Outstanding Henry Ledford Half-stock Longrifle - Revised with New Photos

[mbriggs]

I recently purchased the rifle featured below for re-sale purposes. It is an outstanding half-stock, percussion Longrifle made by Henry Ledford of Davidson County, North Carolina.  Henry was born in 1796, he is thought to have trained under Christoph Vogler in near by Salem, N.C.  His early flintlock rifles feature the Salem/Davidson School architecture. In the late 1830's to the mid 1840's, he made a number of half-stock rifles that feature the typical Salem/Davidson School double incised carved line that runs along the comb and terminates with a tab at the wrist. In the mid 1840's, he changed his style of stock architecture to copy the Jamestown School which was very popular.

I believe this rifle was made in the early 1840's.  The lock plate on this rifle was originally a flint-lock, but this rifle has always been percussion.  The rifle features 23 silver inlays with the best engraving I have ever seen on a Henry Ledford rifle. The rifle is all silver mounted with a full silver toe-plate.

This rifle was purchased in 2008 by a collector friend of mine at a gun show in Florida.

If anyone is interested in adding this rifle to their collection, please send me an email.

Thanks,

Michael









































Thanks for looking.

[Buck]

Mike,
Very fine rifle.
Buck

[bgf]

You must have some REALLY spectacular ones if you aren't tempted to keep this one !  Thanks for showing it to us.

I noticed on a lot of non-upper E.TN rifles from 40's and 50's (?--just a guess) that they also use that big flint-like plate (often with a curve in front of where the frizzen would have been).  I wonder if it was a common lock both for conversions (of rifles from the 20's for example, which would be in need of service most likely in 20 years of use) and new builds.

[mbriggs]

Thanks for the nice comments.  I have another Longrifle by this maker that was made in 1838.  It is also a half-stock, is still in original flint condition, has similar inlays, and features a silver Eagle patchbox. I like it 10% better.

I was not happy with the first set of photos I attached to this post, so I re-photographed the rifle this morning.  I think these photos show the rifle in a better light.

Michael  

[jdm]

Michael,
That rifle would still look good with no light. That is a great half stock. Makes me want to stray from the Lehigh guns.
 JIM

[Robby]

Michael, That is a real nice rifle well made. Its a wonder that it has survived and didn't have all the silver pried out of it with the carcass cast into some forgotten ditch. Thanks for showing it!!
Robby

[Curt J]

A truly beautiful rifle! I suspect that some flintlock locks were converted to percussion, during this period, before they were ever part of a rifle.

[Derekledford]

Is this rifle still available?

[mbriggs]

Derek,
Please contact me by email to discuss owning a Ledford rifle.

My address is mbriggs@callcoverage.com.

My cell is 336-340-6707.

Thanks,

Michael Briggs

[Derekledford]

Email has been sent mr briggs

Thank you
Derek Ledford

[WESTbury]

Mike--I was having some difficulty viewing your photos until this morning. It was worth the wait. That is a great rifle.

I cannot figure out why I'm not able to see about half of your photos. Photobucket seems to be problematic.

[mbriggs]

Hi Kent,

This was posted in 2013. I deleted my photobucket account several years ago and have no idea how those photos just now showed up.

That was a great Henry Ledford rifle I sold to another local collector.  I have sold four similar rifles by him since then including a great one to the Davidson County Historical Museum last month.

Thanks

Michael