Richard Hergina rifles were popular with shooters in the area of Ohio where I used to live. He built decent, affordable rifles that were of excellent quality, especially for the money. At the Canal Fulton club, shooters were still using rifles he built in the late 1960's.
I ordered my Hergina rifle in 1986. It was my first flintlock, which I still have. I have competed with it for many years, and have won prizes at the local and national level with it. At The Log Cabin, you would pick your parts from their stock, and for $180 (plus $80 if you wanted the barrel/furniture browned) you would have your rifle built by Richard. You could pay for it up front, or place a deposit and pay as you went, which is what I did.
My rifle has a Green Mountain .36 caliber 42" barrel, Cain double set triggers, Cochran right hand flint lock, Bean style iron hardware (no patchbox) and a grade 5 piece of curly maple. That wood cost me $125 back then! The price for construction was the same whether Richard built the rifle from a precarve or a plank. My parts, wood, construction cost ($180+$80 for browning) and tax brought the total to $618. I did not make much money in those days, and it took me the better part of a year to pay for it. My rifle was # 351. I think Richard built over 600 rifles through the Log Cabin.
Richard rifles often had characteristic architecture, and I suppose those who wanted rather mundane rifles got them, especially those who picked out hardware and rifle style with rather casual regard for whether such elements went together or not. My rifle (Southern style flintlock) turned out rather well, with a graceful fore end and silver man-in-the-moon cheekpiece inlay, which I later had Dick Bingham engrave. Hergina rifles were often purchased by those who had outgrown their Thompson/Center, CVA or Lyman rifles and wanted something else.
Richard built rifles while holding down a job and raising a family. He also built street machines and hot rods. I never met him, but have seen two cars he built and his workmanship is of the first order, especially the paintwork. He passed away from Alzheimers as a previous poster mentioned in 2009.
