ALR Museum Gunsmith: Hirum Lundy Monroe, Indiana

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Another superior example of Midwestern gunmaking with biography.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=137.0

[Arnie Dowd]

How interesting it is that Longrifles from certain areas get far fewer "look-sees"
than others  -  ie.  the source as Midwest, Indiana, Ill., etc as compared to KY.,
the Carolinas, VA, PA, etc.....   
This particular rifle is basically unique and as yet as few "look-sees" 

[Agent 006]

I echo the comments of Arnie and add that it is unfortunate that so many later makers are not afforded the fame that the "Golden Age" artisans receive.  Certainly many of the later pieces were much more utilitarian, but they were often made by some of the Golden age family members as so many traveled west.

My notes on the Lundy family suggest that Isacc Sr. was born in Warren Co., New Jersey 4 April 1780.  I have two of Isacc's sons and brothers to Hiram:  Stockton and Daniel being born in Virginia, and along with Isacc jr. and Hiram building firearms in and around Monroe Co., IN.  I  can only assume that they made rifles along the way and that their journies contributed to the architecture of Hiram's rifle pictured here.  If anyone has seen any pieces made by this family during their migration to Indiana and later Kansas, it would be interesting to study the development process that occurred.

Certainly a Roman nose buttstock, iron mounted, with double ram rod pipes, and in .54 caliber strikes me as interesting developments in style.  In terms of craftsmanship and artistic merit perhaps Lundy's efforts are not of the same category as Fordney and Beck, but still they represent development of our cherished longrifles and in my opinion ought to be studied and cherished for the roles they played.

Purely for my own understanding I have been trying to learn more about the histories of the makers who moved west.  I am not an historical researcher and if I have made mistakes in my biographies, I would appreciate correction.  Also if anyone can add to this data and has examples of Lundy and other Indiana makers, the pictures might prove interesting to further the discussion of the gun as we know and love it.  Excuse my windiness.
Jim

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I think this is a very well made rifle with its own artistic merit.  It is graceful, clean and well finished, and in wonderful condition.  To see such an ingenious lock on a longrifle is a treat.

[Majorjoel]

I have to say the Lundy rifle is a very special one of a kind piece. It has very nice lines and a lot of drop in the butt which really profiles wonderfully.  It has to date a bit earlier than the Indiana style rifles I have run across. My Christian Beck Indianapolis rifle and J.S. Iddings Peru IN piece look more like one another and share nothing architecturally with the Lundy. 

[Agent 006]

Captjoel:
Of course you are correct.  My Christian Beck is as plain as they come and I have several others that I can't tell apart without looking at the barrel signature.  I suppose the allure of many of these later plain rifles may lie in trying to piece together the biography of the maker.

Christian Beck per Lindert was born in 1813 but I have never been  uncertain whether in Maryland or Pennsylvania.  Also, often these utilitarian late guns offer little eccentricities that cause them to stand out.  I have a plain rifle by Philbrick (LaGrange Co., IN, ca. 1870) with a two-piece patchbox and a drab piece of wood.  Yet engraved next to the barrel signature is its price in 1870 ($25.00).

Then again one could walk into one of the larger gun shows in the country and spot a Levi Mangus (North Liberty, IN) on the far wall with its massive Arabesque like stock drop.  I guess all I'm trying to say is that there is an appeal to the plain jane later Midwestern guns too if only for their history or some minor eccentricity.

The Lundy is indeed a great piece and quite unique.

Jim