Rifle Styles

[Eric Smith]

Just taking a casual poll here. How many try to emulate a certain school of building in their rifles, such as the Lancaster, the Reading, the Lehigh, etc., and then again how many of you break it down even further to a certain maker in a style. I find myself admiring the W. Haga rifles, followed very closely bu Mr Bonewitz. But then again, I am pulled to a Lancaster style too. What say you?

[Glenn]

I haven't been able to get started on building anything yet but I have the same favorites as you mentioned.  With those designs it's kind of hard not to want to copy them. 

[dogcreek]

I'm a fan of the Bucks County School. I'm building my first rifle, which is that type.

[The other DWS]

So far the ones I have built were made to follow a story, a person or a rational,  its pretty much a carryover from my years as a reenactor and semi-professonal 1st person interpreter.

 I admire greatly the talent and ability of others to recreate a documented historical rifle, or a representative example of a "school" or a particular historic guncrafters "style".  The quality and beauty of their work just blows me away.  However I know I don't have the talent to do that well enough to satisfy my own standards, so I stick to more generic "using" and "used" arms, as used by an individual I have visualized.

[LehighBrad]

Rupp....Moll.....for me, but you all probably know that from my login handle. From the graceful double curves of the comb and bottom line of the butt stock, to the subtle radius under the trigger guard and the gradual blend from the wrist to the nose of the comb.....There's no more graceful a lady than a Lehigh lady.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Dickert, or J.P.Beck, Interpretations not exact copies of any specific rifle.

[Acer Saccharum]

Unfortunately, I like more styles than I have time to build.

I like early guns primarily, from colonial up thru the revolution. The high art guns of the Golden Age are what drew me into this sport, but I am now drawn to the simpler bolder folk art guns. Guns with strong Germanic lineage appeal to me most, with sprinklings of Dutch, and a dash of French and/or English influence.

[Dave B]

I like to try to stay with in a school when building so when some one who recognizes the features will be able to say  Hey thats a great bucks Co gun. My problem is I get rolling and want to dress them up with more engraving or carving and it can get real busy in a hurry as well as be out in the weeds on the being atypical  as to the proper schools engraving or carving.

[Swampwalker]

I definitely stay within 'schools' when building a particular rifle.  I've built Reading, western Virginia, late Lehigh, St. Louise (Hawken), etc.  Currently finishing up an early Kentucky (C. Humble) rifle.  Next is a late Philadelphia, Krider-style.  To my eye, rifles with mixed decorative and architectural features from various schools don't usually work.   

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I like 'em all, and intend to have examples of many of them in my stable before I'm finished.  I have Lehigh, Bucks, Virginia, and Dauphin right now, and there's a cherry Lebanon, a Tennessee, and a Western PA standing in the wings, pulling at the reins to get onto my bench.

[Bill-52]

When I started building my first rifle (I'm only on #2 now), a very talented builder suggested I focus initially on one school and try to master that style.  With Martin Shell Jr. as my 5x great grandfather, the choice was easy; it's Dauphin County.  Not copies, just in that style.

My first rifle was a pre-carve, pre-inlet kit, my current project is a partial pre-carve and the next, already in progress, is from a blank.  Still a long way to go but its all about the journey getting there.

Bill

[Dave Waters]

I really like most of the old schools, but when I build I like to do what I think looks right and feels good when I shoulder it.

In this way I like to think that I am following the thinking of the old builders. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that is how they developed their various styles.

I think its great when a contemporary builder recreates an old school style, but I personally like to think, "What style would I come up with if I lived back then."

That's one thing I think is great about this sport, there's room for most anyone.