Original flintlock Joe Long Pennsylvania longrifle

[ntqlvr1948]

I just bought this gun recently. It is in attic condition. Never converted to percussion. It came from an estate sale. The gun has a 38 and 1/4 inch barrel. Caliber is 52 and deeply rifled. So I assume the user hunted bigger game than squirrels. A friend of mine from Pennsylvania is a distant relitive of Long's. I have read that Long made very few flintlocks as percussion was coming in. Any of you guys know more than I do about Long's guns...I would  like to hear from you. I'll get more pics later
thanks
Gene

[ntqlvr1948]

A few more pics

[Shreckmeister]

Nice rifle

[Shreckmeister]

Looks early

[Avlrc]

Not much about that rifle not to like. The condition collectors love.  Nice find.

[Tanselman]

I thought I saw this rifle go through an auction house in the past year or so, and I wondered then how a Joseph Long rifle could differ so completely from all the rifles I've seen by him and the several I've owned. The patchbox looks like a Berks Co. box by Reedy, as does the rear pipe carving. Joseph Long, at least on all the percussion rifles I've seen, had many distinctive details, none of which appear on this rifle... except perhaps the soft curve in the comb. It makes me question how an early Joseph Long rifle could look like this, when virtually none of its details carried over into his percussion years working in Snyder County. It's a puzzling rifle to me, made me think perhaps there was another "J. Long" that wasn't the better-known Joseph Long, but it's a good looking rifle none-the-less in great condition.

Shelby Gallien

[JTR]

That is a fine looking rifle in many respects, regardless of the signature.
But personally, I'd be suspect of that signature.
Here's a link to the Library on this site, with several Joe Long guns and signatures. https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=33.0
Here is a picture of the signatures of the two rifles I've owned of his.
 


Either way, you have a nice rifle and thanks for posting it.
John

[ntqlvr1948]

If you are suggesting that is a fake signature I beg to differ. I have the gun in my hands and that signature is as old as the gun....and Tanselman thinks there was possibly another J long making guns
 and so happened to have the same signature.. If you compare signatures from Edith Cooper's book on the Joe Long chapter you will see for yourself and it doesn't take a handwriting expert to see that this is by the same hand.

[JTR]

Excuse me, but I'm not saying it's a fake signature. It's just don't think it's the signature of the Joe Long that made many rifles of a very similar style and detail.
And if you look closely at the signature, at the way the letters are formed and cut, your gun would have to have been made when he was a very young man, or very old man. Just zoom in on the signature of your gun and look at the hammer/graver tool marks and the letter style and compare those to the ones I posted.
Also, as Shelby points out, your rifle has almost none of the styling, inlays, details that Long put on his guns over and over again.
I agree, a J Long made your rifle, I just don't think it likely is by the prolific Joe Long that we are most familiar with. In the end, this is just my opinion and there is no need for you to agree with it. I would only suggest you study some of the many J Long rifles and come to your own conclusion. 
Like I said, it's a nice rifle, and thanks again for posting it.

[Buck]

All,

No doubt the rifle is old. The box has the Womelsdorf / Pine Grove look, doesn’t have the double rivet on the lid - maybe a replacement? The rifle isn’t in my hands, the engraving isn’t of Reedy quality either, carving at the fore stock is puzzling as well, it’s inverted. Not sure what this is, maybe a late rifle built by an apprentice out of the Reedy or Figthorn shop? I have no comment on the signature, I’m not overly familiar with Joe Longs work let alone his signature.

Buck

[ntqlvr1948]

My friend brought me the book by Edith Cooper. She has 13 Long guns pictured in it. And many things on those guns are the same like the oval wrist escutcheon, shape of the stock, and all were curly maple and with barrels from 35 to 40 inches long. I am putting the signature on my gun with a couple from her book and it doesn't take a handwriting expert to determine what is the outcome. Joe Long signed it. Anyone who has the rifle in his hands would agree.

[Jdbeck]

Judging by the architecture, maybe an early work of his this gun looks much earlier than the percussion silver inlaid guns J Long is known for?

As different as the the signatures are, there’s too many similarities—I’d argue it’s the same J Long signature.  What I see is Leonard Reedy influences. Leonard Reedy after leaving Womelsdorf eventually settled in Gratz, PA about 40 miles from Joseph Long..

Thank you for sharing— it’s a Beaut. I’m sure it has a story to tell!