Another W. Gusler Colonial Williamsburg rifle (1971)

[flintriflesmith]

Since some of you seemed to enjoy seeing Wallace's 1972 era iron mounted rifle I thought you might also enjoy a brass mounted rifle from about a year earlier. This one is in a private collection and the pictures were sent to me by the present owner, along with the information about who the rifle was originally made for.

I find it interesting to look at all the CWF rifles from the 60s, 70s and 80s because they form a school of riflebuilding with many shared details. This did not result from intentional copying. It happened because in a production shop, involved in training apprentices, it was more efficient to reuse similar successful elements than to design each rifle component from scratch. Triggers and hind sights are great examples of this.
Gary
http://www.flintriflesmith.com/GunshopEraGuns/Wallace_Gusler_1971.htm

[G-Man]

I really like that rifle. 

Given the limited availbility of information and parts back then, it is light years ahead of the contemporary rifles that most folks were turning out.  It just really shows how the best makers back then were producing outstanding pieces like this based on their own research and study of original guns, and these pieces still hold up really well in comparison today. 

Thanks for posting these - it is the first time I've seen someone documenting a group of builders from a contemporary "school" over a long time span, in the way people like to study the original groups of gunmakers.  It's fun to see how it evolved over time and how style influence carries from maker to maker within the group.  I think it helps in understanding how the original influences might have spread and evolved in the 1700s and early 1800s.

Guy

[Tim Crosby]

 Gary,
  How many rifles were built at the Williamsburg shop over the years? How many were done lock,stock and barrel?

Thanks, Tim C.

[lew wetzel]

i love wallices work.he has built some mighty fine rifles over the years.the highlight for me at the cla show was being able to handle and examine one of his from 1972 that gary brumfield had on his table...

[richardn]

Absolutely beautiful. Appears original; carving is sharp and well executed.

Richard Nicholas

[G-Man]

Gary - I also really enjoyed the accounts of the hunting trips.  Thanks for posting all of that intersting information on your website. Missed you at Friendship yesterday.

Guy

[don getz]

Looks like a fantastic gun for 1971.  At that time, there were not too many builders doing this type, or quality, of work.
We had the "Bladensburg" school, ....Pippert, Stanford, Ditchburn, etc., and I am curious as to when John Bivins got his
start.  I know Wallace had a big influence on John's work, I wonder if he would comment on this connection, and when
did John first start to build guns?      Don

[don getz]

I must apologize, I just remembered Earl Lanning, and how could anyone forget him?  I don't know, but, he may have
influenced Wallace, and was certiainly one of the early what I consider to be the leader in the "new" contemporary field
of gun building.  I have seen some of his early stuff, and it was good.  Maybe he could fill us in on how this movement
got started, and how and who he influenced.............Don

[deano]

I noticed in the notes that the gun originally "only" sold for $1,000, with the comment those were the good old days. However, in 1971, I was getting out of college and made almost $10,000 so it's all relative to the times.

I could only imagine what a great gun with this pedigree would sell for today.

Ken

[flintriflesmith]

... I am curious as to when John Bivins got his
start.  I know Wallace had a big influence on John's work, I wonder if he would comment on this connection, and when
did John first start to build guns?      Don

Wallace saves old letters and he has one from John Bivins in which John thanks Wallace for giving him his first lesson in carving. John had already built some uncarved rifles.

Obviously John was one h**l of a brilliant student!

Gary

[flintriflesmith]

I must apologize, I just remembered Earl Lanning, and how could anyone forget him?  I don't know, but, he may have influenced Wallace, ............Don

Wallace and Earl did not meet until after the CWF Gunshop was well established.

Back in those days there were little pockets of gunmaking and no networks like the CLA and the Internet to connect them.

Gary

[flintriflesmith]

I noticed in the notes that the gun originally "only" sold for $1,000, with the comment those were the good old days. However, in 1971, I was getting out of college and made almost $10,000 so it's all relative to the times.

I could only imagine what a great gun with this pedigree would sell for today.

Ken

So this rifle sold for a bit less than $1K at a time when you got $10K for a first job out of college. Today a new BS degree can expect to earn $30-40K. My point in saying those were the good old days was that a new rifle by a top of the field maker is relatively more expensive. Instead of $3-4K (based on the increase in salary) you would expect to pay $6-10K or more.

But maybe you are right! Today's prices are closer to the market value of similar custom work in other fields such as cabinetmaking, silversmithing, etc. So from the perspective of a builder maybe today is "the good old days." Maybe longrifles are, at least in some markets, starting to earn a living wage for their builders.

Gary

[Cimarron]

Another reason I love seeing you guys at Martin's Station. I appreciate Wallace even more.