J W Rinehart,signed in script.Whiskers book West Virginia Gunsmiths page 38.Says J W Rinehart was probably son of James Rinehart who was a gunsmith in Hampshire County VA.That J W bought land from James Rinehart in 1848 ,on Capon & North Branch Turnpike.In December 1849 John ( J W ) pawned his gunsmiths tools to Nathaniel Offutt,James was also indebted to in 1840. He must of have paid his debt.Then in 1852 he again pawned his tools to Offutt.In 1853 Offutt sold John Rineharts tools & gunmaking supplies.We assume that John Rinehart ( J W ).left Hampshire County.Sellers also has a J W Rinehart Missouri,1889.The old repair at wrist consist of wire & a bottom off of a copper pot or kettle.You can see a trademark and or a patened date,it looks like 1859,but I am not sure.I guess that repairing the rifle was more important than having the pot.
Barrel is rifled and 40 inches long& bore is just a hair over 3/8 in diam.
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The first thing that caught my eye is the amount of drop in the butt stock, even allowing for possible sag due to the wrist repair. I am a sucker for "character" guns and the amount of use combined with the repair really gives this rifle character.
Pleasing longrifle with some decoration and a lot of charm.
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A more honest looking rifle would be hard to find. That old repair adds to this rifle rather than detracts.
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Someone liked this old rifle a lot! They just weren't going to let it 'bite the dust'. It falls into the category of an heirloom today, but whoever owned it probably knew how to shoot it extremely well. Hence the interesting repairs.
Side plates and door of the patch box, and lock counter plate look very WVA in character while the architecture and the PB finial look more like Ohio.
Whisker reported that one of the Rineharts left Hampshire County, WVA and moved up to Ohio to make guns. It's possible that this is one of them.
Great rifle with original frontier character.
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