Sheetz, Jacob (attributed)

[test_mem]

The long rifle below is attributed to Jacob Sheetz of Hampshire County VA (now West VA). The patchbox and general lines of this rifle look like known Jacob Sheetz work.

This rifle was purchased by a Canadian from N. Flayderman and Co. Inc in Oct of 1980. It is pictured as item #1526A in Flayderman’s catalog No. 104. The rifle has a 40” .42 caliber barrel that appears to have been re-used from another gun. The forearm does not appear to have been shortened so one would assume the barrel was cut to fit the stock. The barrel is held in  place by captured pins and must be slide forward to be released, a common trait found on other Hampshire County rifles. The overall length is 54 ¾ inches
      
The engraving on the cap box, under and to the rear of the cheek piece, does not appear to have been engraved by the same hand that did the patchbox. I have to assume the cap box was added after the original builder completed this rifle.