Chambers King rifle

[Shreckmeister]

Chambers King lived in Washington Township, Armstrong County PA near Kittanning.  He was a regimental Armourer for
the 2nd Provisional Pennsylvania Cavalry in 1864.  It's known that his father George and brother Wm were also gunsmiths.  He moved
to Canoe Township Indiana County later in his life. 

[Shreckmeister]

Photo credit Dr. James whisker

[Chris_B]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and information!
Mighty nice rifle he holds in the upper picture

[JBJ]

Please look critically at the signature. I am bothered by the lack of aging/patina in the bottom of the "engraved" lines and the presence of a light colored "ridge" around the engraving. Click on the signature image and then you can further enlarge that image. Perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me.
J.B.

[JTR]

Please look critically at the signature.
J.B.

I agree. It looks like either a Dremel tool over-cut of the original signature, or a complete fantasy signature.

Otherwise, a nice gun!   

[120RIR]

Unfortunately, the second I saw the signature I said to myself; "Dremel".   

[JTR]

Especially when you compare the fine quality engraving on the patchbox, with the childish style of the signature....
Unfortunately it's cut so deep it'll be difficult to remove,,,,

[DICKH]

       In the January 1967 issue of Muzzle Blasts is a short piece by Walter C. Snyder about Elmer King son
of Chambers King. Says that Elmer King has maintained his father's shop almost intact,that Elmer did a
little gunsmithing work.

Their is a picture of Elmer holding one of his father's rifles,says that Elmer King passed away September 1st
1959 at the age of 78.

Richard Henderson

[Shreckmeister]

I'm thinking like others that someone recut the signature.  The letters are formed like the signature on other rifles, so I don't think it's a fantasy
but somebody went over it.   I removed the patchbox, cleaned the varnish off and reinstalled it.  Now it can age naturally.  I think the long term result
will be better.

[lexington1]

Overall it looks very nice. Great patchbox!

[Shreckmeister]

Another fine rifle by King.  I discovered his gunsmith ledgers at the PA Archives from the 1890s.

[Shreckmeister]

His ledgers most frequently mention stocking, freshing, refinishing, replacing springs and pivots, making bullet moulds, replacing ramrods, hammers and just about every function of a gunsmith.  Some pages talk in detail about methods of blacksmithing and heating metal to different colors and quenching. About 40-50 pages in total.  I was most surprised that his work was done for people all over Pennsylvania and not just in his local area.  He was shipping repairs via post.  He would also leave them at stores in various towns for local pickup.  Very interesting stuff

[wabeek]

He is buried at Union Cemetery, Rossiter, Indiana County, PA.   His headstone had fallen and has since been righted.  Some nice rifles of his in the area.

[Tanselman]

After seeing the fine original signature, I am doubtful the first signature is original, and doubtful it is a re-cut of an original signature. Too many crude differences. Shelby Gallien