Jim did a terrific job on that rifle. It's a real beauty.
Many years ago, Green River Forge (not Green River Rifle Works) produced a rifle they called "the Astorian," which was very similar to this rifle in most respects. The Astorian used double set triggers, a Haddaway lock (similar to a Siler) and omitted the patchbox, but was otherwise a lot like this rifle. The design of the Astorian was said to have been based on an original in a museum somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, but nobody seemed to know exactly which museum, and nobody, to my knowledge, produced any pictures of the original. Maybe they were referring to the rifle in Mr. Gordon's collection all along.
In any event, the rifle Mr. Alford is showing us here is a real beauty, and a refreshing departure from the trending insistence on recreating nonexistent half-stocked flintlock Hawkens.
Thanks for sharing!
Notchy Bob
