2015 CLA auction rifle

[Dan Fruth]

Hi Folks....I just returned from the show down in Tenn and what a beautiful spot. I just finished the rifle for the CLA auction, and took it down to be photographed. I finished it thursday evening and havn't even cut my name in the barrel yet. Here is a link to some photos I took before I left home.

http://dfruthflintlocker.blogspot.com/

Thanks for looking...Dan

[old george]

Very nice rifle Dan great job.

geo.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I got to hold this sweet rifle at the Tenn show. Not only is it a beautiful gun but when you get to see it in 3d you will realize that it is a beautiful piece of functional sculpture.  It is striking!!
Somebody is going to win a beautiful piece of art!! Way to go Dan!!

[Tim Crosby]

 I got to handle it as well at the Tenn. show, what a wonderful rifle, the balance is amazing.
Very well done.

  Tim C. 

[Ryan McNabb]

Great work.  Wish I'd noticed it at the show.  A rifle like that makes you want to put out the fire and call the dogs.

[C Wallingford]

I saw it also at the Tenn. show. Very nice for sure it fits me perfectly so it must have been made for me.LOL

[bama]

A very nice rifle indeed. I also missed it at the Norris show, i don't know how but I did. This rifle looks like a copy of the rifle that Wallace has or had, not sure if he still is the owner. He had cast the furniture for one of his classes at WKU a few years ago. I had the pleasure of taking this class and building a copy of that rifle. It has some interesting features in that the butt plate on the original is installed a little offset from center and the patch box cavity is cut like a round circular hole which also acts as the dove tail for the lid. When i first saw this i thought it would be harder than doing a standard dovetail but it worked well and was not that hard to do.

[Dan Fruth]

Thanks for the nice words folks, and yes this is a copy of the rifle Wallace once owned. When I first saw this gun I was taken by it. I took an extensive photographic record of it, as well as some critical measurements. Ed Rayl made the barrel from my measurements, which also became the barrel for a class Wallace taught. I was able to "swage" the butt plate to it's correct width from a plate Reeves sells, which Wallace believes was from the original shop where "woods runner" was built. That is the title Earl Lanning gave to this gun, and it indeed looks like a rifle one would expext from the period of 1760-1770. It is a well balanced piece and has great lines. I hope the new owner enjoys this gun as much as I have enjoyed building it....Dan fruth