York County Rifles

[grabenkater]

I sent my stock blank off this past weekend to have it profiled and the barrel channel cut. I am planning on a York style rifle (I like the stock design) and I was curious if someone could show me some examples of original rifles from this area. Also, what names of builders should I be looking for?

[JTR]

Adam Ernst was a good York Co. maker. His better guns have fine carving and pretty good engraving.

John

[California Kid]

George Schroyer would be another one. You need to get yourself some books. Shumways RCA 1,2 come to mind. Thoughts on the Kentucky rifle by Kindig as well.

[Jim Kibler]

Besides geographic location, I see no reason authors tend to group Shroyer and makers from the Boro of York together.  Their work typically share little in common.  Now I realize there is ocasionally a touch of overlap, but it's not very common.

[Dave B]

Jim,
For you guys that live back there in Gods country and can go to any number of places that have these rifles on display or have KRA contacts that let you hold them, it is easy to say this. Those of us stuck with just looking at the pictures have a lot more difficult time picking out the important details. I have been studying the pictures for years and the most valuable lesson in my education was being able to attend the KRA show back in 2006.

So when you say this, it is not helpful to the uneducated. What are the characteristics that make a rifle a York Co rifle?  I can clearly see the architectural style of the schools of the Lehigh Valley but York has not solidified in my mind to where I can sit down and sketch the classic York County rifle during a game of Pictunary and have every one say hey that is a York Co rifle.

[Jim Kibler]

To desicribe characteristics of a group of rifles in a paragraph or two isn't an easy task.  I could try, but probably wouldn't do a good job of it anyway.  My best advice is to look at Shumway's Shroyer book and then compare these guns to those made in the town of York and shown in Kindig's book or Whisker's books.  Compare and contrast details of design.  I suspect you will be able to see what I'm suggesting.

[Dave B]

Jim,
Sure it is, you just point out what it is that is your clues to comonality. Maybe there are only three smiths that are the core of the essence of the York school of gun making

I just dug my TKRGA book out and flipped through the section listed as York Co makers. Just as Lehigh valley has many sub schools you must say the same for York Co.
George Eister has a very distinct profile(Berks) to his stock and carving but has no similarity to Adam Ernst rifles.  The book shows a picture of an entry pipe that has a taper to the extension making the comment that it is a typical feature in the York co school. Now that is helpful or If you use more than five screws in your patch box could be an indication you are emulating Eister.

[Swampwalker]

I highly recommend Whisker's book, the Gunsmiths of York County, still in print (I just checked TOTW) , tons of pictures.  My favorite York maker is Noll.

[Jim Kibler]

I highly recommend Whisker's book, the Gunsmiths of York County, still in print (I just checked TOTW) , tons of pictures.  My favorite York maker is Noll.

I don't believe John Noll ever worked in York County.

[valongrifles]

Dave, you are quite correct. One can read and see pictures a long time and gain a lot of knowledge, but, when your hands actually hold the original you "see" things that the pictures would never show. When we are blessed enough to actually have a mentor that allows hands-on, it really makes a difference.  My mentor used to tell me "you guys look a lot but you don't see"; and he was very insightful in that respect. But when I picked up his originals my hands and fingers "saw" a lot that I would never have seen in pictures. I am currently reading Cooper's book, The Kentucky Rifle and Me, and am amazed at what she and her husband  were able to buy and handle in the 30's thru 50's. Talk about loaded with information!

[Swampwalker]

OOps!  That will teach me to say something from my faulty memory without double checking first!

[Pete G.]

While difficult to describe a school of building, some of the more common York characteristics are
1.Architecture similar to the straight comb Lancaster school.
2. Four petaled flower or "drooping feather" patchbox finial.
3. Tapered tang on ramrod entry pipe.
4. "Embryotic bird" sideplate engraved around rear lockbolt.
5. Although not exclusive to Yorkies, often a half moon inlay on cheekpiece
6. Unsurpassed workmanship. There may have been utility guns built in York, but most rifles that can be attributed to the area seem to me to rise above the norm of most other areas. The curious thing to me is why the York area could build such superb rifles, yet the furniture turned out in the same area was mediocre at best.

[Glenn]

One thing I have noticed about York rifles are they seem to have less drop from the wrist toward the buttplate (if I am saying this right ... ).  So far, I kind of attribute the shape of the butt to the Lancaster, but with less drop than a Lancaster (typically), if that makes any sense to anyone.

Jim,
For you guys that live back there in Gods country and can go to any number of places that have these rifles on display or have KRA contacts that let you hold them, it is easy to say this. Those of us stuck with just looking at the pictures have a lot more difficult time picking out the important details. I have been studying the pictures for years and the most valuable lesson in my education was being able to attend the KRA show back in 2006.

So when you say this, it is not helpful to the uneducated. What are the characteristics that make a rifle a York Co rifle?  I can clearly see the architectural style of the schools of the Lehigh Valley but York has not solidified in my mind to where I can sit down and sketch the classic York County rifle during a game of Pictunary and have every one say hey that is a York Co rifle.