Author Topic: Bucks County Nosecap (Read 6138 times)

pushboater · « **on:** February 21, 2014, 05:55:14 PM »

A few years back I built a little .36 cal Lehigh squirrel rifle and after doing my research I discovered that quite a few of them were made with an open ended nose cap. I incorporated the open ended Nose Cap on the rifle and it came out really nice. I'm now building a contemporary Bucks County Rifle and knowing the close association of Bucks County to Lehigh County was wondering if anyone knows if there are any examples of Bucks county rifles with open ended nose caps.

Capt. David

Curtis · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2014, 07:18:42 PM »

Pushboater,

The answer is yes, I will try to post a pic this evening.

Curtis

Tom Currie · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2014, 07:41:17 PM »

An open nose cap would be most appropiate on a Bucks County gun. Bucks County nose caps tend to be shorter in lenght than a Lehigh nose cap would be.

Below is a picture of a Bucks that I finished several years. I believe it represents well the style of nose cap used.

JTR · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2014, 09:10:45 PM »

Here you go boater. This rifle is attributed to Bucks Co. maker Geo. Weiker.

John

b bogart · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2014, 10:19:55 PM »

Excellent example John! Also appears that Mr Weicker didn't get the knife edge stock at the barrel memo! Thanks for posting.

rich pierce · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2014, 10:42:56 PM »

Weiker "needs to see more originals".

. Nice gun!

JTR · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:02:03 PM »

And the forestock is broken in 3 different places, so even all the wood didn't hold it together!

John

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:37:35 PM »

I was surprised to see this same forearm feature (heavy at the channel) on original Lehigh rifles too. An eighth of an inch is not too much wood along the barrel for these rifles. But note, it disappears immediately as you go to the rod channel...very "V" shaped.

PPatch · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:44:38 PM »

Quote from: rich pierce on February 21, 2014, 10:42:56 PM

Weiker "needs to see more originals". . Nice gun!

Goood oneee...

dp

Curtis · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2014, 05:56:26 AM »

A couple more pics:

Curtis

Dave B · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2014, 06:25:33 AM »

Here is a Schuler muzzle cap by comparison.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2014, 08:43:41 AM »

Lucky RA,,,can you tell me if THE Verner rifle has an open ended nose piece? I know you used one on your fairly recent work, and I did not.

Lucky R A · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2014, 09:10:51 PM »

Yes Taylor, Verner used an open ended cap, however his nose cap is a bit longer than that commonly used on Bucks Co. guns. If you need the length I can look it up in my notes out in the shop. The edges of the cap are rolled in a bit to make it look more finished.

Ron

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2014, 09:53:06 PM »

@#$%/!!! thanks for the reply Ron, but never having actually seen the rifle, and not having information to the contrary, I made mine from one piece and a closed end. I'll know better next time, if I should ever have the energy to take on this rifle again.

pushboater · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2014, 01:30:09 AM »

Thanks Tom, that looks a lot like my Lehigh nose cap but mine is "V" shaped.

John, Thanks for the photos of the Geo. Weiker rifle, I think that's the first original I've seen where the forestock edges are so rounded. Is it that rounded the full length of the barrel or does it get wider and more rounded towards the nose cap?

Curtis, thank you for the photo's. Do you know who that rifle is attributed to? Also, did most Bucks makers use the more rounded forestock or the V shaped forestock?

Dave B, thank you for the photo's of the Schuler Nose Cap. It looks to be almost the same length as the photo's of the cap that Curtis posted. By comparison, the Geo. Weiker cap is almost half again as long! Did the Bucks Nose Caps as a whole tend to be shorter? More along the lines of the Schuler example? I noticed that the Geo. Weiker cap and the Verner Cap that Taylor posted look to be about the same length. Could you tell me the approximate length of the Nose Cap on the Schuler Rifle?

Dave B · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2014, 06:27:44 PM »

from a mold I have taken off a different Schuler the cap measures 7/8" in length. It also is open ended but not as deep through the area of the ramrod groove channel (1/16") closely matching the attributed piece. The fore end profile has a slope from the ramrod pipe forward looking more like the Geo. Weiker.example.

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