What school?

[cheyenne]

What style or school type would this rifle be?

[Jerry V Lape]

Don't know but it looks okay at that distance!   

[Don Getz]

There was an early school down in eastern Penna. in the late 1700's called "generic", this one kind of falls in there...Don

[Tom Currie]

Cheyenne, I think what Don's trying to say is we don't have enough information from your one distant picture to really help you. Maybe you can tell us what you're trying to do and with better pictures provide some advice.

[T*O*F]

There was an early school down in eastern Penna.

Don,
The school you are thinking of is Leftover, PA. 

That's where the kids say, "Pa, I've got these parts left over.  Can you build me a gun."

[J. Talbert]

Features of a given school can be quite unique and bold or more subtle and broad.  About all that can be discerned from a distant picture such as this is the overall profile, some features of the trigger guard, and I'm guessing that the lock may be a late Ketland.

What school (?) is a bit of the "chicken and the egg" thing.  Without a clear plan going in, many contemporary guns fall into no particular "school" at all, because of the mixing different stylistic features as well as time periods.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that, but if your goal is to make a gun of a particular school you have to plan for that up front, including some of the bigger factors such as profile, buttplate & trigger guard, sideplate, lock, carving style and on and on, depending on just how particular you care to be.

Jeff

[rich pierce]

You guys are rough.   Just kidding.  The guard looks like the full-blown double-spur early Germanic guard that belongs on guns earlier than 1775, let's say, although on later rifles we see a remnant of the double spur sometimes.  I can't see the thickness of the buttstock.  If it was an original I'd guess it was an early rifle from eastern PA, pre-1775, but probably not from Christians Spring.  I can see a long wrist and I think there's a curved underside to the buttstock.   About the only early guns that come to mind for me right now with those characteristics are the daisy patchbox Antes that I see as a proto-Bucks County gun and a couple of early Lehigh/Northhampton rifles.  So for me, from 50 feet, the rifle looks like it was made in the wide swath from Bucks County to Northampton County, 1775 or earlier.  (modifying my post because of new insights from Jeff's post just above) But if it has the Late Ketland lock, then the lock and guard are almost 50 years separated in time, which indicates a "parts gun", stocked up with leftovers from earlier worn out pieces.
Let's face it, the earlier we go back the less established are any "schools".  For example if you look at the earliest Dickerts you can see a proto-Lancaster style but it's not fully developed.  The architectural roots are there.

[Collector]

Cheyenne,  Perhaps you should give consideration to restating your question.  I think, that if you were to tell us what you were trying to accomplish, it would help.  

As near as I can tell from your photo, at least two (2) of the various components, specifically the trigger guard and lock, don't conform to a specific school and represent opposing time periods in the evolution and development of the longrifle.  Hence the comments.

Everyone has to start somewhere... so, tell us how you got this project started, how you selected the components and what you considered along the way.  With some help and guidance, you may be able to 'rebuild' this piece into something that is more historically accurate and conforming.

You're at the right place.  You won't find a greater body of knowledge on the subject of American longrifles and accouterments, than you'll find right here.    

[J. Talbert]

Rich brings up a good point with the "parts" gun.  There were many guns back then being made with recycled parts.  Jack Brooks and Eric Kettenburg like to play with just such a scenario.

Jeff

[flehto]

Considering the stock architecture, the only item that's "foreign" to me  is the lock. Of course, not having any other views , it's difficult to ascertain how thick the butt , etc. is and although the TG is "early", the stock shape somewhat resembles a Wm. Antes LR. I used this same TG on a Lehigh/Bethlehem LR but cut off the second Germanic loop. The "builder" isn't saying much, perhaps because of the chiding remarks or whatever. None the less, addt'l photos would really help, although w/ the lock already inlet, the LR would still be generic.....Fred

[cheyenne]

It's not one I'm building. My thoughts were to the "Leftover, PA" school....I like that one, as it's not one I've seen before.

Here's a picture of the lock

[cheyenne]

It's on Gun Broker, here's top of the barrel:


Shouldn't the mark be on the bottom of the barrel?

Thinking about bidding on it as the parts are probably worth it.....

[cheyenne]

There was an early school down in eastern Penna. in the late 1700's called "generic", this one kind of falls in there...Don

That's a good one too Don!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If your best selling point is the barrel, sure, put it on top.
The workmanship per the two recent pics shows good stuff.

[rdillon]

If your best selling point is the barrel, sure, put it on top.
The workmanship per the two recent pics shows good stuff.

Can't agree more!

[Stophel]

Big beavertail tang carving, iron triggerguard (or so it looks to be)...I'd say it was someone's attempt at an "early Virginia rifle"...

 

From what little I can see, it doesn't appear too badly done, anyway.  The barrel is straight, I will presume.  If it doesn't have any tenons attached to it yet, it can easily be turned over.  The marks may or may not be easily filed out... But, don't be afraid of irregular barrel surfaces.  Old barrels are often not all that perfect.   

[RobertS]

I'm with Stophel, I was thinking early Virginia, too.  There is lots of room in that school for non-conformity, too, from the pictures I've seen of actual early VA guns.  I personally don't claim to know much about anything in particular, though, but I do trust the collective knowledge of this board-

[long carabine]

I'm trying to bid on the gun but can't remember my password

[Bill of the 45th]

Long, yer too darn young to ferget yer pass word. For a while I did that then changed my password to "password", and used the zero instead of the "oh".  Threes instead of "E's" , and ones for"L" work also with a word you can remember.

Bill