Lancaster display

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

I will be heading to Lancaster later today and wondered where the display of original Lancaster rifles is located.  Any help would be appreciated.

[spgordon]

It's located at the Landis Valley Farm & Museum:

http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/

Here it is on Google Maps:

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

Thanks!

[Acer Saccharum]

Just a terrific display. The Musician's rifle showed up AFTER the book was published, and it's now on display until December, the end of the show.

There are so many important and beautiful guns in this show, it's worth the trip from anywhere. I think of this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

[Bill-52]

I concur.  I spent several hours there in June taking notes and making sketches (love those walk around glass displays).  Plan on doing it again this Fall.

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

What a fantastic display of American art!  I really enjoyed the time there and learned a lot.  BTW, the double rifle, shotgun/rifle SXS was just stunning.

[cmac]

Take pictures please

[mark esterly]

iirc they don't allow pictures

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

You do recall correctly- no pictures.

[Don Getz]

Son John, another friend, and I went down to Lancaster today to the Landis Valley Museum to check out the guns again.
Spent more time enjoying them.   Was amazed at how big that Musician rifle is.   Also, I noticed something on most of these rifles that comes up a lot among the builders.   There seem to be a consensus among the builders that the top line
of the forend of a gun should be cut down, revealing more of the side flat of a barrel, which they feel will make a slimmer
looking gun.   I started to check out the guns in this display and surprisingly the big majority of them were not done this
way, the wood covered more than half of the side flat of the gun.  I believe this may be a Lancaster thing.   I think if we
were to study Lehighs the opposite would be true.   Also bought the book while I was there, great pictures.  While the
three of us were studying the guns, the door opened and in came the german photographer who was at the CLA show.
Had a big laugh over this coincidence.  After he leaves here he is going up our way to Allen Martin for a few days, and
will be over checking out the barrel shop, a great guy......Don

[JohnTyg]

Don,

I just returned from my day trip to Lancaster last week.
Stayed several hours as it was my first opportunity to study original rifles rather than just photographs.  Quite an eyeopener.  I agree with your observation regarding the depth of the barrel inlets in many of the rifles.  The J. Dickert, marked with the Irish registration number DC1677 on the top barrel flat, pretty much had the barrel buried in the front stock.

Presently building a rifle with a similar "problem".  Think I'll do my best to get the rest of the architecture correct first, then reassess the need to expose more of the barrel"s side flat.

I think it will me worth it for me to take another trip before the exhibit closes in December.

John

[Don Getz]

John...........It was real good to see those rifles again.   Every time you go back you see something different.   I don't
think the Musicians Rifle was there on my first visit.   Another surprise, there are two guns in the exhibit with the lock
placed on the left side of the gun.  These same two guns were built just like a right handed gun except for the lock.........
strange.............Don

[Don Getz]

Another thing about the show, a J.P. Beck pistol, which belongs to the Dauphin County Historical Society, is on display
in one of the glass cabinets.  This was one of a pair, the other one was stolen years ago.  I am almost certain that it is
in someones collection.   Wouldn't that be a strange situation, you owned a great thing like that and couldn't show it to
anybody.   It will probably emerge when someone's estate is being settled, found in a drawer..............Don

[JohnTyg]

Don,

You are certainly right that there is always something new to see, there are simply just too many details to be able to recall everything with one viewing!

No photos allowed and so I am honestly considering taking a sketch pad and taking the time to sketch out all the details that I find intriguing. 

The book really can't show all the details (very few pics showing carving details around the tang, or carving details in general).

I think my wife needs to go visit her sister in York.

John

[Acer Saccharum]

Wouldn't that be a strange situation, you owned a great thing like that and couldn't show it to
anybody.   It will probably emerge when someone's estate is being settled, found in a drawer..............Don

..... and the grandchildren would find out that Pops was a thief.