w Boitnott Rifle

[HoosierMike]

An upcoming auction in my town has a .38 cal flintlock rifle listed as W. Boitnott.  The only thing I could fine with on line research was an article on a Willis Boitnott from Ohio that made flintlock rifles.  Is anyone familiar with this person and his work?  From the photo from the auction company, it looks like a well made rifle, but wanted to see if anyone on this sight had any additional information.  Have been reading everyone's posts for about a year, but this is my first post.  Thanks everyone for all the great info.  Thanks.

[Mike Brooks]

He has worked in the gunshop repairing guns at friendship since at least 1980 when I first went.. I'd expect he's a very competent gunmaker, although I don't recall seeing any of his guns.

[Hungry Horse]

If Willie built it, it's a shooter. his lock work is top notch. He can make chicken soup out of chicken $#*&.

    Hungry Horse

[Bob Roller]

An upcoming auction in my town has a .38 cal flintlock rifle listed as W. Boitnott.  The only thing I could fine with on line research was an article on a Willis Boitnott from Ohio that made flintlock rifles.  Is anyone familiar with this person and his work?  From the photo from the auction company, it looks like a well made rifle, but wanted to see if anyone on this sight had any additional information.  Have been reading everyone's posts for about a year, but this is my first post.  Thanks everyone for all the great info.  Thanks.

That would be Willy Boitnott of New Carlisle Ohio and he is now 90 years old and still sorta/kinda active.
He probably has a listed phone and he is not senile and if you can reach him on the phone he can probably tell you about this rifle.He probably will be at Friendship in a couple of weeks. He worked in the armory there for years and people would bring in junk for him to repair that should have been tossed out years earlier but Will could and would fix it. I always tell anyone that Willy is a better mechanic than I am because of his willingness and ability to work on this junk.

Bob Roller

[Keb]

I handled the southern type rifle he & Richard Boitnott made for the 2003 Western Nationals fund raiser. It was nothing special. The fella that owned it had a difficult time selling it. Practically had to give it away.

[heinz]

Keb, that was harsh. As Bob Roller said, Boitinot rifles are reliable and accurate. They look like post 1850 mountain rifles. Made for the raange, not the mantle

[HoosierMike]

Thank you all for the information.

[tabs]

I bought the Boitnott rifle at that auction. After reading the article in the 2004 Toledo magazine one finds that Mr Boitinott started building rifles in 1948 and learned his trade from the "an old Washington Court House gunsmith who was steeped in the historic gunsmithing methods....He was a farmer who like myself learned from an old gunsmith" Mr Boitinott's work is a DIRECT link back to the way they were made back in the day, making many of the parts themselves. One might say that Mr Boitinott's rifles are the REAL thing as they are modern originals. This is quite unlike the modern builders whose work might considered to be something "special" as they have no direct link to the past and the methods used.

BTW: Mr Boitinott for what it is worth was inducted into the NMLRA Hall Of Fame in 1999.

[retired fella]

Back in the 70's I used to shoot with Willie and his boys.  They were all shooters.  Good folks.

[Mike Brooks]

One might say that Mr Boitinott's rifles are the REAL thing as they are modern originals. This is quite unlike the modern builders whose work might considered to be something "special" as they have no direct link to the past and the methods used.

I could comment, but i won't, due to respect to Mr. B. His work which I respect, is no more " real" than anybody's work  today.

[tabs]

No one questions the craftsmanship, the attention to detail and the replication of historic aesthetics of the modern makers. However when you pick up a gun made by the likes of a Mr Boitinott you are picking up a gun whose manufacture is steeped in roughly a 150 years of rifle making methodology, for Mr B was taught by an "old gunsmith" who in turn was taught by an "old gunsmith." That is why a Boitinott rifle is an exercise in function over form. Or as the fellas on this Board say his rifles are "reliable and accurate....and made  for the range and not the mantle." Which was the way the old timers used to build em, as that was what was needed on the farm or  frontier for survival.

While I truly love and drool over the modern gussied up masterpieces, it is when I pick up a rifle by the likes of a Boitinott that I know I am picking up a modern made piece of the past.

[Bob Roller]

I have known Willy Boitnott for a long time and make no mistake about it,he knows what he's doing  and I always tell anyone that he is a better mechanic than I am because he will repair guns and locks that are a step below junk and get them back on the line. He did it for years at the armory at Friendship and was the armorer for the USIMLT and maybe others for a long time. As the post from "tabs"said,the gussied up high art guns are a study in skill  and I certainly admire the skill involved in them but does anyone get them on the line and see what they have in the accuracy department.I think it was Col.Townsend Whelen that said'Only accurate rifles are interesting". I doubt if Willy ever got one of his back that he hadn't worked up loads for before the owner got it.

Bob Roller