AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: Avlrc on November 20, 2020, 09:10:06 PM

Title: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: Avlrc on November 20, 2020, 09:10:06 PM

Browsing Poulin's upcoming auction , found this great old article.  I thought I had read every article ever written on West Virginia gunsmiths.   Was pleased to find  one I had not seen before.  I for one am grateful for all the work James Whisker has done on publishing info on our early gunsmiths.


https://www.poulinauctions.com/december2020/01-17781.pdf

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: JTR on November 20, 2020, 11:05:54 PM

I agree on Dr. Whiskers' work!
And I'm happy to say that I was able to have a number of my guns in his many pages. And I'm sure that quite a few guys here added many guns as well.

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: onthehillbill on November 20, 2020, 11:41:48 PM

Avlrc and JTR, I agree with your statement on Dr. Jim Whisker!!

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: homerifle on November 21, 2020, 02:00:26 AM

I agree as well. I appreciate all the effort he has put into his research and the books that have been published.

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: VP on November 21, 2020, 03:05:10 AM

Thanks for posting this, hadn't seen this article before. Would love to have that Martin Sheetz rifle shown.

VP

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: Avlrc on November 21, 2020, 03:50:20 AM

Quote from: VP on November 21, 2020, 03:05:10 AM

Thanks for posting this, hadn't seen this article before. Would love to have that Martin Sheetz rifle shown.

VP

They were a couple rifles in that article , I had not seen. 

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: Shreckmeister on November 21, 2020, 04:42:39 AM

Another thank you to Dr. Whisker. He advanced research into this field of interest like no one else and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: flinchrocket on November 21, 2020, 05:53:26 AM

Quote from: VP on November 21, 2020, 03:05:10 AM

Thanks for posting this, hadn't seen this article before. Would love to have that Martin Sheetz rifle shown.

VP

I believe the Martin Sheetz rifle in that article is actually the John Jacob Sheetz rifle used at the battle of New Orleans.

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: JSperry on November 22, 2020, 05:22:15 AM

Thanks for posting Jim Whiskers article on the WV Gunsmiths.   I had no idea Jerome B Wright came from Jefferson Co to Harrison Co.   I’ve seen a couple of his rifles recently. Also wondering if there are any photographs of William Hollenback rifles out there along with his signature.   Would love to see how he signed his rifles. 
Jeff

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: Avlrc on November 22, 2020, 07:00:34 AM

"Also wondering if there are any photographs of William Hollenback rifles out there along with his signature.   Would love to see how he signed his rifles".

Jeff, yeah me too,  ;)

Title: Re: Eastern Panhandle WV Gunsmiths
Post by: Rajin cajun on November 22, 2020, 07:40:25 PM

Flinchrocket, you are absolutely correct. Mr Whisker had that rifle identified as a Martin Sheetz, but it was the John Jacob Sheetz rifle used by William Ross at the Battle of New Orleans.  He also had it
Identified as Martin Sheetz in his first hard cover edition of Virginia gunsmiths. When I called him and told him about the mistake he told me when he had photographed my rifle at the KRA show he had mislabeled the photo at that time. He corrected that in the second edition, he simply left the photo out of the book. I do wish he would have made the correction and left the rifle in the second edition.

Bob Melancon