When I arrived in Fayetteville, NC in September of '70, courtesy of "Uncle Sam", I asked around for a muzzleloading gun club, and was pointed to the Fayetteville Arsenal Muzzle Loading Gun Club. There, I met up with Lew Sanchez. I was assigned to the Special Forces HQ, and Lew was the Property Book Officer for the 82nd Airborne Division.
We got "wind" of a gunmaker operating a gunmaker's shop in the Cardinal Shopping Center in Winston-Salem, NC, and paid Frank Burton a visit. We came away from there having each of us purchasing a flint longrifle in one of the Penn. styles for $ 350.00. Mr. Burton favored the Lancaster School patterns from Joe Kindig’s book, “Thoughts on The Ky Rifle in the Golden Age”.
Frank introduced us to his resident engraver, Jack Spain, whose work "bit" Lew badly. Lew went home to order engraving tools from Frank Mittermeir out of NY. Frank then introduced lew later to a gunsmith working out of, as I recall, the second oldest house in Old Salem. The gunsmith was John Bivins. That was the beginning of a lasting relationship.
There were three gunsmiths in the Winston-Salem region, Frank, John, and Bob Hunt, "The Salem Riflesmith".
Bob used to teach muzzleloading gunmaking at the Technical College, and sold parts to build a muzzleloader.
John Bivins, like Lew Sanchez, like to have an "apprentice" stock the rifle, and then he would devote his time to the creativity of the rifle's artform.
For some of the best B & W photos of masterful execution of wood, steel, German silver, and brass, the book to secure is "Contemporary Makers of Muzzle Loading Firearms", by Robert Weil; copyright 1980, printed by Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, TX. I believe Track of the Wolf reprinted it. Don't know if it is still available. Great book for detail. Outstanding photography.
Hope this helps,
Buck Buchanan
Fayetteville, NC
Field Rep-NC
NMLRA
