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Author Topic: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle  (Read 3259 times)

Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« on: May 11, 2025, 08:32:54 PM »
Sharing photos of a Contemporary Tennessee Longrifle in .45 caliber by Richard Breitenstein. The rifle is in unfired condition. The workmanship is superb. I’ve had this rifle since around 2012 when I purchased it from the Jack Buckner Collection from Jack’s son Noel.

































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Offline Robby

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2025, 09:36:35 PM »
Very nice!!!! I would have shot it by now, killed deer with it as well.
Robby
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2025, 05:41:06 PM »
Yes, very nice. Is there a reason it hasn't been fired?
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Daryl

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Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2025, 03:38:30 AM »
I have never been interested in firing it. I have a rifle I shoot regularly and prefer to stick with one gun for shooting and hunting.
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Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2025, 05:42:03 PM »
Also have this one made by his son.



































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Offline Seth Isaacson

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2025, 07:32:11 PM »
The Breitensteins live just a mile or two down my road. Very nice gentlemen. Unfortunately, I didn't know them long before Dan passed away rather suddenly in 2023. Once I learned he was a restorer just down the gravel road from me, I had the pleasure of visiting him in his shop a couple of times. He replaced a mainspring for me free of charge because that was the neighborly thing to do he said. I haven't seen Dick lately, but I hope he is doing well.
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I am the Describer Supervisor at Rock Island Auction Co., but I am here out of my own interest American longrifles & history.
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Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2025, 08:28:48 PM »
They were amazingly talented! I didn’t realize he had passed away.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2025, 08:45:43 PM by Sequatchie Rifle »
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"We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

Offline Robby

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2025, 09:07:44 PM »
Wow!!!! Also very nice!!!!
Robby
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Offline Seth Isaacson

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2025, 09:20:05 PM »
Quote from: Sequatchie Rifle on May 13, 2025, 08:28:48 PM
They were amazingly talented! I didn’t realize he had passed away.

https://www.esterdahl.com/obituaries/daniel-breitenstein

They were definitely talented, and I saw them at the Princeton show the times I was able to make it out. Dick was always mostly a builder as I recall, whereas Dan transitioned to spending a lot of his time doing restoration work rather than new builds in later years. He'd put up a series of photos on Facebook showing the start to finish of various restorations which was pretty cool to see. He was definitely one of the "wizards" at restoring stuff, and he'd take guns most would discard and save them from being parted out just because he loved the old guns and working on them.
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I am the Describer Supervisor at Rock Island Auction Co., but I am here out of my own interest American longrifles & history.
*All opinions expressed are mine alone and are NOT meant to represent those of any other entity unless otherwise expressly stated.*

Offline Buck

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2025, 02:29:43 AM »
I didn’t know that Dan had passed. He was a good friend and an excellent craftsman, both of them as you can see in both of these rifles. Bro Bill thanks for posting these, I had forgotten about them - put a smile on my face.

Bro Noel
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Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2025, 07:45:12 PM »
 Bro Noel- hope all is well and life is being good to you! These two rifles are masterpieces in my opinion! 

Bro Bill
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"We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

Offline Curt J

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Re: Richard L. Breitenstein Tennessee Rifle
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2025, 03:56:54 AM »
Dick Breitenstein is 92 and still doing well. He will have a table at the Prairie State Longrifle Show in Princeton, IL on August 1st & 2nd. His workmanship speaks for itself.

Dan Breitenstein was a dear friend of mine. We sometimes went on road trips together, buying old crusty guns. He could take a pile of rust and wood slivers and make it look like a well kept old rifle. He restored around sixty guns for me, over the years. I miss his friendship and amazing talents every day.
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