I thought I'd share with ya'll some pictures of a couple of beauties by Don Bruton. The gun on the left is Don's personal gun, Hannah II. The one on the right is Caroline, which was my 50th birthday present from my sweet wife, Shasta. Both guns are built from the same South Carolina Black Walnut tree, cut in northern Pickens County, and air dried for 6 or 7 years.
Caroline has a Colerain 42" B weight 50 barrel, and a bridleless Chamber's Early Ketland lock. Don built her with brass mounts, which is pretty rare for a Bruton gun. He made the side plate, pipes, and one-piece nose cap out of sheet brass. The stain is Don's Secret Elixir and the finish is hand rubbed linseed oil. The pivoting patchbox lid is made from a piece of curly hickory cut from a blank from Bob Hill. The gun weighs 8 lbs 4 oz. Another significant aspect of this gun is that is number 600 by Don's hand.
Hannah, has a Rayl 45" oct/rd 20 gauge barrel, and also a bridleless Chamber's Early Ketland. Don forged all of the iron mounts on this gun. The sliding patchbox lid is a hickory lid that has it's own story, but that's Don's to tell if he wants. He added a bit of patina to his gun.
As you can see, they both have several of Don's signature styling cues. They are subtle, but distinct, and I personally feel like they are the epitome of an Early Southern style flintlock. I feel honored to own one.
