Author Topic: For Schrekmeister, Suzkat, and everyone else.....a W Schrekengost swivel gun (Read 11709 times)

lexington1 · « **on:** August 02, 2015, 08:46:11 PM »

I thought I would share a few pics of a William Schrekengost swivel breech I just picked up. Both barrels are 40", rifled, and .45 caliber. I think it's pretty neat and Wm certainly was a good engraver.

lexington1 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2015, 08:48:29 PM »

Here is a link to a complete set of pics

http://s155.photobucket.com/user/theresasink/library/Schrekengost%20Swivel%20Breech

OLUT · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2015, 09:16:23 PM »

A beautiful example of a percussion swivel breech over under! Is there a release button or sliding trigger guard for pivoting the barrels, or is it merely a friction fit?
OLUT

lexington1 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2015, 09:34:09 PM »

The barrels unlock by pushing up on the front of the trigger guard.

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2015, 01:13:15 AM »

You should be more merciful. I'm drooling right now. She is beautiful. Is that the one that sold at Bonhams a few years back? Thanks for sharing the photos. I'd love to hear the story of it's past.

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2015, 01:16:33 AM »

Holy Cow! It's not the Bonham auction rifle. It's yet another of his swivels that I hadn't seen before.

Buck · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2015, 01:23:59 AM »

Nice!!!!!!!
Buck

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2015, 01:39:09 AM »

After viewing the photobucket pictures, the condition of this rifle is tremendous. I would love to see the toe plate as well. She sure is pretty.

Dphariss · « **Reply #8 on:** August 04, 2015, 06:22:35 AM »

This is a great rifle. In many ways.

Lucky R A · « **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2015, 06:07:38 PM »

Hey Wes,
Nice find, and this one doesn't look to need anything but a bolt. That gun room will soon need an expansion.....
Ron

WKevinD · « **Reply #10 on:** August 05, 2015, 12:59:34 AM »

I just looked at the photobucket pics. Did anyone see that front sight treatment? That is just beautiful!

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2015, 02:59:31 AM »

He often did that front sight treatment even on his earlier cruder engraving. The 4 circles punched on the sight are on every rifle locking the sight down. This is his classic patchbox. Not his most elaborate work but I think he created the swivel mechanism on his own forge which makes up for any lack of embellishment.

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #12 on:** August 11, 2015, 10:42:57 PM »

Here's a nice feature only seen on one other Shreckengost rifle. Looks like stamping filled with black as a border along the
stock above the toe plate.

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2015, 07:05:54 PM »

I had a chance to witness disassembly of this swivel breach recently by an experienced gunsmith. The workmanship is amazing.
The hand forged swivel mechanism is a marvel. The sideplates forward of the swivel, lock, counterplate and barrels are all dovetailed into the swivel
mechanism. The work is tight to tolerances that are nearly CNC work. Blows me away that this was done in a 20 foot shop with no more than
daylight to work with. The lock on this rifle is marked Whitmore & Wolfe and dates to the period 1836-1852 making the rifle earlier than I had
originally thought. The lock is original to the rifle as the inletting is closely done around the inner workings.

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2015, 09:35:24 PM »

This ad from a Pittsburgh Directory for a later partnership which dated 1858-1872 shows Whitmore Wolfe Duff & Co selling locks.

PPatch · « **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2015, 10:10:40 PM »

Beautiful rifle(s)... you can almost feel the joy felt in the crafting of it.

dave

jdm · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2015, 02:17:55 AM »

The man was a perfectionist. He took pride in his work as a statement of who he was. I don't think that type of quality was the norm in that time period.

lexington1 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2015, 05:50:07 PM »

I looked it over well, and it really is superb craftsmanship and high quality. He had to have hand made all of the swivel breech components. Amazing!

leadslinger62 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2015, 01:28:51 AM »

Hard to believe the Craftsmanship in that Rifle !! Nice find Wes....

lexington1 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2015, 01:40:19 AM »

Thanks Leadslinger, but the swivel breech is back with the Schrekengost family now where it belongs.

leadslinger62 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 20, 2015, 02:59:32 AM »

As it should be....

Shreckmeister · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2015, 05:49:21 PM »

News:

Author Topic: For Schrekmeister, Suzkat, and everyone else.....a W Schrekengost swivel gun (Read 11709 times)

leadslinger62

leadslinger62