A day late and a dollar short

[gibster]

Went to the Tulsa Gun show today and had a chance to look at a great J Gross Flintlock.  It came through the door yesterday, hence the day late part. I'm sure I would have been a few dollars short as well.  The new owner was gracious enough to allow me to take a few pictures and gave permission to post it here. I tried to convince him that it was in such deplorable condition that he didn't need it in his collection, but it didn't work.   It's going to a good home, just not mine.





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[jdm]

I hope the new owner is a southern  Missouri boy we know!
Very nice find for someone.

[Howard]

I like that great rifle.  Such a great prize to own. Great character . I can see why that rifle would get snapped up.

[gibster]

Jim - The one and only.

[TN Longhunter]

Eric,

Too bad you didn't get it. Then you could have sold me some of your other goodies. We all miss them.

[jdm]

[quote author=gibster
Jim - The one and only.
That's Great!!!!

Are there pictures of the cheek piece side???

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

     ... WOW ..... Jacob or Jonathan Gross ...? ..... wish I had been there .... would have had a bidding war ... !!! .... fanciest J. Gross I have seen ..... Thanx for pix ..... 

[snapper]

never been to the Tulsa show.  Kinda figured I would have to have a little change in my pocket if I ever went.

Fleener

[rich pierce]

Sweet when and where did J Gross work?

[gibster]

According to Jerry Nobel's book, Jacob Sr. was born in 1797 and was in Sullivan County Tennessee. Not your typical East Tennessee rifle.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... Have seen rifles by Jacob, Jonathan, and Alfred Farrington Gross ... all from Sullivan Co., TN ..... most are the considered typical "TENNESSEE" style..... however there are a few known guns by all the Gross builders that are quite "fancy" ... CLA blog shows the famous Alfred Gross silver mounted rifle, and David Byrd's books tell about the Gross builders and have several photographs as well .......

[jdm]

Pictures of the well known  silver mounted Alfred Gross are here in the A.L.R. under Tenn. rifles.

[Dennis Glazener]

Nice rifle, I really like that tang. (looks like it would be an easy welding job to add the lollipop section to a regular fan tail tang )
Dennis

[Tim Crosby]

 Speaking of the tang it looks like it was anchored in the BP return. I don't think I have seen one done like that before.

    Tim C.

[Eric Kettenburg]

That looks like a pretty darned awesome rifle.  I'd love to see many more pictures before it gets worked over.

The end of the tang looks like it is inset into a comb inlay forward of the buttplate return, not the buttplate itself.  Buttplate is iron, the inlay looks like maybe brass?

[trentOH]

I can't make out or recognize what that thing is behind the tang.....Is it a fold-away peep sight??? (Picture #3)

[Eric Kettenburg]

No, it's a long portion of the tang that ran up over the comb to the inlay, but has since broken off.  What you're seeing is the empty inletting.

[Don Stith]

Speaking of the tang it looks like it was anchored in the BP return. I don't think I have seen one done like that before.

    Tim C.

I have a Houston Harrison bench copy of an iron mounted Tennessee that has the tang extending all the way to and anchored under the butt plate return  As Eric points out this one stops at the comb plate inlay

[Tim Crosby]

Speaking of the tang it looks like it was anchored in the BP return. I don't think I have seen one done like that before.

    Tim C.

I have a Houston Harrison bench copy of an iron mounted Tennessee that has the tang extending all the way to and anchored under the butt plate return  As Eric points out this one stops at the comb plate inlay

 Thanks guys, on second look I see that it is an inlay and not part of the return.

  Tim

[louieparker]

It was of interest to me where Jessie Offield lived.  Information on the internet says he was born in 1788.in Sullivan county Tn .  In a cabin near the Holston Valley. An area that I think is now under water ?. He was  a veteran of the war of 1812 . In 1836 or 37 he moved to Illinois and then on to  Lock Springs Missouri in 1840 to 41... He died in Daviess County Missouri in 1849..  His  was a blacksmith. and had seven children.

I would say he was also a man who took very good care of his rifle...............Louie

PS< I don't think Eric was short he was just late. He just don't recall what his grandpaw  told him concerning the bird and the worm. 
 

[WElliott]

Great rifle and great find, Louie.  Gibster, I was not only a day late and a dollar short, I was hundreds of miles away!!  We feel your pain but are delighted for our friend Louie.  Looking forward to a hands-on look some day. 
Wayne

[louieparker]

J Gross, a few more views ,,,,,,,,,LP














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[jdm]

That's a heck of a nice rifle. Mr. Gross also used a special piece of wood. Mr. Offield must have done well at the Blacksmith trade to afford a good gun like this. I bet he was very proud.   

 Is the rear  ramrod pipe attached  to the wear plate?

[louieparker]

Jim it appears to just be fitted around the plate  at the rear of the pipe....LP

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... Thanx for xtra photos, Louie .... sure that we would all like to see her in person next January in Alabama ....!!!