Eric,
I completely agree with you about the Myers' sale rifle with the linen strap. It was made by Philip Shatz (born 1738; died 1793) of Shepherdstown, VA (new WV.) There is an earlier, pre-war rifle signed by him that has several important identical features. And yes, the patchbox shows Reading influence and it is quite possible he came from that region. He was first in Frederick Co., VA, in 1756. He is not the Philip Sheetz that Shumway reported apprenticed to George Ungerfor (sp?) in Hanover. Philip Shatz was already working in Frederick Co, VA, when that man (Sheetz) was apprenticed. The one Shumway reports may be the same man who was in the Reading area on the committee to confiscate firearms from non-Associators in the early part of the Revolution. This Shatz rifle (Morphy sale) was intentionally made as a carbine for a mounted rifle company. In the near future, I will be writing an extensive article about it and the signed companion longrifle that is in a duke's collection in England.
A very good friend of mine purchased the rifle at Morphy's and I was there with him studying it. Incidentally, another friend of mine purchased the second Honaker rifle from Rock Island a few weeks ago. At the VA show I plan to exhibit the two Honakers--the 1771 brass barrel rifle and the ex-Bryan collection example that was sold at Rock Island.
I hope you can make it, and look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
WBG
PS: Since we last talked, I have located three iron trigger guards that match the form of the guards on Hans Jacob Honaker's rifles. One was on a composite TN rifle. Two others are on mid-19th-century composite rifles that were stocked in Hampshire Co., WV.
