Need Info on Sweitser Flintlock

[max]

A friend of mine acquired a smoothbore flintlock rifle and the only marking is "Sweitser". Have any of you heard of this maker?

[woodsrunner]

I'm not familiar with a builder of this name, and I didn't find it in any of Jerry's books, but this is a name with a couple of spelling variations found in the mountains of western North Carolina. I've seen it spelled Sweitzer, Setser and Setzer. The last spelling is the way my kin in Macon County, NC spell it. Up in the Waynesville area I think it's commonly spelled as you show it. As I understand it it's all one large German family with various spellings as decreed by the local tax collector or census taker. 

[smshea]

Is that marhing on the barrel or the lock?

[JTR]

Pictures of the gun would be helpful too.
John

[smshea]

Marking not Marhing...darn these fingers.

[T*O*F]

If I recall, Schweitzer was a Bedford Co. maker.

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

There is a famous Golden Age maker named  Abraham Schwietzer whose early career was in Lancaster Co and then move to Chambersburg, PA. Made gun typically of Lancaster architecture. Several examples in Kindig"s book.

[mr. no gold]

Sweitser was a prolific lock maker who work in the first third of the 1800s. He was located in Lancaster and many rifles are seen with his locks. Don't know if he made any whole pieces or not. I assume that the name on your friend's gun is on the lock plate?
Dick

[ptk1126]

There was a Daniel Sweitzer who worked in Bellefonte, Pa in the early 1800s.
The Frazier Museum in Louisville has a 50 cal flintlock by J. Roop and Daniel
Sweitzer.

All the best
Paul

[ptk1126]

Abraham Schweitzer's son Jacob was also a gunmaker in the
Chambersburg area. They both used the "Horse head" patchbox
finial that was popular in this area.

All the best
Paul

[smshea]

Speaking of J. Roop  I just had one in the shop recently with a Sweitser lock on it. You see quite a few floating around in this area. I believe there are one or two on the displayed guns at Landis Valley.

[max]

Thanks for all the information, it was really helpful. The lock itself was not marked, only the barrel which is a smoothbore. Sorry I was unable to obtain any pictures, but the data you all provided gave my friend what he was looking for.