AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: B Shipman on February 07, 2014, 07:14:05 AM

Title: National Road rifle
Post by: B Shipman on February 07, 2014, 07:14:05 AM
This is a rifle that might have been made in western PA or into Ohio along the National Road, the nations first interstate, about 1830.

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F010afleegerweb.jpg&hash=b5fa974372d15b717d7515f667555143e61780c7) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/010afleegerweb.jpg.html)

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F003afleegerweb.jpg&hash=b1e6918cf9f83e3ccd0cd45c4eb3963fadcc80bf) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/003afleegerweb.jpg.html)

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F002fleegerweb.jpg&hash=d65af32c04fc465204616e07978163682e8fdf9e) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/002fleegerweb.jpg.html)

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F003fleegerweb.jpg&hash=1d6a712a836a351ffb743e41e473d7dfda7b5b2c) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/003fleegerweb.jpg.html)

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F007fleegerweb.jpg&hash=389e026bb069126678f1e1e29de90a2a440b0ba6) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/007fleegerweb.jpg.html)

(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy12%2Fbillshipman%2F009fleegerweb.jpg&hash=68f7e710e3f7d1da828531de9fbe94526e7eb7bb) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/billshipman/media/009fleegerweb.jpg.html)
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: smylee grouch on February 07, 2014, 07:29:45 AM
Wow, again you make  us smile with your tallent. Very nice. Top shelf for sure.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: D. Taylor Sapergia on February 07, 2014, 08:43:47 AM
Holy snappin' arseholes Bill.  What a piece of work!!  Forgive my use of the vernacular...have to blame that on the Jamison's.

Totally beautiful..must look at it again in the morning light.  Great rifle.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Curtis on February 07, 2014, 10:52:11 AM
You really do amazing work Bill.

Curtis
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Gene Carrell on February 07, 2014, 12:36:27 PM
High art at its finest.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: wattlebuster on February 07, 2014, 01:15:05 PM
Beautiful she is 8)
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: KLMoors on February 07, 2014, 01:57:32 PM
Yikes! 
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Rolf on February 07, 2014, 02:02:57 PM
That is awesome!!!! What buttplate, triggerguard and barrel did you use?
Could you tell us a little about th carving on the cheek piece?

Best regards
Rolf
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: oldfox on February 07, 2014, 02:19:34 PM
Wow!   That is truly a work of art!  Beautiful workmanship
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: C Wallingford on February 07, 2014, 02:28:47 PM
Fantastic, Bill.  You do turn out some beautiful work!
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Lucky R A on February 07, 2014, 03:01:43 PM
Hi Bill,
     Sorry I didn't get to talk more at Lewisburg, but good to see you.  That is one of my favorite style of guns.  I see that ole John Fleeger had a bit of influence on that one. 
It seems to get harder and harder to get correct hardware for that school.  You did a really nice job on that one and did great photography of the end project.  I think the Western PA school is one of the least appreciated schools of building out there.  They are beautiful, great handling and a pleasure to shoot.

Ron
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Osprey on February 07, 2014, 03:10:16 PM
Outstanding.  I love to see good gunmakers do the later style guns, they don't get enough attention.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Tom Currie on February 07, 2014, 03:14:53 PM
Bill, Beautiful work as always. That's quite an effort. The patchbox alone's got my head spinning.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Shreckmeister on February 07, 2014, 03:34:37 PM
Now that's a great rifle from the true Golden Age :D  Glad to see Bill pay homage to Western PA...after all
they were just practicing out east to finally get it right out here.  What a great rifle.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: tallbear on February 07, 2014, 03:44:10 PM
Great work as always Bill,you know I'm a fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mitch
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Tim Crosby on February 07, 2014, 03:50:07 PM
 Amazing, Beautiful work.

  Tim C.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: cahil_2 on February 07, 2014, 04:21:30 PM
Beautiful rifle!  Is it legal to shoot a rifle that purty.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Acer Saccharum on February 07, 2014, 04:48:33 PM
The pictures don't do this gun justice. You want to look everything over on this rifle; can't do that here. I saw this baby at Lewisburg, and I am truly impressed by everything on it, everything.

The engraving is just right. It's hand done, and done well. It's just right for a Kentucky.

Bill's inlay work needs to be seen in person. It's flawless to my eye.

Below all the silver and carving is the form of the rifle, and Bill really nailed it.

Thanks, Bill.


by the way, your photography is really good. But I want more!
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Don Getz on February 07, 2014, 04:55:44 PM
Billy.........you have way too much time on your hands.  No good way to describe it.   I was looking at the close up of the
patch box.   I saw one screw in the very front lobe, another near the hinge......could only see these two.   Could not see any
pins or nails, how in the heck did you hold it into the stock?.........Don
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Mike R on February 07, 2014, 05:13:14 PM
as expected from you: flawless!  Very pretty rifle.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Acer Saccharum on February 07, 2014, 05:13:58 PM
Don, those are trade secrets.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Majorjoel on February 07, 2014, 05:17:11 PM
Bill Fleeger Morton Kettering Shipman! Zowie! Fresh out of the Monongabela Valley. I guess it's easier just to call it a "National Road" PB. You sure nailed down another good un Bill.  Very well done!
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Shreckmeister on February 07, 2014, 05:34:41 PM
Am I seeing things or is the silver eagle on the cheek surrounded by a brass ring.
If so, it's so well done it looks like one piece of metal.  Amazing.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: okawbow on February 07, 2014, 05:44:20 PM
I live in Vandalia, IL, the end of the National road. It's only right that "The National Road Rifle" should travel along the National Road to its end, and come to my house ;)
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Mark Elliott on February 07, 2014, 06:56:50 PM
Wow!   A true work of art.   I really wish high resolution photos were available.    I find myself wanting to look this gun over in detail.   I know there is a lot that we can't see in these pics.  I particularly like how the cheek piece flows into the carving and then how the carving moves out of the plane of the area behind the cheek.   
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Maalsral on February 07, 2014, 08:32:46 PM
Absolutely fantastic!!!
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: whitebear on February 07, 2014, 09:15:56 PM
   I saw one screw in the very front lobe, another near the hinge......could only see these two.   Could not see any
pins or nails, how in the heck did you hold it into the stock?.........Don

Don as you said there is a screw in the patchbox finial, one on the comb side of the patchbox head in the edge of the decoration and another in the same position on the toe side of the PB head.  The slot doesn't quite line up with the engraving and the slot is a uniform width.  On the rest of the patchbox I would guess epoxy glue cause I sho don't see no mo screws.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: ken on February 08, 2014, 01:48:29 AM
Amazing work!!!!!!!!!!! makes me ashamed to say I build rifles. Truly and atrist. ken
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: mr. no gold on February 08, 2014, 03:33:45 AM
Yeaaaaah Boy!!! Now we are talking. What a beautiful rifle, flawlessly made. Wow! If I make the trip east, could I come by and maybe we can take it out in the back yard and shoot it? Naw; I just couldn't bring myself to do someting like that. It really belongs under glass, like the piece of art that it is. Thank you for bringing it by.
Dick
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Don Getz on February 08, 2014, 03:52:19 AM
Back to the patchbox.   Knowing Bill I can't imagine he would use some super glue to hold that thing in the stock.   He could
have made some brass pins to hold it in there, they would disappear when dressed down.   He'll keep us in suspense before
he tells us how he did it..........Don
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: tpr-tru on February 08, 2014, 03:56:56 AM
Don, I think Bill has taken your copper staple idea to a new level.     
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Glenn on February 08, 2014, 06:28:55 AM
Absolutely beautiful.  Fine work indeed.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: B Shipman on February 08, 2014, 07:10:14 AM
Don, there's 3 screws. The bottom one is hidden in the glare.  The rest is brass nails dressed down.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: J. Talbert on February 08, 2014, 07:13:32 AM
Simply spectacular!

Jeff
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Vomitus on February 08, 2014, 08:38:40 AM
  Beauty!
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Habu on February 08, 2014, 09:59:12 PM
That's, um. . . . .  I can't find a single point to comment on, because it flows together so well that to describe any point requires discussing the rest of it.  "Beautiful" doesn't seem adequate. 

Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Eric Kettenburg on February 08, 2014, 10:22:28 PM
Wow!  I have to emerge from hibernation just to comment on that - the work is absolutely impeccable!  Truly stunning rifle.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: horseman on February 09, 2014, 04:15:58 AM
 What a beauty!!  Just outstanding!   
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Dphariss on February 09, 2014, 05:42:26 AM
Very Nice indeed. Love the Eagle.

Dan
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: B Shipman on February 09, 2014, 07:57:22 AM
Rolf, the carving is basically from an Ohio National Road rifle by James Clark. Muzzle blasts and the KRA both featured this rifle a few years ago.  On the Clark rifle the behind the cheek piece is done in silver inlay and I basically did it in raised carving. The butt plate, highly modified, is also taken from this rifle. Lots of stuff is taken from Fleeger, one of my favorites, but this rifle is BIG for a Fleeger because it's .50 cal.
Shrechmeister, Silver-brass inlay is actually easy.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: gumboman on February 09, 2014, 02:35:51 PM
Beautiful work of art. And I know it is also a precision shooting instrument.

Would love to know which trigger guard is installed. I have a set of Davis Golden Age Triggers for which I cannot find a guard with a bow long enough suitable for a Lancaster style rifle. The one on your rifle looks like it would work.
Title: Re: National Road rifle
Post by: Ed Wenger on February 09, 2014, 05:35:02 PM
Superb, as usual!  Excellent rifle, thanks for posting!


     Ed