Mr. Rummel, I just can't stop admiring your work. Wow! Would you please help with a couple of things? The trigger guard looks like a laminate of steel and brass. Is this so? How is it made? Is it soldered from fitted pieces?
Also, please direct me to some source of reference to Jacob Dubbs.
Thank you, Woodbutcher
Thank you sir, I appreciate the comments. First the trigger guard, it is of solid cast brass and then atiqued with ammonia fumes, and 44/40 gun blue which enhances the engraving and also gives it that old looking patina.
Unfortunately, there is not a good source of reference for Jacob Dubbs only attributions. The rifle that I tried to copy can be found in RCA I No.59. The same rifle can be found in another source of reference but I can't for the life of me remember the name of the publication because I only have a photocopy of the page, which shows the rifle I tried to copy and another butt stock of a rifle, both attributed to Jacob Dubbs. The later had a date of 1721 on a silver thumb piece, however, 1721 can mean just about anything not necessarily the date it was made. Fortunately for me I was able to apprentice with Wayne P. Watson many years ago when he lived here in Bedford County. In his shop he had a collection of original patterns and rubbings from all types and schools of Pa rifles that he managed to collect during his many years of building. Before moving to Florida he allowed me to trace these patterns and photocopy the rubbings. Among these patterns and rubbings was the gun attributed to Jacob Dubbs that I tried to re-create.
On a side note I'd like to add that the nice part about attributed rifles is that it opens the doors to creativity because there are no signed rifles to compare it to. As long as the stock pattern is proper and the style of carving adheres to the school, you can just have fun with it. IMO
