AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: Ezra on August 07, 2019, 11:43:50 PM
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I am interested in finding out if we have credible examples of Virginia/Pennsylvania schools of rifles during the approximate period of 1740-1780 that used steel hardware versus brass. As an example, I have never seen a Lancaster or York school rifle with steel hardware. Would either be historically credible with steel hardware? And I'm not just talking about a one off, was it done, but just not to the extent of brass? How about the firearms of New England? Was brass just that much more common, available and less expensive to produce?
Ez
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http://ehcnc.org/decorative-arts/historic-trades/the-kentucky-rifle/ Down around Figure 42 - 49. These might be in the ballpark of what you are looking for? Though this might be a couple years later than your timeperiod? I don't have references with me to try to look it up.
Gerald
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Also a bit too late: https://mesda.org/item/collections/long-rifle/1156/
Gerald
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Hi EZ,
Steel and iron furniture are very rare or non existent on colonial long rifles and for good reason. Any steel (a very rare alloy metal in the 18th century and worth as much as silver) or iron hardware had to be forged, which would probably be an expensive "one-off" process in rural gun shops. Brass can be cast, so hardware can be duplicated over and over much more cheaply. Folks that like iron mounted guns have tried over and over to rationalize their preference with respect to pre-Rev War and Rev War long rifles. Their rationalizations are always data free. French and British guns often used iron (not steel except on high-end civilian guns) but the industry was supported by skilled iron workers that did nothing else unlike rural Pennsylvanian and New England gun shops. Many New England gunsmiths benefited from the cache of captured French guns taken from Fortress Louisburg in 1745. That included iron and brass fittings. Usually the only iron hardware on 18th century NE guns was taken from the French or imported from England. Home made hardware was brass.
dave
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I’ve heard tell of a Pennsylvania rifle in the 1770s range with iron mounts. Wallace Gusler had several articles about iron mounted Virginia rifles from the Revolutionary War forward. Look up “Tileston rifle” here or elsewhere.
Brass can be cast and finished in far less time than iron can be forged and finished.
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I’ve heard tell of a Pennsylvania rifle in the 1770s range with iron mounts. Wallace Gusler had several articles about iron mounted Virginia rifles from the Revolutionary War forward. Look up “Tileston rifle” here or elsewhere.
Brass can be cast and finished in far less time than iron can be forged and finished.
I believe the "Tileston rifle' to be post 1790, possibly post 1800 and a "one off" example. Stick to brass if historical accuracy means anything to you....of course , before I get clobbered, there are always rare exceptions..... ::)
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The Tileston rifle is dated 1773 or 4 I don't remember. It's thought to have been made in the Boston area too if my memory is correct.
They were using iron in Virginia by the Rev war. How often is debatable but there are written accounts of them so that could mean they were not often seen.
I don't think making iron butt plates or trigger guards would take any longer to make than brass hardware. Blacksmiths were quite common and knew how to make anything iron.
All that said,brass was much more prevalent than iron on rifles. Just look at how many old rifles that survived used brass and how many used iron for mounts.
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Hi EZ,
Steel and iron furniture are very rare or non existent on colonial long rifles and for good reason. Any steel (a very rare alloy metal in the 18th century and worth as much as silver) or iron hardware had to be forged, which would probably be an expensive "one-off" process in rural gun shops. Brass can be cast, so hardware can be duplicated over and over much more cheaply. Folks that like iron mounted guns have tried over and over to rationalize their preference with respect to pre-Rev War and Rev War long rifles. Their rationalizations are always data free. French and British guns often used iron (not steel except on high-end civilian guns) but the industry was supported by skilled iron workers that did nothing else unlike rural Pennsylvanian and New England gun shops. Many New England gunsmiths benefited from the cache of captured French guns taken from Fortress Louisburg in 1745. That included iron and brass fittings. Usually the only iron hardware on 18th century NE guns was taken from the French or imported from England. Home made hardware was brass.
dave
Dave,
That pretty much answers all my questions. Thank you.
Ez
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If anyone wants to understand how labor intensive it is to forge iron buttplates and guards they should commission someone to make them a forged and finished set. Depending on who and how elaborate that can run $150 to $500.