AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: cshirsch on March 13, 2019, 07:48:47 PM
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A good friend and fellow collector/restorer let me adopt this wonderful rifle. It is in as-found, 'in the black' condition. It's attributed to Jacob Deemer, North Hampton County. I believe Deemer apprenticed under Nicholas Hawk. The lock was replaced when converted to percussion. The toe is broken but the original wood is still in place.
(https://i.ibb.co/6BYYH9k/a.png) (https://ibb.co/tXBBqj9)
(https://i.ibb.co/CmXmwx5/b.png) (https://ibb.co/xXcX2VS)
(https://i.ibb.co/y6cWZbY/c.png) (https://ibb.co/pfBJM9R)
(https://i.ibb.co/GvRtXY3/d.png) (https://ibb.co/7JKRHMN)
(https://i.ibb.co/CB2kT7s/e.png) (https://ibb.co/tBX7WsP)
(https://i.ibb.co/zrGG7KZ/f.png) (https://ibb.co/rm44cnH)
(https://i.ibb.co/3mzZd4f/g.png) (https://ibb.co/d4gYMjb)
(https://i.ibb.co/x3TK5dm/h.png) (https://ibb.co/wYmZ6jJ)
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I love the Deemer trigger. I'm going to make a mold from this and have them cast.
(https://i.ibb.co/zrGG7KZ/f.png) (https://ibb.co/rm44cnH)
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That’s a wonderful rifle Chris
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Plain and perty!
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The architecture is very nice on this rifle Chris, and it couldn’t have found a better home. 😊
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The architecture is very nice on this rifle Chris, and it couldn’t have found a better home. 😊
:-) Thanks I started the mold for the trigger today. I really like that trigger! I should have the castings in a month or so.
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Chris, Nice rifle. I'm happy for you.
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Nice rifle!
I heard that Deemer worked for, or around Hawk as well. And don't doubt it.
Lot's of little Hawk details in his work.
Congratulations!
John
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That's a very attractive gun, very pleasing in profile.
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What an elegant rifle! That's beauty right there. What are your plans for it, Chris?
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Chris, I'm sure you checked out this JD rifle in the Bruce Miller Library here on the ALR. It was once in my stable of long rifles. It is of my opinion that those mysterious "JD" signed rifle's were made by Jacob Deemer. Notice the trigger on the museum rifle. Looks familiar! http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=28542.0
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There's a guy who displays Deemer rifles at the KRA every year. I think he's a descendant, but can't recall his name. He would be a good source of more info because he
researches them. It would be great if you could bring it to KRA this year and visit.
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Chris, I'm sure you checked out this JD rifle in the Bruce Miller Library here on the ALR. It was once in my stable of long rifles. It is of my opinion that those mysterious "JD" signed rifle's were made by Jacob Deemer. Notice the trigger on the museum rifle. Looks familiar! http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=28542.0
Oh yes, I saw that. Exact same trigger and other parts are the same, also.
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Classy little rifle, Chris. Thanks for posting.
Bob
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Very nice rifle. Thanks for sharing.
Kevin
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There's a guy who displays Deemer rifles at the KRA every year. I think he's a descendant, but can't recall his name. He would be a good source of more info because he
researches them. It would be great if you could bring it to KRA this year and visit.
I would love to get in touch with him.
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Chris, here is a 2 page post I started back in June of 2013. It gives a lot of insight and also gives 2 KRA members names who were knowledgeable about Jacob Deemer. http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=27080.0
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The Easfetn Section The Eastern section of the Northampton County school of gunsmithing consists of the early townships of Forks, Plain- field and Mount Bethel. Major gunsmiths active in this area were John Schneider, Jacob Deemer, Nicholas Hawk and the Young gunsmithing family of Easton, Pennsylvania. Rifles of this section were generally manufactured during the later period, after 1800, and exhibited very few of the school's traditional characteristics. Sideplates tended to end in a blunted point quickly evolv- ing into a shape ending with a small circle not unlike that com- mon to the Bucks County school of gunsmithing. Wrists became more high than wide. Brass wearplates, which sometimes endeda long both sides of the triggeqgmd, were popular. Nicholas Hawk, active in the 18205, was a talented gunsmith who worked in Gilbert, Pennsylvania, in the artreme Northeastem area of the school, in what later became Monroe County. He normally signed his barrels and had a strong preference for over-and-under swivel rifles. His work was well executed and profusely engraved. Remaining examples are well documented in existing publications. The rifles of Jacob Deemer often had a JD engraved in the thumb piece inlay. Their sideplates usually ended in a blunt point, and their stocks were slimmer and more streamlined. Patchboxes on Deemer rifles followed the style of Nicholas Hawk but never displayed the traditional fine Hawk engrav- ing. Though often confused with Hawk rifles, close examina- tion shows the JD rifles were plainer and of lower quality than those of Hawk
This article by a KRA member had images of a Jacob Deemer (by Whisker) attached
Kevin
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That is a beautiful rifle. What caliber is it?
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That is a beautiful rifle. What caliber is it?
It's .50ish and it's a smooth bore. It appears to have originally been made that way.
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Preety sure it's a Deemer as well. The rear pipe is exactly like a Hawk I have.
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Look at the rear sight. Is it bending up in the dovetails?
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Look at the rear sight. Is it bending up in the dovetails?
Wonder if someone was trying to raise the point of impact a bit? Doesn't look like there's much leeway to file that front sight down any lower. Really nice rifle!
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Sights will do that if they don't fit the dovetail. Might be a replacement someone drove in.
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I like the snake incised carving at the end of the fore end molding.