeply chiseled, into the top flat, between the breech and the rear sight.


As related, the rifle had been in use into 1970's when owner passed-on.  Had obviously been well used, reasonably cared for and had been repaired rather than discarded for parts.  Tang was broken at rear screw hole (very thin/drawn out,) but had been repaired (with plate underneath, across break and re-drilled, as I recall) and stock showed evidence of a repaired (glued) partial crack, with the grain, through the lock escutcheon, but was tight.   I have never seen or come across another barrel with those initials.  

A few stories are found about Samuel Lafayette-Click in Foxfire 5.  Maybe TOTW, has some photos in their archives of this piece.   TOTW didn't show much interest in the piece.  If they do have it archived, it should be reflected under my last name, first name Gaylord, in their account records.  

Good luck.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2010, 08:45:17 PM by G.Hansen »

Offline whitebear

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2010, 05:11:44 AM »

TOTW didn't show much interest in the piece.  
 

Track has very good products but I have found that they show very little interest in anything for sale but a lot of interest after they own it.  When I have delt with them if I owned it it was dirt but when they got it it was worth much more.
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jemarsh

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2014, 01:32:19 AM »
I am one of the great great granddaughters of Samuel Lafayette Click.  I am just now learning of him thru some family that have been found through Facebook.  I did a search through google on his name and found this site, to my surprise i have just learned a little more about Samuel, one of the family members has a rifle of his that he made.  And now I am in search of more info on him.  I would love to find one of his rifles, if you hear of one anywhere could you let me know?  I am in California, and the rest of the Click's and Cleeks are in the east.  Click and Cleek are of the same family.
email jemarsh24@gmail.com

oakridge

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Re: Gunsmith questions
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2014, 09:58:40 PM »