This rifle is stamped R B Gillespie on the lock plate (see photos) which is different from the other two R B Gillespie rifles that I have found. The other two are stamped on the barrel with block print very much like what this one has.
John Gillespie my GGG GF (VA/SC/NC gunmaker) had a brother named Thomas, Thomas fought at Kings Mountain as part of the Washington County VA Milita. His commanding officer was Rees Bowen of Maiden Spring, Tazewell County VA. Rees was killed at Kings Mountain and the family story goes that Thomas Gillespie brought Rees's boots back to Rees's wife and while there met Margaret, Rees's daughter. They were later married and lived near Maiden Spring. They named one of their sons Rees Bowen Gillespie after Margaret's father (the one killed at Kings Mountain). I have bits and pieces of information that indicates Thomas Gillespie was a trained blacksmith and gun maker but I have nothing to indicate that his son R. B. Gillespie (evidently he went by his initials) was a gun maker. Then three rifles pop up with R. B. Gillespie stamped on the barrels. No provenance for any of the three rifles.
I would like good estimates on when the rifle shown below most likely was made so I can compare to the R. B. Gillespie that I believe him to be.
Since this one has the name on the lock instead of the barrel do you think he may have made the lock as well as the rifle?
What about the breech? I am not familiar with these type breech's but this one looks different that most I have seen, possibly made by the same man that built the rifle?
Any other comments that might help me place the general area that this rifle may have originated?
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