Comments:
This appears to be a very nice attic/closet piece from Joseph Long and is typical for his work. As such it has great potential for the Library. Long never made a 'bad' gun and most seem to have been much like this one. The silver inlays accentuate the nice maple stock, and are common to the school. The 'wear patterns' and tarnish on the gun are simply great, and indicate the lack of any latter day cleaning, or refinishing. The patchbox is almost a trademark of his. Let this one go forward.
This Joseph Long rifle is a great example of his work. It has all of Long's most frequently used details including his stock profile, cheek inlay, forestock inlays, wear plate in the grip area...and most importantly his "standard" patchbox. The gun is the epitome of his work, and its untouched, "attic" condition provides one of the best possible examples of Joe Long's work for the Library. It cannot be overstressed how valuable it is educationally to find a rifle that has not been "improved" by a prior owner or restorer. Here there are no questions about Joe Long's work; we see a totally original rifle with no significant damage or modifications, just the normal scratches, dents and expected wear from a long and useful life...and a good signature that puts icing on the cake. This is a great candidate for the Library.
