A collaboration

[GrizG]

I started this under the guidance of Jon Laubach when I worked in the shop at Williamsburg as a skilled craft interpreter. I was looking for a Federalist Period gun and was inspired by Isaac Haines. Life got in the way for both Jon and I and the project dragged on and stalled completely when Jon passed away. I had lunch with George Suiter about 3 years ago and he agreed to finish the project for me... Frustratingly, chronic Meniere's has kept me from doing any detailed work for nearly 7 years--my fine woodworking stalled also.

I filed the 42" .54 swamped Getz barrel, polished the Siler lock, smithed the trigger, inlet the barrel and did other "prep" work. Charcoal blued... 14 1/2" LOP as I recall.

The photos are phone photos... I hope to have a complete studio set done by my son around Christmas / New Years.  The initials on the breech are Jon's and mine.

[Austin]

My hats off to you! endeavor to persevere! Nice job

[J. Talbert]

I can relate.  My current project was begun by someone else 17 years ago.

Sorry you were unable to finish yours yourself, but it looks like the end result was worth the waiting and perseverance.

Nice rifle,
Jeff

[Daryl]

Hard to get used to left handed guns, but the workmanship is excellent to my eye.

[GrizG]

Hard to get used to left handed guns, but the workmanship is excellent to my eye.

I'm actually right handed but have to cope with amblyopia... As a kid I shot BB and pellet guns, and cartridge guns, right handed but not well. When it came time to buy a rifle at age 16 for deer hunting I saved up my pennies and bought a left hand Remington 700 BDL (first year they sold them). After experiencing that I never went back to right hand shooting with long guns. When it came time for a good flintlock I decided to go left handed... it's for me after all!

I took a few more phone photos... fresh from the woods. I've been hunting with it the past couple weeks and noticed a few minor dings and some patina developing.  It should look great in another decade!  Note that the "irregularities" in carving near the tang aren't irregularities... it's a combination of grain, figure and lighting at play.

[Mick C]

Absolutely beautiful rifle.  Thanks for sharing.

[ScottH]

Very Nice, that charcoal blued barrel came out nice too.