Author Topic: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)  (Read 2387 times)

oldgunsmith

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How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« on: July 08, 2020, 02:56:22 AM »
Thought I would throw that out there to generate some attention  ;D ;D  I recently acquired this rifle and would appreciate any input, good or bad you may be able to provide. It is a .45 cal, barrel length 40", beautiful curly maple stock, tapered ramrod and the bore is excellent plus. It shoots very well which makes me VERY happy.  I believe the lock has been replaced. and a new touch hole has been drilled, although I don't know why, because the original touch hole was in perfect alignment with the pan.  The lock is 4 1/2" long. On the left side of the barrel is stenciled C. RICHWINE. The width across the butt is 1 1/2" and the gun weighs 8 1/2 lbs. Neither stock nor barrel has been cut down. ( I believe the maker of this gun was German, because all the screws in the patchbox and top of the buttplate are indexed.) Would appreciate your thoughts and any additional info you may have to share. I hope the butt was representing the Crown of Thorns, and not a shark !! :):)   Thanks.

John














Offline Avlrc

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2020, 05:52:58 AM »
Berks County, Reading PA Rifle. Cornelius Richwine ( Reichwein) He may of made the barrel????

Offline mr. no gold

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2020, 07:13:04 AM »
To my eye, the gun has aspects of the Angstadts, especially Gideon who used the decorative, denticulated, brass panels by the toe plate, left side. The inlays have a flavor of the Upper Susquehanna schools. Nice rifle and it is always a pleasure to see a well decorated rifle in such good condition. It sounds like Richwein may have made the barrel though that is by no means necessarily the case. He may have made the whole gun. Thank you for bringing in here to show around. If you can, take a photo of the barrel marking(s) and let us see what they are. Would appreciate it.
Dick

oldgunsmith

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2020, 03:50:10 AM »
Here's a few more photos that might be of interest.






Offline Loudy

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2020, 04:10:54 AM »
John,
Thanks for posting photos of your rifle.  Not sure how I missed seeing it earlier when you originally posted.  Your latest post prompted me to go back and look for it.  Something about the lines of these Upper Susquehanna guns appeals to my eye.  I also suspect that C.R. was the maker of the barrel and not the rifle itself.  Does the patchbox release protrude through the back of the buttplate?  I think I can see the thumb slide in one of your photos.  Would it be possible to see a photo of the comb plate?  Thanks again.
Loudy

oldgunsmith

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2020, 07:24:31 AM »
Something about this rifle spoke to me the first time I laid eyes on it. Am enclosing photos for you of the patchbox and butt plate. I just noticed tonight that the release is staked in place. A new puzzle for me to figure out :):):)






oldgunsmith

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2020, 07:34:50 PM »
Sorry, we forgot to put the very photo you asked for !!


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Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: How Many of You Have Owned This Rifle ??:):)
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2020, 08:29:23 PM »
I really like this rifle a lot.  As noted earlier, I also suspect that Richwine either made just the barrel, or possibly the barrel was recycled from another gun for the current construction.

Someone posted some info on Richwine here:  https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22293.0

I would really like to know who actually stocked up this piece.  It's definitely an up-the-river rifle, very well made looks like.  Attractive!
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!