Golden Age - Susquehanna Rifle Maker?

[Spotz]

Hence the more probable attribution to Samuel Morrison.

[Hoot AL]

How about Joseph Long?

AL

[Spotz]

Well, you never say never, but I don't see this being a Joe Long.  The butt stock is pretty wide and "beefy," a lot less refined than most of Long's rifles.  It has much more of a Milton shape.

The football sideplate is almost a universal feature of all Longs and it is lacking, here.  Morrison and Filman also used the football sideplate, hence my "guess" of Morrison, as, again, this is lacking definitive Morrison characteristics (or at least what I have encountered).

Long rarely engraved his inlays and the engraving on the sideplate would be highly uncharteristic of his work.  Long did have a tendency to put a small mark, representing the eye of the fish on fish inlays he often used.  Any engarving that he used is a light squiqqle (chisel walk) around the inlays, but as stated, most Longs are not engraved and the particular engraving on this rifle would not fit with Long.

 

[Hoot AL]

Thanks for the additional information, Spotz.  Good stuff. 

Well I finally got the patchbox cut out and assembled.  Now to inlay it into the stock.



Hoot AL

[angus]

Do you suppose this is an unknown/unsigned apprentice that has spun off of another known maker and yet added his own styling, handy work and eye appeal to a rifle?

[Hoot AL]

Appears to be leaning toward that indication so far.  So far all we know is it came from the Susquehanna River area.

Anyone else have any input?

Thanks,

AL

[Ken G]

Hoot,
Your patchbox looks great.  Nice copy.   I'll bet cutting those piercings out was a job. 
Ken

[Hoot AL]

Thanks, Packdog!

Did take a while to do. Now the process of inletting this is like inletting a piece of lace. Should be interesting.  I may appear to be simple, but rifles like this give me a strong sense of appreciation of the type of work the earlier gunsmiths were able to do in their shops.

AL

[Don Getz]

Hoot.....aren't those patch boxes fun to cut out?   Many years ago I made a copy of a Joe Long, even did his fancy inlay
on top of the comb.   I noticed you were using brass tacks to hold it in place.   Most Snyder county and other upper Susquehanna guns used steel nails to hold inlays in place.  One thing I think is evident, this gun was not made originally
as a mule ear gun.   I think it was originally made as a flintlock, mainly because of the two lock bolt escutcheons.  They
appear to be made by the same person, and it would be rare to find a percussion gun with two lock bolts......not saying
it was never done.  Just because the gun is slim like rifle of that 1820-1850 period does not mean it could not have been
done in flint.   Many years ago my brother Dick and Dalas Ewing were studying Joe Long guns, and would occassionally
run across one built as a flintlock.  One unusual thing about them, whenever he did one in flint, he would date the gun
on the bottom of the barrel....they found flint rifles as late as 1840.  I think those gunsmiths working in the percussion
period still worked like we do today, we build what the customer wants.   About the old gun...it definately is not a Joe Long...beyond that, I don't have a clue as to who built it, but I think it was done in this area of Snyder-Union-Northumberland county....has the right profile for that...................Don

[voyageur1688]

Mule ear? Feather holder? I am not familiar with these? Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
 Thank you.
 Todd

[Hoot AL]

Originally the rifle may have been a flintlock.  They used feathers stuck in the flash hole to keep the powder inside the barrel till it was fully loaded.   This area can also be used as a pick holder, too.  This would be used similar to today to clear out a fouled up flash hole.   

In the case of the mule ear with the nipple mounted directly on the barrel, they may have used it to clear out the end of the nipple due to fouling, too.

Good question.

Hoot AL

[Hoot AL]

I continued this discussion over to the Gunbuilding section so you can follow the progress of the build.

Thanks for the comments.

Hoot AL