Guilford County Longrifle Seminar

[mbriggs]

Historic Jamestown Society has announced a Longrifle Seminar to be held at the Jamestown Town Hall on Saturday, Sept. 23rd from Noon to 4 P.M. The address is 301 East Main Street in Jamestown, N.C. The cost to attend is $10 per person.

The seminar will focus on Longrifles from the Early Deep River School and the Jamestown School.  Speakers will be Michael Briggs, William W. Ivey, Kenneth Orr, and Blake Stevenson.  There will be a large number of Guilford County Longrifles on display.  Collectors are encouraged to bring up to three of their favorite Guilford County rifles.

For information contact Shawn Rogers at 336-454-3819. 

[MRNifong]

MBriggs,

Wish I could attend but will not be able to get there from Colorado.  Greatly enjoyed your Guilford Co. book which I bought two weeks ago when visiting Old Salem.

I inherited the boy's rifle shown in the attached photos. It can be traced to a farm family about 4 miles south of Salem.  It has many characteristics from the Lamb gun shops and identical side plate and barrel rib engraving to the John Ward rifle on p. 113 of your book.  Curiously the hammer on the converted percussion lock is brass plated.   

[mbriggs]

Mr. Nifong,
Thank you for reaching out to me and providing some photos of your family's boys rifle.  The Guilford Longrifle event was held last Saturday and was a huge success.  61 people attended. Over 50 Guilford Longrifles were displayed and studied, including four Early Deep River School rifles.  Everyone seemed to have a great time.

I can tell you from the two photos you attached that your rifle was not made in Jamestown. The incised carved lines along the comb that ends with a tab at the wrist tells me the rifle was likely made in the Davidson School.  Does the rifle have a makers name on the barrel? I plan to write two additional books over the next year.  One on the Salem School makers and one on the Davidson School.  The features I can see on your rifle from the two photos are found in both Schools, but most late Salem School rifles are not as ornate as yours, which is why I suspect it is from Davidson.

I would like to have a number of detailed photos of your rifle with a solid background to include in my book.  As you have the Guilford book, you can see the type of detailed photos I would need.

Please email them to mbriggs@callcoverage.com if you would like your rifle to be included in the book.

Thanks,

Michael 

[MRNifong]

Michael,

No signature/names, just the Roman numerals "VIII" behind the rear sight.

Looking forward to your new books.  Will send my rifle pictures to your email.

Michael 

[mbriggs]

The triggers on your rifle look like James Smith made Davidson triggers, not Jamestown.  A photo of the barrel tang will provide the answer.  I have seen three Evan Johnson Jamestown rifles over the years with the incised line and tab at the wrist. Maybe he trained there?  I still think Davidson.  This is fun.

Michael

[MRNifong]

Here are a few more photos to include the tang (will make better ones later).  It is not a 3-screw and the front sight is only single brass dovetail (not Jamestown).  You can't see it in the photo but the hammer brass is engraved.

Did John Ward move to Davidson? Again the engraving on the barrel rib and side plate are identical to your photo on p. 113 of your book.

Michael

[Mike Brooks]

That hammer has a brazed repair. The lock was originally flint. Possibly the percussion hammer broke and was brazed or the flint hammer was cut off and the percussion nose brazed on.

[MRNifong]

Thanks, great input.  Knew it was originally flint but never thought about it being brazed.

[mbriggs]

Thanks for posting the additional photos.  The barrel tang confirms what I suspected, the rifle was made in the Davidson School.  As it is not signed, there is no way to know which of the 18 gunsmiths who worked in this school made the rifle.  The triggers were made by blacksmith James Smith of Midway who forged triggers for all of the known gunsmiths of this school. The chicken tract engraving on the barrel rib is common on North Carolina rifles.  The half-moon side plate was used in the Jamestown School and the Davidson School.  I have owned several boys rifles from this school and seen two short buggy rifles from this school.

Thanks,

Michael   

[MRNifong]

Excellent info, Michael. Thanks.

And BTW here are some photos of another unsigned long rifle I inherited.  It came from a Western Forsyth County relative (1871-1951).  The lock is a conversion of a Pennsylvania lock by H Ewell.  Barrel slightly swamped. Any ideas?

Michael

[mbriggs]

With the pewter nose cap I would guess that is a late Salem School rifle made in Salem or Bethania.  Did you live in North Carolina at some point?

Michael

[MRNifong]

Yep.

A Moravian raised in Clemmons, a few miles west of Salem.  Then spent about 40 years with the Army.  Am related to George Foltz. 

[mbriggs]

The Moravian's founded a community near modern day Clemmons they called Hope.  I own a wonderful Eagle patchbox rifle that is signed by George Foltz. It is the best example I have seen by him.

Here is a couple of photos.

Thanks,

Michael








upload link direct

[CarolinaHoosier]

That is a beautiful gun, Michael.

[Mick C]

Please be sure to add this to the shows and events sections.  I would love to attend if I can manage to remember it when the time comes. 

[mbriggs]

Mick,
If you will look at the first post on this topic, the event was back in September 2017.  That is one of the issues with someone replying  to a years old topic.

My next Longrifle program will be "The Longrifles of the Wachovia Tract" on Saturday afternoon at the KRA Meeting in June at Mars, PA.

This is a promotion for Blake Stevenson's and my upcoming book titled "The Longrifle Makers of the Salem School."

Thanks,

Michael Briggs

[Mick C]

Oops, thanks for the correction.   

[CarolinaHoosier]

I apologize for causing any  confusion or inconvenience. It's still a beautiful gun. 😉