Michigan Rifle

[Michigan Flinter]

  I am thinking about making a copy of a rifle made here in Michigan.Where might one find some drawings, detailed pictures ect . to get me going down the right path?  Thanks for your help.  Eric D. Lau  Riverdale Mi.

[Evil Monkey]

Michigan huh?. Wouldn't that be a 50 pound wall gun in .90 cal, takes 500 g ff min to shoot, even for plinking, has an oval patch box with "FORD" engraved in it, a chevy bowtie shaped lockplate and a pentastar thumbpiece?. The "wagon queen family truckster" model has the stock stained with chromiun trioxided (turned green) and wood grain mactac down the sides. Don't have drawings but can visualize it in my minds eye.

[altankhan]

the few Michigan percussion rifles I havge seen have been fairly plain walnut halfstocks, some with a slight "fish belly"  and no too diofferent from some of the guns encountered in Ohio

[hyltoto]

Michigan is as nearly old as Virginia, but just that tolerable a climate. You can have  your choice of English, French, or even US martial and civilian arms. I did a 1803 Harper's Ferry. Remember the River Raisan!

[rex]

Hi: I think there was an artical in an old muzzle Blast about guns from Marshall Mi. Rex

[JCKelly]

No idea how to add pix in this forum.
For several years have been putting together a book on Mich guns
The Premier maker was Wingert. A friend has 2, one German silver mount, one a little older. Wingert usually engraved his guns. More or less conventional half stocks, but very well made, engraved. Local touches include iron rivet holding toeplate to toe of buttplate, brass or German silver triggers
Have a numbers of pics  There is no specific Mich style , ½ of our people came from NY
Multi-barrel shotgun/rifle,  rifle/rifle and 3 barrel guns, fixed breech, common.
Claudius Beach, Marshall, sold a lot of guns West.  Lets chat some privately & if I can figure out what you like I’ll send photos  to whatever is your actual email  Jim Kelly jkellymetal@gmail.com

[JCKelly]

My first try at a photo. Wander around photobucket.com, look for the album of 4JamesKelly, and there will be a Claudius Beach .45 O/U rifle.

Admin note:  Here's the photobucket link:



Larry Luck

[Curt J]

First...JCKelly, Glad to see you here Jim. It's been awhile since we have corresponded. I have one of your books on Michigan makers. I wrote the two volumes on Illinois makers.

Eric D. Lau....I have a rifle by a Michigan maker that you might find pleasing to the eye. It is a medium weight maple halstock by W K STRONG, who worked in Big Rapids, Michigan. It is well-made, with nice lines, brass furniture, and a very unique hand-made sheet brass cap box. I can send you some pictures if you are interested.

Curt J