ALR Museum SPECIAL: A Berks CO/ Reading Original in extraordinary detail photos

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Here is the URL:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=24467.0

Maker unknown. What is your best attribution??

The Museum Committee

[Buck]

Unsigned rifle attributed to the Womelsdorf area of Berks County. (It certainly looks like a late Reedy)
Buck

[HIB]

Gentlemen,  Unless there are objections I suggest a new Museum category be established for this rifle; 'Short Barrel Kentucky's'.  I have personally studied this rifle and have stated my opinion as the "previous owner" in the opening text.

I also have it on good authority that the lock is an extremely well done reconversion requisitioned three owners previous to the current owner.

If the category 'Short Barrel Kentucky's' is approved it should also be established with Reeves Goring's article regarding this unique type gun. There are a few others out there.

Regards,  HIB

[mr. no gold]

Well said, HIB. A number of collectors and historians refer to the short barreled, sturdy flintlock rifles as 'Rocky  Mountain' guns. I have a Jacob Faust rifle much like the one in the photos here and it was shown to a very experienced, past president of the KRA; he had no hesitation in identifying it as such a piece. The Faust, by the way, was build sometime around 1840, making it a late flint gun. He is said to have built others in this fashion. Could be!
Dick

[Don Getz]

A real neat Berks county gun.  As for the length of the barrel, I'm sure that is what the original owner wanted.  I think the
gunbuilders of that time built whatever the customer wanted, just as they do today.  As for it's being a "rocky mountain
gun", not sure about that.   I didn't check to  see what the calibre was.  The late Dalas Ewing, who was a descendent of
Joe Long, bought a Joe Long rifle in a rather large calibre, about 58 cal. if my memory is good.  The gun came out of the
west or Canada, but apparently is what the owner wanted if he was going into area that had "big" game.....Don