Possible Jamestown School NC Longrifle?

[will]

Some years ago I inherited a .36 cal. long rifle from a great aunt, through my father. It is a half-stocked percussion with double-set trigger (Henry Parker lock), no patch-box and a rounded tang with 3 screws. Multiple brass inlays, present and missing. No maker's mark that I can find. I am certain it has been in the family since it was made; The family home in eastern NC was built in 1810 and stayed in the family until the early 1970s. It is a favorite heirloom and I have always been intrigued with this rifle and would like to find out more. If anyone could enlighten me on the possible maker or school, I would love to hear from them.

[Hlbly]

Not possibly, but definitely a Jamestown rifle.

[mbriggs]

Will,
I agree with Gerald (Hlbly). Your rifle was made in Jamestown,  N.C.  If the rifle is not signed on the barrel,  there is no way to know which of the 85 gunsmiths who worked in this school made it. They pretty much all made the same rifle.  I would date your rifle between 1840 and 1861 from looking at the photos.

I have published a 200 page book on the Guilford County gunsmiths who worked in Jamestown.  You can look in the book section of this website if you want more information.

Best of luck with it.  It looks like a nice rifle.

I have been collecting Jamestown rifles for over 40 years and currently have three of them for sale if you want to add to your budding collection.

Thanks,

Michael

[will]

Thank you Mr. Briggs. I was pretty convinced it was when I saw you and a colleague talk on uTube about NC made rifles. I remember when my Great Aunt gave it to Dad, who was a collector of miscellaneous firearms, in about 1963. It came with a companion, a London-made double barreled percussion shotgun of approximately the same era. My mother's family came from Halifax County in eastern North Carolina, and we have always assumed it was a Carolina-made gun. I also remember that both guns were loaded when Dad received them. I think this style of gun is beautiful, and since my father passed last year, I have inherited the rest of his collection; none of them is as old as this one, which I have owned for more than 25 years. I worked in Winston Salem back in the early 1970s, and for 50 years have been in the museum business as an exhibits designer and curator. I will be very interested in checking out your book, and it was from knowing your reputation that I sought this forum. Thank you.

[will]

And thank you Gerald, for your response. I am not quite as confident in identifying these long rifles, and was simply going by the three-screw tang and the general form, and of course, a known family origin. It is fun to add to my knowledge through this forum. Thanks!

[AZshot]

Will, as a fellow North Carolinian (grew up in Winston-Salem) I congratulate you on having a fine NC heritage rifle.  The story, provenance, is another part of what makes your rifle interesting, thanks for sharing it.  I used to dream of owning a NC rifle, I went in the Navy, moved out West, and figured it was something impossible or too expensive.  Since I've found this forum I'm also reacquainting myself with my NC roots, and finding you really can discover them at times.  Keep up the story and passing it down!