Author Topic: William Zollman SW Virginia Iron Mounted Rifle found in the black (Read 2853 times)

AZshot · « **on:** May 21, 2022, 04:42:04 AM »

I just got this southern long rifle and am very pleased, even though it's not the NC maker I had thought. It was found in the wild, I don't know if this one was known before. I can't find it. It has a 46" swamped barrel, and all iron mountings. There are barrel wedges, and one missing. It has two-line fore stock molding, ending in a scroll at the ramrod entrance pipe. All ramrod pipes are iron, round. The buttplate is iron too. The trigger guard is very delicate, finely forged, and it's hand rail is faceted. About 38 caliber. (When I originally posted, I didn't say it's a William Zollman and it's signed. Shelby guessed the maker in 10 minutes!) I updated this initial post.

Tanselman · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2022, 05:47:58 AM »

Looks a lot like a William Zollman from Rockbridge Co., VA.

Shelby Gallien

AZshot · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2022, 05:49:11 AM »

Bingo! Good eye as always. I can only find one or two. One is brass mounted. Are there many rifles known by him?

mr. no gold · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2022, 06:05:54 AM »

I think that Arnie Dowd had a rifle much like this one. It had brass furniture, a maple stock and a grease hole. I do not know where that gun went when his collection was dispersed. I recall that there was some talk that it was a VA gun. Nice rifle, but memory says that it was not quite as nice as this one is. Great find and we thankee for showing it here.
Dick

Panzerschwein · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2022, 09:24:54 AM »

Love that grease hole.

Hlbly · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2022, 02:24:27 PM »

Does the rear sight look like this?

AZshot · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2022, 03:23:37 PM »

Indeed it does look like that. Same 4 petal "flower". The edge is filed with chevron lines.

Hlbly · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2022, 03:49:43 PM »

If your rifle is signed, I can put a name to mine. Almost a twin to your rifle, but unsigned.

AZshot · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2022, 03:53:04 PM »

Excellent, happy to help. Yes, mine is signed. One other ID feature is the silver front sight is inlet without a dovetail. I'll have more pictures later, or you can PM me for a few rough ones.

cshirsch · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2022, 04:00:32 PM »

The Zollman rifles I have examined have one particular trait. Maybe he did not do it to all of his rifles.

cshirsch · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2022, 04:05:09 PM »

My signed W. Zollman rifle for comparison.

cshirsch · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2022, 04:22:08 PM »

Another Zollman rifle.

AZshot · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2022, 04:44:22 PM »

Chris, Thanks so much for posting those, I really appreciate it. The cheekpiece on this one is different. But the signature is the same.

Longknife · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2022, 05:32:23 PM »

Garret, Nice find!!! I think that makes only 3 signed Zollmans that I know of. One in brass and two in Iron. My brass mounted signed WZ doesn't have the flower on the sight. Hillbilly. can we see more some pics of yours? I think there was another suspected WZ on here a while back. Anyone else have a signed WZ or an attributed WZ?

...LK

Hlbly · « **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2022, 06:10:16 PM »

Because of that very distinct and unusual rear sight and all the other similarities, I am attributing my rifle to W. Zollman. Thanks for posting this.

AZshot · « **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2022, 07:48:51 PM »

Longknife, thanks for all your help. I'm excited about it.

Hlbly, I'm glad it helped. My wife was just reading his will from 1834, he was very wealthy, many horses, it lists lots of property including 2 stills, a barrel of whiskey, furniture, gunsmithing tools, etc. He left $500 to each of his 7 children too. A debt of $1210. Estate worth $6,700, a very substantial amount in that era. Compared to some of my relatives from the same era, who's estates were like $250.

Sequatchie Rifle · « **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2022, 03:11:43 AM »

I traded one off at the 2016 Lake Cumberland Show and thought it was signed Hoffman. The signature was nearly illegible. I am now certain it was made by this maker.

AZshot · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2022, 04:56:59 AM »

The trigger guard is the nicest iron one I've handled. Very refined and light, and comfortable. Some of my squared TN and NC style feel comfortable, but some don't. This one fits my hand very well and would be fun to shoot.

AZshot · « **Reply #18 on:** June 07, 2022, 05:28:55 AM »

I just got a book Rockbridge County Artists and Artisans (Crawford, Lyle, 1995) that has a Zollman rifle with a beavertail or "holston" style cheek piece. It has an engraved signature in a silver barrel plate.

Hlbly · « **Reply #19 on:** June 07, 2022, 02:55:59 PM »

My rifle that I attribute to Zollman also has a beaver tail cheek piece.

AZshot · « **Reply #20 on:** June 07, 2022, 03:25:37 PM »

If you'd like to add pictures of yours to this thread, I'd like to see it.

Hlbly · « **Reply #21 on:** June 07, 2022, 09:46:01 PM »

Tried to get some pictures, but I am no photographer.. the guard on my rifle has had the spur broken off at some time in its life. I would like to see them together some day soon.

AZshot · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2022, 11:57:59 PM »

Those pictures are good, thanks for showing your rifle. It looks very nice.

cshirsch · « **Reply #23 on:** June 08, 2022, 03:14:21 PM »

Hey AZshot, I sent you a message.

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Author Topic: William Zollman SW Virginia Iron Mounted Rifle found in the black (Read 2853 times)