Author Topic: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo  (Read 17101 times)

brooktrout

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #25 on: July 14, 2014, 09:20:29 PM »
Hi "cat".  Just left the clerks office at the courthouse.  They have on loan a rifle which is claimed to have been made by "John Sites".  Theywill not let anyone touch it so I cannot tell if it is signed or not but maybe the "clerk" would give me permission to look closer.  It is supposed to be owned by a person who claims to be a descendant of John and I take it he still lives in the county.  It looks a lot like the George Sites rifle that I have.  Patch boxes are very similar.  Nothing like the one you have.  I would like to get some photos and measurements if they will allow it but I think it might prove hard to do. 

Anything new on your rifle??


fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2014, 09:42:36 PM »
Hey  brooktrout,  wow a living Sites relative? And they have a Sites rifle? Incredible!
Please give them my email address I would love to hear the history maybe they can sort out the geneology.
 Thanks to CurtJ and his kind comment(see comment above) I finally have a good understanding about my rifle, beyond utilitarian and comperable to a Creamer speaks volumes especially since CurtJ and Victor A. Paul wrote the book/books on the subject. Thank you Curt, Thank you Vic.

Brooktrout I sure hope you can gain access to the rifle and the owner  they might be a wealth of information good luck keep us posted!

brooktrout

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #27 on: July 17, 2014, 03:05:08 PM »
fatcat:  I'm going to check it out today.  Since the gun is "on display" in a public building a cannot see any issue with snapping a few photos but as to taking it down and letting me make more detailed photos and measurements....not sure how that will go.  Probably not!  The owners name is also posted so I'll get it as well as ask if they have his phone number.  The rifle and the hand written note have been there some time.  Not even sure the owner is still alive.  May have been on display and then reverts to county ownership when he dies??

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #28 on: July 21, 2014, 10:54:23 PM »
Hey brooktrout, what happened? The suspense is killing me lol!

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #29 on: July 28, 2014, 07:18:19 PM »
 ;D looks like I'm going to fix it and shoot it.
Uncle Johnny would have liked that, I know I will!!!

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #30 on: July 28, 2014, 07:25:00 PM »
JB weld is great for breechplugs right ?

mike blair

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #31 on: August 05, 2014, 02:15:53 AM »
All I can say is "OH @!*%".I like to see a rifle that makes me break out in a sweat and start to breath heavy.

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #32 on: August 05, 2014, 07:29:35 PM »
Thanks Mike
Wish I could get more pics posted , seems there is considerable interest. I have sent several emails  to those who have requested more info, lets hope they comment on the forum. If anyone has a Sites gun please comment or contact me . Thanks,Rick

Mike the heavy breathing is making me nervous lol!!!
God bless, hope everyone has a great day.

brooktrout

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #33 on: August 06, 2014, 12:14:26 AM »
Hey fatcat!!  Trying to catch this county clerk in his office when I am able to get there has proven quite interesting and informative.  I guess it's typical of elected officials with a large administrative staff who can be gone all the time and have the staff do the work!

I'll try again tomorrow and promise to either get some info OR some photos of the gun on display.

BTW, shooting has occupied a LOT of my time recently.  Shooting AND cleaning, that is.

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #34 on: August 06, 2014, 02:23:38 AM »
Hey brooktrout,
Good to hear from you I was wondering what happened . Looking forward to the pics and info!

brooktrout

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #35 on: August 06, 2014, 06:12:49 PM »
OK fatcat, I got some info.  First, the clerk was really a nice fellow.  Gave me lots of time and said I could take the gun down and check it carefully which I did not do this trip.  I did get a few photos and I'll send them via a PM.  Secondly, I was apparently wrong about the owner of the gun being a descendant of Sites.  I don't know how I came to that conclusion but both I and my wife left that day with the same idea.  I think possibly one of the admin people there may have made that claim but the clerk says he did not think the owner was related to Sites.  Also, the owner was a former county Clerk but has been dead for several years.  He is supposed to have a son somewhere in the area however.  While the gun is "signed" there is no way to make out the barrel markings.  The clerk had a magnifying glass and it did not help.  He says he can barely make it out.  I say that reading the markings as "John Sites" is impossible.  In fact I could not make out a single letter.  One of my club members and an old time resident claimed the gun is a John Painter gun but no way to confirm that either.

The clerk also gave me some info from the internet about Sites.  You may have already seen that as some was from a 2008 meeting in Arrow Rock.  A second article came from a book or article, "Guns Along the Sante Fe Trail".  I'll mail them to you if you give me the address in a PM.  My best to you in your research.  Things are such that I will be ending my participation in the forum as soon as I get the PM message to you and hopefully your address in reply.  There are too many who seem to relish in the "troll roll" with too much and too many opinions offered as facts. 

Offline moseswhite

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #36 on: August 13, 2014, 05:10:09 AM »
I am very interested in SITES rifles and other Missouri guns. I have a few Sites rifles. If you would give me a call , I'd like to discuss this one further with you . Curt Johnson told me about your rifle . Thanks ! I look forward to hearing from you.  573-201-1459.

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #37 on: August 13, 2014, 05:35:03 PM »
@ moseswhite, call curt back. 

fatcat

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #38 on: August 15, 2014, 04:33:17 PM »
Congratulations to the new owner! Rest assured this rifle in in great hands and will be professionally restored.  I am out looking for the next one.
Fatcat

Offline FiremanBrad

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #39 on: July 10, 2017, 08:20:30 PM »
Thumbing thru old threads and found this.
My pard and I interpret the J. Sites gunsmith shop in Arrow Rock! We're not great gun builders, but have fun in our funny clothes!!! 
Come see us in October, and bring a Sites gun for us to see if possible!!!

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #40 on: July 10, 2017, 09:07:39 PM »
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline FiremanBrad

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #41 on: July 11, 2017, 11:30:52 PM »
Did you see this thread http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=31389.0
Dennis

Yes, it's this thread lol!!!

I'd love to have a chance at a J. Sites rifle!!

Offline Molly

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #42 on: July 12, 2017, 12:38:19 AM »
I have learned a great deal about Sites in the past many months.  When I have seen signed J Sites such as the one which is the initial post of this thread was probably made by his son, John Peter Jr.  and in your area.  I think the works took on a very distinctive "plains rifle" look as was probably influenced by the Hawken rifle and other St Louis area works.  But still I think I encountered a more traditional "long rifle" made in MO but for sure there were none I am aware of made in VA that looked like the one pictured above.  I would also love to have a rifle by J. P. Sites, Jr.  Got one made by uncle George, daddy J. P., Sr and would it not be nice to have one by Jr.  Passed up one by cousin William some months ago.  OK rifle but out of my price range.

Overall, I feel they (Sites family) are all under appreciated being overshadowed by the likes of Sheetz, etc. from further up the valley.  As a matter of fact I think there was a Sites family working in Covington, VA in the not too distant past...maybe to 60's and 70's.  His shop was reported to be loaded with family works although this one, so I am told, worked on customizing "modern" bolt action hunting rifles but probably could make anything he wanted to.

Offline FiremanBrad

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Re: John P Sites Arrowrock Mo
« Reply #43 on: July 12, 2017, 10:44:53 PM »
Here's a pic inside the J. Sites shop, that's me filing on a trigger guard!