AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: JTR on May 21, 2009, 06:33:48 AM
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Wish it was mine, but alas, I'm posting this beauty for a friend.
I think this is the first time this rifle has been shown in pictures anyplace, so hopefully you'll enjoy seeing it as much as I have!
Very nicely signed HR on the barrel.
The rifle is 59 1/2" long and the barrel is 43 1/4" long.
The breech is 1 1/32 across, tapering to 7/8, then flaring out to 1" at the muzzle. About 50 cal.
The lock is 5" long and 13/16" tall.
The length of pull is 14 1/4", the wrist 1 1/4" high by 1 3/8" wide. Drop at the heel is 4 1/2", and the buttplate is 4 5/16" high by 1 1/2" wide.
Nicely carved and engraved, with carved 'sideplates' for the two piece patchbox.
John
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0024.jpg&hash=f3060b5fbde8fcb0c66f0aec417670785629fd5a)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0004.jpg&hash=4c601f43c112a25917d3b7e51448e0ddb0b6eb09)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0003.jpg&hash=81e321b2e7f756cfcd1ed9fb39bfce6f46ddc9c8)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0002.jpg&hash=7eb2b7305ca47c85615bd4b5db31b439a4d56350)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0005.jpg&hash=5d37cfbc85a6872c02a9dc0cb28a3aa81a7d3c81)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0006.jpg&hash=bcdcbd2fd7646146b168df6613756c0416334d69)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2F01.jpg&hash=58f0d4d592905ad3937d25f43b9044f099b037e4)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0018.jpg&hash=3f3e058eff5532b726e42216cbafd5c337f4ede9)
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(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0030.jpg&hash=924b516371437985447b484aa6c0b53ee2670e0d)
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John, thanks so much for posting these images of a truly fine rifle. To my poor eye and limited experience, it looks like something from John Rupp rather than Herman, though I sure don't see a J in the initials. In any event, it is wonderful to view a previously unpublished rifle.
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Thank you John for posting these pictures of a very fine Rupp! I really like the carved panels around the PB lid. Very unusual and attractive. I just might have to try this on a future build. These recent Lehigh photos that you and Taylor have shared has truly ignighted my passion for this important school.
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John....wow, what a super gun. I copied a Herman Rupp on my first rifle build....I must admit, it's not quite this good.
Taylor, check out the amount of drop in the butt, as compared to the Kuntz rifle pictured earlier. I think you could shoot
this gun. After looking at the barrel dimensions, this has to be a rather heavy gun, but typical of what was being done
in that period. Not too bad a gun, for a lehigh, ha. Don
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what a great rupp rifle...thanks for sharing.....i am still waiting on my barrel and have to get a few other parts before i start my build...so these pics are going into my files ......
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Thanks John. Great looking rifle. I,d love to hold it up. Looks comfortable to shoot and worth copying.
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Beautiful! I've seen another rifle very similar, almost thought it was the same piece but the cheek inlays differ and the cheek carving here is a little simpler. Personally I do not think these are Herman Rupp and in fact the initials shown here look an awful lot like AR to me. Interesting, in that Herman had a cousin or brother who lived in Macungie near until @ 1790-1800 at which point he moved up to Weisenberg Twp., this guy being named Andrew Rupp. He applied for a Rev War pension in 1840, age given as 82 meaning birth date of 1758. Have no idea if he was a gunsmith or not - have not yet seen any evidence to that effect.
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Looks more like "J R" to me, though with all the added flourishes, it can be hard to decipher.
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What a beautiful rifle! Makes me want to throw rocks at the things I have managed to get ahold of over the years. Shows what someone with a good plan and some bucks can accomplish, I guess. Add a dash of luck and it becomes an unbeatable combination.
Thanks for puting the rifle up there where we can see it, JTR. It is a fine, fine piece.
Dick
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Great gun, really worthwhile to post. Good job JTR. These are far and few between. Nice to see guns that have not been published in a book before.
Signature looks to me like JR or AR. I really have to use my imagination to see an H.
Don't know who is right.
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Fabulous rifle. Wow. Whoever made it. My impression would be John Rupp, not seeing a signature. I think The AR that Eric suggestes should be given real credence.
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John, Thank your friend for us all , and thanks for taking time to post these pics. I do have a question on these Lehighs , on the lower forestock is the brass plate covering the bottom from the entry pipe to the trigger original work ? I have seen this several times on Lehighs and am suspecting that with the extreme thinness of the stock that maybe there just isnt enough wood under the ramrod hole to make that area durable enough..hence the brass plate. Any thoughts from them more informed than myself. ?
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This gun is shown in Shumway's "Pennsylvania Longrifles of Note" and is my favorite gun in that small booklet. Mr. Shumway attributes this gun to Jacob Kuntz! It's great to see some more pictures of this fine rifle, thanks for posting.
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John...Thanks for the post. I have never seen a John Rupp with that style trigger guard and butt plate .The extensions on the ones I've seen were always cut down into the wood not setting on top like this rifle. The top of the plates have a lot of taper from back to front. They are also thicker.This gives the side of the butt a slightly rounder look. The guards are also completely different.They are wider and have a completely different side profile and the front of the bow has a small lobe or protrusion. Unless one has appeared in the last few years, there is not a proper replacement guard on the market for the younger John Rupp. As to the maker, I would agree with the other post, this could be AH . Fancy Letters are hard to read. Having never seen an Andrew I can't comment. But I certainly don't think it is John. Good discussion . Louie Parker
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Ooops, sorry for the never pictured before claim. That was my fault. He and I were discussing a couple of rifles, and it's the other one that has never been shown before. My apologies there.
So now this gun is a bit of a puzzle; being either a Herman Rupp, or John Rupp, or Andrew Rupp, or Jacob Kuntz.
I looked at a Jacob Kuntz 'J K' barrel signature I have a picture of, and it doesn't look like this guns signature.
I haven't found a John Rupp signature yet, but I just don't see the first letter as being a J.
And according to Eric, Andrew hasn't been shown to be a gun maker so there is nothing to compare his work to this one. However I do agree the letters look like AR. It would be nice if this rifle could be the first one know by him.
And I haven't found a Herman Rupp H R barel signature yet.
So who can post some pictures of Hermans signature, Johns signature, or even Jacob Kuntz signature. Or even the unknown Andrew sig!
Given all the knowledge here, if we can put our collective heads together this should be easy to solve.
No matter the maker, I really like this rifle!
John
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Wow!!!!!!!! Nice.
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The more I look at it, the more it looks like "J K". Especially considering the way the Germans wrote the letter "K".
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Chris, you're absolutely correct. The rifle is by Jacob Kuntz. I thought it looked familiar. It is pictured on pages 8 and 9 of "Pennsylvania Longrifles of Note by Geo. Shumway. I really like the rifle, and these extra pictures are super reference stuff.
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So Taylor, not withstanding what Shumway says about the gun, do you see the barrel initials as JK ?
Here they are again, so you don't have to click back to page 1.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0024.jpg&hash=f3060b5fbde8fcb0c66f0aec417670785629fd5a)
John
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Great observation JTR! I have a photo of Jacob Kuntz initials cut into the top flat of a barrel, and they don't look like the one above at all. I say it's AR, and agree with Eric. I will make another observation about the rifle though. I see Jacob Kuntz influence in this rifle, and in some of the rifles that John Rupp has signed, and co-signed with Jabob Kuntz.
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Here are the letters as I see them, with the extra fru-fru removed.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv326%2FFatdutchman%2FJK1.jpg&hash=cf551d7c4acff8cd2e7ddbd7a03cd6be187bad40)
Now, first off, let me get my apologies out of the way for this picture. I drew these rather quickly. I am out of practice, and I used a pen nib that was too small for the size letters I was doing, but it was the one I grabbed first. Also, these are the three hardest letters for me to draw. Notebook paper also bleeds pretty badly.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv326%2FFatdutchman%2FJK2.jpg&hash=3fea7dca736eb934af6024c4284ab82f2af189c0)
These are the German print letters "J, K, and R".
The initials on the barrel surprise me, actually, as they are probably the ONLY examples I have seen of anything close to "proper" German Frakturschriften on a gun prior to the mid 19th century (which in itself surprises me).
The German Fraktur "A" looks nothing like "A", but more like a large lower case "a". I'll come up with a Fraktur "A" and a German script "A", along with a script J, K, and R.
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Chriss, I can see where you're going with the K and R,,, But the first letter on the barrel has two inclined vertical lines, so I don't see how it equates to a J ?
Taylor, Can you post that picture, please?
John
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Better yet, here are some ready-made examples
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mun.ca%2Frels%2Fmorav%2Fgifs%2Fmscript2.gif&hash=86afbb55ad36f19e0eb100ae29e8bec9eaee67fb)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tr62.de%2Fscript%2Fpic%2Fletter12.gif&hash=ee8e9bc9a3e32b7d3815b7dcd1f8c44abb45e22a)
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kobie/script.htm
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Chriss, I can see where you're going with the K and R,,, But the first letter on the barrel has two inclined vertical lines, so I don't see how it equates to a J ?
John
There's an extra vertical line in the second letter too, which doesn't really belong in any letter, "K, R, H" or anything else, in either language.
There's some extra bits in the upper loop of the second letter that I can't make out clearly enough. If it goes the way I think it goes, it's definitely a "K", otherwise, it looks more like an "H", but a last initial of "H" doesn't go with any gunsmith I know of...
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Taylor is right. I just went downstairs and got my Shumway "Longrifles of Note", which, by the way was my first book
that I bought dealing with the Kentucky rifle. On page 12 & 13 this same rifle is shown. In the text describing the gun
George states "the barrel is signed with two ornate initials, J. K., but there can be do doubt that Kuntz was the maker".
Despite my stated dislike for Lehigh rifles, I must admit I have looked at this gun and thought about building it many times. It's a great gun.................Don
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Not to muddy things too much, but despite whatever the initials may be (I personally am sticking with AR), I've gone through some of my mountains of NH/Lehigh Co. papers and here's some interesting info: Andrew Rupp and Herman Rupp were brothers, Herman being the elder by 2 years. Both sons of George Rupp Sr. of Macungie. They both took the oath of allegiance together in 1779 on Nov. 1. Both were taxed in Macungie through the 1780s however at some point 1790-1800 Andrew moved up to Weisenberg Twp. He was married to Ann Mary/Maria Hoffman, daughter of George Hoffman of Whitehall Twp. Want to guess the name of one of Andrew's sons? (Drum roll please) Yes that's right, John Rupp. The same John Rupp who was the gunsmith (younger John Rupp). :o
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Great information Eric, and thanks for taking the time to dig it up!
Tantalizing, to say the least.
Andrew, with gunsmith brother Herman on one end, then with gunsmith son John on the other.
But no documentation of Andrew being in the business, but here's a rifle with what looks like AR on the barrel!
I'm sure the owner is probably reading this, and I think it's time to search out the barrel signatures of Herman, John, and also Jacob Kuntz to see if there are any similarities to the gun here.
Like I said earlier, I have a pic of a Jacob Kuntz barrel JK, but don't have permission to post it,,, but it doesn't look like this sig.
And could it be that ol' Getz is slowly coming around to the wonders of Lehigh?!
John
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KRA Research Bulletin #14 by Sam Dyke 1968 mentions two John Rupp's. One a brother of Herman Rupp and listed as a “Smid” in tax roles for a few years but not shown as a gunsmith. Then the other John son of Andrew Rupp who also was a brother of Herman Rupp.
This John Rupp (born 1786 – died 1848) Mr. Dyke felt he was the prolific gunsmith who made guns marked “John Rupp” from 1812 to 1848. He was shown to pay taxes during these years in Weisenberg Township as a gunsmith.
Could the barrel initials could be JAR. Could this John have his fathers name as a middle name?
Thank you JTR for making this gorgeous rifle available! Respectfully, tim
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My opinion's not worth much, but I'm with Stoph. I can see the german script J K
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I will make a phone call to try to get permission to post an initial signature of JK. Give me twelve hours.
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Always consider the Jacob Kuntz and John Rupp were connected, as Kuntz likely made engraved mounts for Rupp. Why not then an Andrew Kuntz. Great discusion.
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Shumway owned this rifle at one time , I think in the sixties. It was at a KRA meeting I think in the eighties and not everyone agreed his with take on the bbl mark either. The patch box release on this rifle is different to what I have seen on either john Or herman .Sometimes Kuntz used that same release as J&H .But i certainly have not seen them all . Can' remember about about the release the two top kuntz rifles. Louie Parker
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Here's Jacob Kuntz initials on one of his great rifles. I've seen his signature on other photos, and it seems being the artist he was, he was adventurous with his stylized lettering.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy58%2FDTaylorSapergia%2FJacob%2520Kuntz%2FDSCN2355.jpg&hash=0ae20c3a93aa70f9385adff50accedd4bdfd3a6c)
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(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi169.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu227%2Farljtr%2FPICT0024.jpg&hash=f3060b5fbde8fcb0c66f0aec417670785629fd5a)
Many thanks Taylor, and here's the Rupp for comparison again.
Tom Currie,
The foearm plate and rear ramrod pipe are one piece on this rifle.
I'd guess as you do, that it's because of the thin wood under there, for some added protection.
But maybe because it's another area to decorate too, as some of these under forearm plates are pretty elaborate.
John
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Larger, less exposure and a bit of contrast. tim
(http://)(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi270.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj85%2Ftfmahony%2FPICT0024.jpg&hash=38dc98db6aa839a175190c6c02772af8450e156c)
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I still can't get past the second vertical line on the first initial to justify it as a J , thats the sticking point for me. My 2 bits. Excellent discussion.
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I just don't see any basic similiarity between the two signatures. While there might be a few details that are similar, that's about it.
Also looking at pics of Hermans engraving and Kuntz engraving, shows some similarities, but not much, so I don't think Kuntz made the gun.
But the pictures of Herman Rupp engraving I've looked at doesn't look like the engraving on this gun enough to say that he actully made it either...
Still looking for a Herman Rupp signature.
John
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It would be interesting to see a Herman Rupp signature, however I don't see how it would really matter; these letters (which I still think are AR - had to throw that in there!) are stylized "bookplate" initials and I would bet that they were not a typical part of the maker's 'everyday' signature. They look like that from which they were copied! BTW, the other rifle which is definitely by the same hand as this guy is pictured in KY rifles and pistols 1750-1850 in the Lehigh section in one of the small overall views (attributed to Herman Rupp of course, hence this attribution most likely) and also it there is a pic or two of it in Rob Gabel's Lehigh whitepaper. It really does not look like Herman's hand.
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I still can't get past the second vertical line on the first initial to justify it as a J , thats the sticking point for me. My 2 bits. Excellent discussion.
What about the second identical vertical line in the last letter?
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I think I'm with Eric on the letters; AR.
I can't explain the vertical line in the second letter, but it seems to more of a part of the R. Whereas the second vertical line in the first letter just doesn't look to be part of a J, at least to me.
I guess another way to go about this, and what I've been doing a little bit, is to forget the initials, and just compare the carving and other engraving details to know Kuntz and Herman and John Rupp rifles, and look for similarities, like little floop-de-dos, the way leaves or scrolls are cut, etc. Just like you would do to try to attribute an unsigned gun to a probable maker.
As Eric also points out, the guys usually signed there name (initials) the way they learned or copied from another source. And from what I've seen, for the most part, they signed it the same way from gun to gun. That's my reason for looking for an initialed Herman signature.
This gun has been around for a long time, and according to what Louie Parker wrote, seems to have been a Herman since 1960s. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but it's fun speculating!
John
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I think I'm with Eric on the letters; AR.
I can't explain the vertical line in the second letter, but it seems to more of a part of the R. Whereas the second vertical line in the first letter just doesn't look to be part of a J, at least to me.
John
That's the whole point. The lines aren't part of anything.
;)
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Okay, a question about the rifle - is it possible that the lock in the rifle is not the original? Obviously, it's an old lock, but the tail of the lock sits so far back on the panel it makes me wonder. Has anybody had the lock out to check?
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I think that the wood is just worn around the lock.
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I think that is another characteristic of this maker, whoever he is; if you look at the admittedly scant pictures of the 'other' one by the same guy, the lock panels are designed in the same fashion - long nose at the front, very close to the edges of the lockplate from the breech back.
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It appears to me that the two vertical lines of the A have been engraved over something else. If you look closely, you can see things that don't quite match up with them and appear older. Or is it just the light playing tricks.
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I being of sound mind and @!*% little knowledge of the old makers and their initials I will add that at first look and no bias it sure looks like A R to me!
Worth little if anything of course!
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Stoph, Based on your letter sheet, I get your point about JK if the vertical's don't mean anything. Any idea what they are there for ? guidelines ? gotta be some reason they are there.
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I don't know. Same as the little extra swirly things and the little "tick marks"... Just for embellishment.
:-\
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Just to try to add a little more food for thought, particularly about lock panel architecture of Kuntz rifles, I'm offering a few more pictures. These two rifles are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, and the photos themselves were taken by our own Acer Sack o' Rum (Tom Curran) on the occasion of his and Eric Von Aschwege's visit there to study them. They will demonstrate the similarity between the subject rifle and these two of known provenance, though that may not lead to any conclusions, of course. Also, here's another Jacob Kuntz signature. The "T" in Kuntz has been added later by someone who didn't want there to be any mistake about the rifles creator. But you will be able to see some similarities in this signature, and the initials that I posted. If it means anything, my rifle signature now bears little resemblance to that on rifles many score previous.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy58%2FDTaylorSapergia%2FJacob%2520Kuntz%2FPicture2.png&hash=cbd5d2a1d4ce158a5adb5e66c848f55252f7a238)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy58%2FDTaylorSapergia%2FJacob%2520Kuntz%2FPicture4.png&hash=d5060fe4bcc640cfea526a9c45dcea1d181836a3)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy58%2FDTaylorSapergia%2FJacob%2520Kuntz%2FPicture5.png&hash=9ca0ead5c2997e0f49e84ae79db9656cf965eda7)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy58%2FDTaylorSapergia%2FJacob%2520Kuntz%2FPicture3-1.png&hash=15cdfdd1e31e954692e606e563f07a046db7cd41)
I might add, that these two rifles are pictured together in Steel Canvas, and the rifle in the fourth shot is also in the KRA's Collection of Articles book. These two rifles played a huge part in the creation of my own version of a Kuntz rifle. I wish to personally and publicly thank Tom, Eric, and the MET for their valuable contribution.
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Taylor, I am not sure if that 'T' is added later by someone else. I have seen a couple of other sign's that look the same...
Aye, Sir, Sac 'O' rum
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There are a lot of good points being made about the style of engraving being influenced by the German alphabet, by personal flair, and by "that's more or less kinda' the way I think I was taught." I sat back and read all these replies, keeping a lid on an initial impression of mine. Both of the initials incorporate a straight vertical line and a flowing line falling off to the left. It is almost as if the engraver's style was to incorporate both of these lines anywhere there was a vertical component to the letter. It could be part of a J, a K, an R, and so forth. That may muddy the water, but perhaps someone else can run with it better than me. All that said, I like the idea of either a JR or AR.
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Tom, I think I might have read that somewhere, that Kuntz signed his name in different spellings, and that someone added the "T". But now that I have really looked at it, I agree with you. The finishing line of the "n" flows into the "t" - it would not flow into the "z" if the "t" were not there. So the "t" is not a later add-on. He did cramp his last two letters though...sucks to be mortal, don't it!!
Regarding the rifle, I think that the carving style, design and execution all point to the hand of Jacob Kuntz. I think that John Rupp was very tight with him, and that John had engraving and perhaps carving done on his rifles, by Jacob. This may be one such rifle. On the other hand, John Rupp may have been so impressed by Jacob's work, that he carefully did his in the same fashion. Who could ever stoop so low! I, for one.
It's all interesting,eh?
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this would all be alot easier if they where still alive and we could just ask them :D
Broke
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In German print "tz" are put together in one letter. Though this is not German style print, it would seem he kept the principle. I don't think the "t" was a later addition.
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Thanks Chris...solid info.
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I can't really see an end to this....I don't think we can tell exactly what letters are depicted here. There are just so many
added-on lines in the signature, it is difficult to say exactly what letters they are. I can see a "J" in the first letter, until
you add on that vertical line, then it could be an " A", but, what is that added on blob to that vertical line? Is that part
of something else? The second letter looks like an "R"...in order to make it a "K", you would have to include part of that
extra swirls off to the right, and I don't think they were meant to be part of the signature. If we could identify the gun as
tho it were unsigned, we might be able to unscramble it..............Don
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I couldn't agree with you more Don, it sort of reminds me of several pictured rifles in the Kentucky Rifles and Pistols book. It gives the signature name on the barrel and then states it as maker unknown?? If you treat this rifle as a maker unknown, you are more apt to look at the individual details in a different light. Perhaps getting a closer ID.............or JK.....or HR......or AR. I cannot immagine what folks 200 years from now will make of our chicken scratch lingo. Enjoying the ALR and my KFC with the TV blabbing in the background.
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In an old MuzzleBlasts article, Shumway attributed this rifle to Jacob Kuntz.
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The only problem with the old attributions (late 60s through 1980s) is that during that period anything that remotely looked like this was being attributed to John Rupp or Jacob Kuntz with no real room for any other possibilities. Perhaps it was made by one of these guys - I'm certainly not dismissing old attributions as many were quite thoughtful and valid - however in my own mind I'd like to keep the possibilities open and think further on "AR."
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Digging back into the archives by way of Google, I found this thread. I am adding some photos of
my "Rupp-Style" smoothrifle for some preliminary comparisons to the photos in the thread.
Mainly interested in the lockplate size and shape. Disregard the frizzen, pan and cock. They are modern parts from Stan Hollenbaugh that I used to re-convert.
The lockplate is identical in size and shape. Were any photos taken of the "Herman Rupp toe plate?
The plate is missing from mine but the outline of its shape seems unique to me.
The front of the toe plate is cut in a reverse manner compared to what is usually encountered.
Hoping that it may help in identifying my petite "Rupp-Style" smooth rifle. Emphasis on "Style". Never intended to infer Rupp without further verification. Here is a link to 3 photos that show the lockplate area and missing toe plate area of my petite smooth rifle.
http://www.neconos.com/detailsruppstyle.htm
A link to more photos, if you care to see more.
http://www.neconos.com/detailssmooth.htm
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Very nice. We can all agree on that. This is a fine example of craftsmanship. Whoever made it was having a great time as all the lines are flowing fluently!
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J first saw this rifle at the Decatur Ill. Kentucky rifle show in 1986. It is the one that sent me on the road to collecting Lehigh guns. The owner was kind enough to let me pick it up and look. It started a long lasting friend ship with him and other collectors. What a fine, fine rifle. By the way I seill think of it as a Herman Rupp.... JIM