"Free Born" Rifle inquiry

[t.caster]

I am thinking about building a rifle similar to RCA-114 "I was Free Born" for my next project. But before I start I would like to know if there has been any recent study or discussion on it's maker, point of origin and time period, beyond what Shumway noted in his volume.
Just to start things off, the overall dimensions and architecture are certainly not out of line for Early Lancaster or nearby Lebonon, maybe even Berks Cos. But nothing to really tie that down, and Shumway throws it into that WIDE OPEN Southern category.
Looks like the barrel could have been shortened at some time and it is stated the forend is a replacement....and the rr pipes aren't spaced the same, suggesting such shortening.
Anyone have any further info?  Thanks

[Majorjoel]

Hi Tom, there are some great pictures and info on Mel Hankla's site regarding the Freeborn rifle. http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/html/free_born.html      Good luck on your building project and I can't wait to see it when complete! Joel

[Shreckmeister]

Just got a hands on look at this rifle at the Harmony PA longrifle show a week or so ago. 
What a fantastic rifle. 

[rich pierce]

I've had a lot of discussions with the current owner who has been very generous in sharing it, about its origins and have handled it a couple times.   Its origin is a conundrum to me because the slight stepped wrist steers me in one direction, and other features steer me in another.  The amount of wear on the tang carving obscures the original form somewhat, which is not helpful.  The barrel is a replacement and some of the forestock is a restoration.  The lock may be the second lock on the gun as it seems more recent than the rest of the gun.   

The signatures which I think may offer clues to origin:

The cheekpiece has a form which seems to me to be similar to that on the great Newcomer rifle, the Peter Resor "ghost" rifle, and some Schroyer-attributed rifles.  The cheekpiece is also very prominent and bulges out dramatically like some Berks county guns.

The carving has unusual tendril terminations like the great Newcomer rifle, a couple Schroyer-attributed rifles, and the Peter Resor ghost rifle.

The guard is a bit of a conundrum.  Most of it except the spur is similar to that on RCA124, a Southern walnut-stocked rifle out of Virginia.

The sideplate offers little help.

[t.caster]

Joel, It was Hankla's photos that 1st spurred my interest. Looking at them again, I see it with the rear set trigger installed, similar to one of Dickert's early rifles. I also thought the carving looked similar to some of G. Shroyer's.
The lock and brrl. may have been replaced during it's long tenure in England.
I'm not about to rule out it's possible connection to Chr. Spring makers and their movement into the south. The whole mystery of it all is what makes this an intriquing project.
I plan on using a Rice .54 x 46" barrel on this one.

[Mark Tyler]

The trigger was done as part of the restoration and is not original to the rifle.

[JTR]

Personally I always thought I saw a lot of similarity in the cheek piece and butt end style in my Henry Spitzer Virginia rifle. Not that I thought it was a Spitzer rifle, but possibly from that area of Virginia 25 years previous.

John

[rich pierce]

The trigger was done as part of the restoration and is not original to the rifle.

But the guard?

[Mark Tyler]

It is my understanding the trigger guard is original. The restorer believed the rifle should have a that particular type of rear set trigger (based upon trigger guard IIRC).

[bgf]

The guard if original is not unlike several later attributed to northern/central Valley of Virginia (brass-mounted rifles marked "GB" among others), esp. with the shorter grip rail.  Not surprisingly, those rifles also have stepped wrists.  I don't think the way the grip curls is especially compelling -- possibly customer preference/fashion.

It could also be NC with a Moravian twist, as the stepped wrist and that style guard is found there a lot also.  The way the buttstock molding is terminated without piercing the buttplate is also found a lot in the Virginia stepped wrist rifles. 

The trigger looks wrong, as if there were set triggers at some point.  The questionable modifications made to the John Thomas rifle by no other than the Durs Egg make it clear that England might have liked colonial rifles but didn't have a clue as to what makes them tick.

I've seen this rifle once in person, and it is magnificent for an early piece, but once is not enough to even begin to study a rifle.

[rich pierce]

The guard if original is not unlike several later attributed to northern/central Valley of Virginia (brass-mounted rifles marked "GB" among others), esp. with the shorter grip rail.  Not surprisingly, those rifles also have stepped wrists. 

Are there similarities in carving or cheekpiece style on those later step wristed rifles?

[bgf]

The guard if original is not unlike several later attributed to northern/central Valley of Virginia (brass-mounted rifles marked "GB" among others), esp. with the shorter grip rail.  Not surprisingly, those rifles also have stepped wrists. 

Are there similarities in carving or cheekpiece style on those later step wristed rifles?

I had to check !  The one you might want to look at there (cheek and carving) is the Jacob Young Whitley rifle, as I think there are some similarities in the approach to both (even at some temporal remove), but see what you think.

[Eric Kettenburg]

If you can contact Earl Lanning, who apparently doesn't do internet anymore, he may be able to give you some additional insight on this piece.  Tom Patton also, I believe, although I haven't heard from him around here lately either.

[heinz]

This is an interesting rifle.  I have handled it a couple of times.  Tom Patton owns it, or at least he did a year ago, and at that time he thought the rifle may have been a battle field pick up taken back to England.  He felt the breech of the rifle had been blown damaging the breech and lock area.  I do not recall if he felt the lock and trigger guard were replacements, but he was pretty sure of the blown breech resulting in a shorter barrel, either shortened or replaced.

[rich pierce]

The one you might want to look at there (cheek and carving) is the Jacob Young Whitley rifle, as I think there are some similarities in the approach to both (even at some temporal remove), but see what you think.

Nice, wish I could see the carving more closely on the Whitley rifle with the brass wrist repair.  From what I can see it has a similar feel to the Free Born rifle.

Here's another couple pictures of the Free Born rifle.

[C. Cash]

Thanks for sharing the info on this beautiful rifle....interesting to think of what the verse meant to the one who inscribed it.  I also find it interesting how they engraved the patchbox upside down on some of these early rifles.

[Fullstock longrifle]

[JTR]

I also find it interesting how they engraved the patchbox upside down on some of these early rifles.

There's been some discussion on here from time to time comparing the way we think or look at things nowdays, compared to the way to old guys would, and this is a good example.

When that gun was made, the man using it would look at it from the view of being held in his hands, like he would hold it while hunting. So to him, the verse wasn't upside down!
Today, we look at the gun laying on a table or hanging on a wall, most likely now even touching it, so the verse is upside down.

The original intent of the gun was to be used, held, and admired from that position! Think about it! 

John

[Robby]

Not being as well versed in all the various methods used by those ingenious fellows that made these guns so many years ago, when I look at that dome on the lid, it looks as though it was added to the flat part of the lid. Was it formed from one solid sheet of brass? If so, the break over is so crisp and clean and nicely done. I've never seen another like it.
Anyone had a close look at this feature?
Robby

[t.caster]

Yeah, the lid is going to be a real challenge to form from sheet brass. I think some steel dies will have to be made.
I read somewhere the original lid was a brass casting, so that would explain the sharp edge around the base of the dome.

[heinz]

If you look on Mel Hankla's site that was posted earlier in this thread, you can see a picture of the interior of the box and lid.  The tailpiece of the lid is soldered on,  The dome shows visible cross peen and ball peen hammer marks, so I do not believe it was cast.  It could have been cast and hammered back into shape but I do not think so.  I believe it would have required a jig for the right angles around the sides and round front. At least I would have required a jig, my father and grandfather who were better smiths than me might have been able to do it with a flatter and 1/2 round swaging hammer.

[Acer Saccharum]

The lid is entirely possible to form from one piece of brass with hammers, punches, and a backing medium called PITCH.

Silver smiths use 'planishing hammers' and anvils, all with polished faces and surfaces. This leaves bright glossy hits on the work.