Author Topic: Wallace Gusler rifle, Beautiful (Read 28092 times)

Shreckmeister · « **on:** January 05, 2011, 05:27:32 PM »

Built by Wallace Gusler in 1959 at 19 years old- Patchbox is carved from Moose Antler- Silver high relief chiseled patchbox lid- heavy carving of the tree the wood came from in Ft. Lewis that Wallace Milled. Buffalo Horn inlay on the cheek piece with 18kt. gold wire wrap. Butt plate and Toe Plate Antler. Fantastic Wood.

Robert Wolfe · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2011, 07:36:13 PM »

19 huh! He obviously still had a lot to learn....

Beautiful work.

rich pierce · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2011, 03:39:32 AM »

Talent like that is born not made. We can be thankful it was encouraged to flourish in a rich environment.

hoochiejohn · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2011, 07:08:56 PM »

Quite a storyboard on the carving and patchbox

Tremendous talent and innovative use of materials...simply lovely

Any accoutrements to the rifle

Thanks Rob for the pics

Shreck

realtorone · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2011, 08:31:17 PM »

Beautiful rifle.Is he still building?

flintriflesmith · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2011, 08:40:45 PM »

Quote from: George on January 06, 2011, 08:31:17 PM

Beautiful rifle.Is he still building?

George,
Yes, Wallace is still taking an occasional order when he can find the time. He is retired from Colonial Williamsburg and also, as many of you know, working on his lifelong project -- a book about Virginia rifles and gunsmiths.
Gary
http://www.flintriflesmith.com/WritingandResearch/Published/wallaceretires_mb.htm

Kermit · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2011, 06:21:47 AM »

The man is AT LEAST a national treasure!

realtorone · « **Reply #7 on:** January 09, 2011, 08:04:11 PM »

Gary
Thanks for info,He is a master builder
George

Jim Kibler · « **Reply #8 on:** January 10, 2011, 12:12:30 AM »

For me, what makes this gun special is imagining the context in which it was built. Here you obviously had an excited young person pushing his limits in a field where virtually no other peers existed. Look at the 50 plus years to follow and you can see the rest of the story. Pretty neat.

gibster · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2011, 03:06:09 AM »

Very nice. Any chance of seeing pictures of the rest of the rifle?

Marcruger · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2017, 12:02:50 AM »

I am calling this topic back up for an interesting reason.

I was fortunate to spend an hour or so talking (mainly listening to) Wallace this weekend. At my request he was sharing about his background, growing up, and learning longrifles. Thank you Ed Wenger for giving me the tip to go say hello at the show.

Wallace mentioned to my wife and I that he had made a rifle back in the late 50s from scratch, mainly from books he looked at. He said he was inspired by Davey Crockett. Very little description and very nonchalant.

He allowed that the rifle he made was seen by others, and was the reason he got to talk with the folks in Williamsburg about starting a gunmaking shop there in association with the blacksmith's shop. He really just glossed over the rifle, but said he traded it off to someone for Indian artifacts, which made his new bosses mad at Williamsburg.

I searched Google for early Gusler rifles, and realized that the one in this thread has to be the one he was casually talking about.

HOLY SMOKE! No wonder it caused a stir. A heck of an early effort.

What a talent. It was a great visit.

My apologies to Jay Hopkins for interrupting his visit with Wallace.

Best wishes, Marc

oldtravler61 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2017, 12:27:07 AM »

Wallace is a true craftsman of the highest caliber. An a very kind gentleman besides. Thanks for showing! Oldtravler

Cades Cove Fiddler · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2017, 03:19:23 AM »

.....Wallace IS a true gentleman and must have unlimited patience.....if he is at a gun show, his tables are always busy with admirers of antique guns with thousands of questions, which he graciously tries to accommodate ....he usually has to excuse himself for a break,....!!! ....Have seen WG at several shows, and had the honor to dine with him & wife...He is quite a story teller, too ...!!! ... Truly to be looked up to as a pioneer in the modern day Muzzle-gun fraternity........ Thanx, Wallace .... !!!

bones92 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2017, 12:21:18 AM »

I sure hope Mr. Gusler has managed to pass along much of his knowledge to younger builders.

Brent English · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2017, 12:56:54 AM »

1st time I've seen pictures of that gun. As John Denver used to say: "FAAAARRRR OUUUUUUTTT!". I stumbled into the gun shop at CW about 20 years ago on a slow day and met Wallace. Told him I was a life member of the NMLRA. Bent my ear for about 90 wonderful minutes. A highlight of my gun studies. I run a machine shop and have shared Wallace's video of gunmaking with the employees. In a shop full of CNC equipment they marvel at the old ways of doing things. Somebody in this thread called Wallace a "National Treasure". Yessir.

Joe S. · « **Reply #15 on:** March 14, 2017, 01:59:43 AM »

Wow,what a talent,special person right there.

Marcruger · « **Reply #16 on:** March 14, 2017, 02:17:29 AM »

I was stunned that he shared so much time with me and my wife. Great guy.

wallace gusler · « **Reply #17 on:** March 14, 2017, 03:48:51 AM »

RE: my early, partially-made rifle:

Thanks for all the nice comments regarding my work. That is not the rifle that secured my job at Colonial Williamsburg. It was more traditional. The moose antler piece, if I recall, I started when I was 18 or 19 as an experiment, but I never finished it. There is also a chiseled mount pistol out there somewhere that I made during my experimental teens. I was making the moose antler rifle as a tribute to one of our (Gary Brumfield and Duck DeHart) favorite hunting places called "Buck Hollow," and one section called "Hickory Flats." Hickory Flats was about sixty degrees for several hundred yards to the top of Fort Lewis Mountain. The area was about a mile and a half hike from our houses in Fort Lewis Hollow, State Rt. 777, about five miles west of Salem, VA. The woods there were a tangle of downed chestnut trees and foxgrape vines, thus the decoration on the rifle. Before starting this example, I had made three or four full stock flintrock rifles and several with hand-forged and filed flintlocks.

In the past year and a half I have made 14 or 15 hand-forged and filed pipe tomahawks and have demonstrated the processes of hand forging and decorating tomahawks in two videos produced by Jim Wright of American Pioneer Video in Bowling Green, KY (1-270-782-7506.)

I am presently working on three long rifles, since some people are asking if I am still making guns. Speaking of, need to get back to the carving bench.

Timothy88 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2017, 05:02:08 AM »

That is a beautiful rifle! Wallace is definitely a national treasure!

BackWoods · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2017, 03:45:01 AM »

Beautiful work.

BOB HILL · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2017, 11:27:02 PM »

Yes, he is truly a living treasure and a fine gentleman to boot.
Bob

smylee grouch · « **Reply #21 on:** March 24, 2017, 04:01:38 AM »

Mr. Gusler, welcome to the conversation and thank you for joining in. It's an honer to have you among us. Smylee Grouch

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Author Topic: Wallace Gusler rifle, Beautiful (Read 28092 times)

hoochiejohn

realtorone

realtorone

BackWoods