Author Topic: Battle Of New Orleans Rifle (Read 7503 times)

Majorjoel · « **on:** January 09, 2018, 08:03:05 PM »

This story came up on Yahoo news today and I thought it would be of great interest to our members.

http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_4efa8c98-f4a9-11e7-8cc9-4711ca326ee1.html

Robby · « **Reply #1 on:** January 09, 2018, 08:40:49 PM »

Well that is pretty darn cool!!!
Robby

Robin Henderson · « **Reply #2 on:** January 09, 2018, 08:49:30 PM »

Wow!...Just wow! I have had the pleasure to hold and sight down this historic firearm. This was the gun copied by a couple members here for the CLA auction a few years back. I feel sorry for the former owner or at least he thought he was the owner.

Cades Cove Fiddler · « **Reply #3 on:** January 09, 2018, 09:08:40 PM »

... Was great to see this rifle at the Alabama & Knoxville shows last year .... the owners had a great display ..... I'm sorry for their misfortune, had no knowledge it had been stolen ...Which brings the question,... How can one be sure when making a purchase ..

... even a seller may not have knowledge of a gun's prior history ......

JTR · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2018, 10:05:27 PM »

Quoted from the article; "Decades ago, however, someone made off with it, though no one can say exactly when."

Let's hope the museum can take better care of it this time!

John

Howard · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2018, 11:45:26 PM »

Bob is a very honest man & I hate that this happened to him. This could have been anyone of us. That has got to hurt !!

Avlrc · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2018, 11:51:18 PM »

Sad for the last owner. But best for the public. Well hopefully the museum will have better security this time around.

PPatch · « **Reply #7 on:** January 10, 2018, 12:33:38 AM »

That rifle is a stunner, beautifully made and in fine condition. Bob created a very nice display for it at Jim's Alabama show last year. There was a price estimate of $350,000 but it wasn't actually offered for sale that I saw. What a mess, all because some lowlife took a notion to remove it from the museum 30+ years ago. Thank you Bob for allowing me to heft and examine the rifle, I won't soon forget the experience, and I'm sorry for your loss.

dave

Hlbly · « **Reply #8 on:** January 10, 2018, 01:46:23 AM »

I totally disagree with the “best for the public” statement. More knowledgeable collectors saw and appreciated that rifle while Bob had it than will ever see it now.

Avlrc · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2018, 02:07:42 AM »

Quote from: Hlbly on January 10, 2018, 01:46:23 AM

I totally disagree with the “best for the public” statement. More knowledgeable collectors saw and appreciated that rifle while Bob had it than will ever see it now.

I disagree with that. I don't think knowledgeable collectors & such are anything special or rank over the general public. It would be better for millions to see, appreciate and view than a few thousand collectors.

JTR · « **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2018, 02:15:14 AM »

Quote from: Avlrc on January 10, 2018, 02:07:42 AM

Quote from: Hlbly on January 10, 2018, 01:46:23 AM
I totally disagree with the “best for the public” statement. More knowledgeable collectors saw and appreciated that rifle while Bob had it than will ever see it now.

I disagree with that. I don't think knowledgeable collectors & such are anything special or rank over the general public. It would be better for millions to see, appreciate and view than a few thousand collectors.

What makes you think it'll actually be on display?
John

Hlbly · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2018, 02:36:06 AM »

My point exactly.

Avlrc · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2018, 02:54:09 AM »

Why wouldn't it be? With all the publicity it has now, I would think the interest in the rifle would bring traffic to the museum. Why would the museum hide it?

jdm · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2018, 03:00:08 AM »

You will never meet a better man than Bob. He was very willing to share this rifle with the public and any one interested in seeing it. If I remember correct he had it on display with a local museum when Hurricane Katrina hit. He went to great lengths to make sure it was safe. He bought it from a reputable antique store . As much as he showed it around and the many times it was written about the museum in question must not of been looking very hard for it.

wattlebuster · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2018, 03:52:17 AM »

I held this gun at the Alabama show last yr. At least I got to see it for a few brief minutes. The gentleman that had it one display was proud for people to hold it an was a heck of a nice guy. I hate that he has probably took a great loss on this gun. Below is some pics I took. Please excuse the quality of the pics. Im a lousy photographer with a piece of ancient junk for a camera

JTR · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2018, 03:58:15 AM »

Given the value, I wouldn't be surprised if they sell it!

And one other small thing Avric, you might not care for collectors, but if it hadn't been for the collectors like Dillin, Laidacker and others back in the early 1900's, then Kindig and other modern day collectors, very few if any of these guns would be available for you to enjoy today.
It certainly wasn't museums that saved them for posterity...

And it wasn't museums that supplied all the guns for the Library on this forum either, it was collectors from this forum.

Just my unbiased opinion of course,
John

Carl Young · « **Reply #16 on:** January 10, 2018, 04:04:24 AM »

He is a super nice guy, I greatly enjoyed talking to him, he was very generous in sharing his knowledge and letting a stranger handle his guns. The article leads me to think the FBI accomplished it's purpose...getting the credit & their names in print...in a situation that did not require their participation to resolve

. Hopefully his loss can be recovered.

Carl

Robin Henderson · « **Reply #17 on:** January 10, 2018, 04:24:34 AM »

Quote from: Carl Young on January 10, 2018, 04:04:24 AM

He is a super nice guy, I greatly enjoyed talking to him, he was very generous in sharing his knowledge and letting a stranger handle his guns. The article leads me to think the FBI accomplished it's purpose...getting the credit & their names in print...in a situation that did not require their participation to resolve . Hopefully his loss can be recovered.

Carl

Agree

Avlrc · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2018, 04:37:29 AM »

Seriously JTR, " You might not care for collectors". That is an absurd statement. I just don't think we are superior to anyone else. According to the news story, the rifle is back where the original owners family gave it way over a century ago. I think that is a good thing. I am sad for the last owner, he did nothing wrong and took care of the rifle all those years. Actually he should be commended by the museum, for his care and sharing it so freely with others. It was those actions that lead to the recovery of the museum's rifle.

bama · « **Reply #19 on:** January 10, 2018, 05:30:40 AM »

For 35 years that we know of this museum did not even know the rifle was missing so evidently it was not on display when it was stolen and probably was never on display if the truth be known. I hope that it will be on display from now on. If it is only shown until the news wears off then it will be a pity.

This rifle won a Silver medal from the NRA as being a very historic and important part in the development of this great nation. It was not the museum that got this rifle the Silver medal, it was the collector. This rifle was shown at many shows by the collector around the country and displayed for thousands to see. It was researched by the collector and not some but all of the information that the museum and the FBI used in their news conference was from the research of the collector. None of the information about this rifle was actually provided by the museum. The only thing that the museum could provide was that it was donated by a Ross family member to the museum in 1891.

The museum admitted that until 2 years ago they did not even know it had been stolen. So tell me again how it is good that it is best that it is in a museum.

Unfortunately it wasn't until Darren and I did a Documentary copy of this rifle for the CLA auction in 2013 that this rifle got plastered all over the internet and supposedly someone at the museum figured out that this was a rifle that was donated to the museum. Now tell me again how it is best that it is in a museum. Oh yes, it will be on display for all to see.

The museum did not know it was stolen for 35 years. It was loved, cherished, displayed and won a Silver medal in the 35 years that it was with the collector. The collector had invested not only his time but his hard earned money to acquire and display this fine rifle. The museum invested nothing and did not care enough about it to even know it had been stolen. Now tell me where the rifle is better off.

Not to mention that Bob and Linda purchased the rifle in good faith and had all of the documentation of the sale. Do you think that the museum offered to reimburse Bob and Linda for their cost of their purchase. You would think that the museum getting back such a prized item would be grateful enough to reimburse not only their purchase price plus inflation but for Bob's vast research that he did on the rifle and the Ross family. Nope not a cent, they just sicked the FBI on Bob an Linda and basically stole the rifle back without even so much as a thank you for the care that they had given the rifle.

You see, over the course of time that I was involved in the building of the documentary copy of this fine rifle I got to know Bob and Linda very well and have grown to love them like they were my family. One of the things that impressed me so much about Bob an Linda was the passion that they had for this rifle. They had been on a quest to find out as much information about this rifle, the owner William Ross, his role in the battle and the battle itself ever since the day he bought the rifle. Having this rifle ripped away from Bob and Linda and sent to this negligent museum is a slap in the face.

Needless to say I am PO'd about the whole situation. I regret the day that I contacted Bob and asked if he would consider allowing me and Darrin to make the documentary copy.

RVAH-7 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 10, 2018, 07:14:01 AM »

I don't recall the NRA magazine article because I get the American Hunter instead of the Rifleman but now I have to go back to my older issues of Muzzleloader magazine because I recall Mark Sage doing an article about the folks who "owned" the rifle.

Howard · « **Reply #21 on:** January 10, 2018, 12:43:47 PM »

If you had a storage barn full of Ramblers & had a Rolls-Royce in the middle of it wouldn't you notice it was gone

? My daughter is in the museum field. I have been in the storage areas of museums & very few items are on display. If they are not going to display the treasures then sell it. They always cry that they are short on funds. This is my view whether it is politically correct or not.

n stephenson · « **Reply #22 on:** January 10, 2018, 06:47:30 PM »

I too was blessed enough to hold this treasure at Jim Parker`s show last year. Another forum member and I talked at length with Bob and, we were both very impressed not only with Bob`s in depth research and knowledge about the rifle , but the obvious LOVE that he had for it . We couldn't believe that he was willing to allow us to hold it. He was like a beaming new parent , who couldn't wait to let people see his new baby. It is a shame that this happened to him and his family. I do believe in law and order , this just turns out to be one of those unfortunate cases where , a good guy got hurt in the process. JMHO Nate

DaveM · « **Reply #23 on:** January 10, 2018, 07:12:13 PM »

Does anyone know where we can see good close up photos of this wonderful piece? Are there good photos somewhere online?

bama · « **Reply #24 on:** January 10, 2018, 07:57:43 PM »

There is a great set of photo's of both the original and the copy on the CLA web site.

Look at the 2013 CLA aution under the Sheetz Rifle Project.

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Author Topic: Battle Of New Orleans Rifle (Read 7503 times)

n stephenson