Original Dickert pictures?

[Justin Urbantas]

Hey folks. I am about to start  on a Dickert rifle, and was wondering if any of you know of a place to see good pics of his original rifles? I'd like to study some originals to get a better idea of what I"m gonna do

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Justin:  you have the right idea.  Study is the first prerequisite to being able to have a chance at approaching the work of the early masters.  I don't know what your library has currently, but there are dozens of books that you can examine, and over time, you'll likely collect a good many of them...I did!  Also, check out the site's museum.  It may have some Dickert work.  I think the site has a list of books from which you can choose.  I started with Kindig's "Thoughts on the ...Golden Age", and Lindsay's, "The Kentucky Rifle"  Another valuable resource is the DVD's put out by the Kentucky Rifle Foundation.

[dogcatcher]

First I would do a Google image search for "Dickert gunsmith", find the best pics and save them.  Then study the pics, and print out the best to keep in a notebook.  If you will be keeping your saved photos in the shop I suggest you get clear plastic sleeves for the photos you printout. 

[Mike Brooks]

Buy books.

[moleeyes36]

Justin,

Here's a place to start:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22664.0

Mole Eyes

[Dale Campbell]

Our virtual library has excellent pictures of three JP Becks. I don't think moleeyes reference is one of them (but should be, hint, hint).

[flinchrocket]

Muzzleloader Builder Supply has full scale plans for a Jacob Dickert rifle. Might come in handy with cross section views and measurements.

[Justin Urbantas]

Which books would you fellows recommend?
This is my current library, minus Foxfire 5 and the spiral bound Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle.

[rich pierce]

Dickert worked over an unusually long period and some of his output in latter years was probably the product if a medium sized to large shop. I'd identify the period first. Rifles he made around 1770 are quite different from rifles up to 30 years later.

I would recommend Rifles of Colonial America volume 1. It has about a half dozen Dickerts.

[Mark Elliott]

The must haves for any library are Rifles of Colonial America (Vol 1 has lots of good pics and data on early Dickerts) Vols I & II and The Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age.     If you are interested in early Dickerts, then the KRA Moravian book has some good color photos.   Dickert was a Moravian who spent most of his life in Lancaster,PA

[Mike Brooks]

Which books would you fellows recommend?
This is my current library, minus Foxfire 5 and the spiral bound Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle.

I would recommend the book with Dickert rifles......

[Dphariss]

Buy books.

Like Mike said.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Rifles of Colonial America 1 & 2. Just do it.
Moravian Gunmaking of the American Revolution. Wonderful really need this.
Kindigs book. A must have.
There are several others but I am not going to type them all in hear.
"Moravian" has a REALLY nice Dickert in COLOR. Its also in Rifles of Colonial America.

Dan

[smylee grouch]

There was at one time a spiral bound work book on Lancaster rifle carving and Dickert was represented there. It was authored by Susan Bicio (sp) who had bought Muzzleloader Builders Supply from Don Eads and then sold out to Ryan Roberts in Idaho. If you would like a copy I would start with Ryan and work from there.

[JTR]

One is shown in the library here, just follow the link below.
The first is Scott Gordons' excellent history of Dickert, and below that is a 1790's period Dickert rifle. It's had some restoration but is a good representation of his later rifles.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=454.0

John

[Mike Brooks]

This is NOT aimed at the OP. Times have certainly changed since I was just starting to build guns. Back then if you wanted to know anything you bought books and read them. Then if you wanted to actually see how these guns were built you traveled to see originals, sometimes hundreds of miles sometimes more. There was a great financial investment in knowledge.
 Now it's somebody post me a link that shows me everything I need to know for free.. You see this over and over. I suppose this is a good thing, everything you need to know is at your finger tips for nothing. I guess I should have waited 30 years....

[axelp]

technology is both a blessing and a curse... imagine what another 30 years will bring.

[t.caster]

Yeah, 3D copiers will build them for you Wouldn't that be boring....no hand craftsmanship

[Joe S.]

. Then if you wanted to actually see how these guns were built you traveled to see originals, sometimes hundreds of miles sometimes more.

And it was up hill both ways in ten feet of snow and you walked it in bare feet,just funnin you  I catch myself saying such things to a younger generation,they have no idea what it was like before computers and a microwave mentality.

[oldtravler61]

Sad fact , but you see less an less young people (under 45 ) at the major shows. Books are great . Dvds  are good. But like Mike pointed out. There's nothing like hands on an holding the rifle you want to create.IMHO

[Willbarq]

Iam 42. AR_15 and black black black, generic and modular is in. Old !@#$% like wood stock. Wood is almost a foreign substance those under 30.

[Willbarq]

Sad fact , but you see less an less young people (under 45 ) at the major shows. Books are great . Dvds  are good. But like Mike pointed out. There's nothing like hands on an holding the rifle you want to create.IMHO

Family relationships are not what they used to be. Bring kids. It will catch.

[Majorjoel]

I have no vested interests in this auction piece but consider every rifle made by Jacob Dickert that has survived to our time to be rare opportunities for study.  http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=537716223

[CARROLLCO]

There are black and white photos of Jacob Dickert rifles in "Kentucky Rifles and Pistols 1750 - 1850" by James R. Johnson pp. 72-75.I especially like the one on p. 75. Great patchbox. I too, want to build a Jacob Dickert rifle. I have some parts that I have been hauling around for 30 years. It seems as tho each time I have money set aside, medical bills take it all. I'm on medical disability due to a worsening heart condition  and the wife has had 2 types breast cancer and this year, tick fever. I have a pre-carved stock, buttplate, trigger guard , triggers, pipes, sights etc. I just need the barrel, patchbox, and lock. I have a folder on various Dickert rifles I have copied. My son gave me RCA volumes 1 & 2 for Christmas. There are nice photos in RCA as previously mentioned. Another source of inspiration are the rifles for sale on TOW (Track of the Wolf) by various modern day builders. The color photos are excellent and the carvings show up well. The builders list of materials, dimensions also are helpful. If you can't see an original, books and the library here on this site, are most helpful. I can still dream of doing this build, before I die, and still search for parts on the cheap. I visit this site every night and learn so much.

[Stophel]

This is NOT aimed at the OP. Times have certainly changed since I was just starting to build guns. Back then if you wanted to know anything you bought books and read them. Then if you wanted to actually see how these guns were built you traveled to see originals, sometimes hundreds of miles sometimes more. There was a great financial investment in knowledge.
 Now it's somebody post me a link that shows me everything I need to know for free.. You see this over and over. I suppose this is a good thing, everything you need to know is at your finger tips for nothing. I guess I should have waited 30 years....

That's what I had to do.  Buy books.  Lots and lots of books.  Every one I could find.  No, they weren't cheap.  No, many of them are not currently in print.  No, many of them are not easy to find.  I drove to gun shows to see and handle some of them.  Now, there definitely is more available free online now in just these past few years  (thanks mostly to dealers and auction houses), but still, the best stuff ya gotta pay for and do the leg work.  Just like the rest of us.

I'm not pointing at the OP here either, but like Mike, this is something that I see everywhere, not just in gunsmithing, but reenacting in general.  Many people simply don't want to take the time, nor put in the effort to research for themselves.  They want to click the mouse and have instant answers... and when someone with the knowledge comes along and tells them that whatever they learned on the internet is wrong....      "But, the Townsend catalog shows this..."  That ain't documentation, bubba!  You can usually tell right off the people that are wanting instant, free answers and have NO intention of researching anything for themselves.

I have no problem with people asking questions like Justin.  He's looking.  Everybody starts somewhere, and he's already started in the right direction.     And when you don't know, ask.  I've done the same thing.  I still do ask when I don't know!  And I'm grateful to those who have given me answers and shown me guns that I would never have been able to see or handle otherwise.