Author Topic: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh  (Read 8450 times)

Offline Eric Fleisher

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Here is an English Sporting Rifle that Don built in the late 80's. He recently re-acquired this beauty.  The engraving was done by John Schippers. I am sure Don will fill in the details for us.


























Here is another blast from the past.  This is a Lehigh style rifle built by Don and his brother Dick for their older brother in the 80’s.  This gun is still in the family.














« Last Edit: December 24, 2009, 05:19:28 PM by Eric Fleisher »

Offline RobertS

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2009, 04:53:49 AM »
Getting to see these is a real treat!  THANKS!

Offline Don Getz

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2009, 04:44:42 PM »
I wish to thank Eric for posting these pictures.   The English style rifle was a prototype gun that I made back in the late
80's.   At the time I was still doing the Conner Prairie Workshop, I took it along and of course the great John Schippers
agreed to do some scratching on it.....not too bad at that.   The gun has a strange history.  I took it to Dixon's Gunmakers
Fair and ran into Dave Ehrig, then an outdoor writer here in Pa.    After looking at the gun he said this is what he should
have for is coming up Caribou hunt up in Canada.  I offered it to him to take along, at first he refused, but came back later
to find out if I was serious.  He did take it along and shot a Caribou with it and wrote a story about it for Muzzle Blast.
Several years later I was approached by a collector, at Dixon's, and he offered me more for this gun than I had ever
received, so, in a fit of stupidity I sold it.  Years later whenever I would see this gentleman I would ask him about buying
it back, but to no avail   Several weeks ago I received a call from Steve Davis of Tenn.   Steve said he had a gun with my
name on it, had received it in a package as part payment for a gun he was going to build for "this" gentleman.  He wanted
to know if I knew of anyone who would buy it....I quickly said yes, I will.    So it now hangs on my wall again.  The Lehigh
county gun was built by myself and my brother Dick, back about 1980.   It has a straight 7/8" barrel in 54 cal. on it to keep
the weight down.....I never shot it but it probably bumps you cheek bone a bit.  We built the gun for our older brother who proudly hung it on the wall.   When he passed away in 1990, his son Bob inherited it and it once again hung on the
wall.   Now, finally, Bob's son Troy has decided it is time to take it hunting and hopefully it will produce for him......it's about
time after 30 years.  The carving is patterned after a Perer Neihardt rifle.  Dick had many pictures of a Neihardt which he
restored for Ron Gable many years ago.   Hope you enjoy these as much as I did..................Don

Offline tallbear

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2009, 05:20:34 PM »
Don
Nice guns and  great stories add to it.Thanks for shareing.Glad you got this one back!!!!

Mitch

Offline Robby

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2009, 06:31:42 PM »
Don, Those are the nicest barn guns I have ever seen ;). Merry Christmas!
Robby
molon labe
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. A. Lincoln

brokenflint

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2009, 07:32:43 PM »
Ah sometimes its the stories which really make the gun, the builder is just along for the ride, thanks Don

Offline Nate McKenzie

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2009, 10:28:20 PM »
Don, I really like the Lehigh. You know I have a soft spot for them.

Offline Jerry V Lape

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2009, 10:43:23 PM »
Don,

What are the measurements on the English sporter barrel and the caliber? 

Offline Eric Fleisher

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2009, 11:32:58 PM »
The Sporter is a .60 caliber and I believe the barrel is 31" long.

Offline Don Getz

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Re: Don Getz English Sporter comes back home and an early Getz Lehigh
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2009, 01:12:48 AM »
Eric is right, it's actually one of our standard jager barrels fitted with a "fake hook breech", 60 cal., 1/56" twist.   I once
missed a deer with it at about 30 yards, standing....found out that it takes more than 30 grains of FF to do the job.
(it's a long story).....Don