Author Topic: My Hershel House Rifle  (Read 4879 times)

Offline DBoone

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #25 on: May 22, 2022, 05:06:41 PM »
Absolutely wonderful find.  Classic House in every way.  Timeless.  Legendary.

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #26 on: May 22, 2022, 08:05:02 PM »
Beautiful long rifle for sure.I doubt if many made before 1900 were anywhere close to this level of quality.
In all the time I made locks there were few if any of the better builders that wanted them but that was and is
OK and now they're not available.I never talked to either of the House brothers but some of the others said
my price to make them was too much and that supported my opinion that the lock must be the cheapest part
of the gun.After 1978 most of what I made went to Germany and percussion Schuetzen locks replaced the Hawken
types for a long time.I resurrected what few German language skills I had left and that was helpful and most of
them spoke at least some English.I quit locks in August of 2019 but last year I made what I called a utility grade one for
a man here in Huntington and it was a good representation of the cap lock on the Petersen Hawken shown in Bob Woodfill's
Hawken Rifle book.The only reason I agreed to make it was because I had a plate that was right for this job.The mechanism
was low end** with a single position tumbler and the bridle with one screw and a close fit pin and blue springs.The man that
got this collects my work and has quite a selection of common and one of a kind like this one and after this odd lock I made a
pre 1849 trigger with an antique guard I bought at Friendship for $10.I wish I had a lot of these guard.
  Forgive my rambling,a HOT shower has relaxed me and I cooked myself.
Bob Roller
**
Low end to me means no attention to the fine details as as seen in some English locks.

   
« Last Edit: May 22, 2022, 11:01:47 PM by Bob Roller »

Offline Daniel Coats

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2022, 03:06:32 AM »
Thanks let's try to keep the comments about this particular rifle. PM me if you want to talk about other topics or start another thread please  ;D
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline oldtravler61

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #28 on: May 23, 2022, 03:31:04 AM »
  Herschel does indeed have a web site.  Plus he does respond to questions. It's good site..      Oldtravler

Offline Daniel Coats

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #29 on: May 23, 2022, 03:45:19 AM »
  Herschel does indeed have a web site.  Plus he does respond to questions. It's good site..      Oldtravler

Thanks Mike maybe I'll try that. I've not had good luck using other methods over the years.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline Dave R

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #30 on: May 23, 2022, 02:46:55 PM »
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS HH WOODBURY MASTERPIECE! 😉 CONGRATULATIONS!!

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #31 on: May 23, 2022, 03:30:10 PM »
Sometimes when I see certain things that bring up memories associated with the activities associated with this particular forum.
I met both E.M.Farris and Bill Large on the same day in 1953 and that got me started down the road I am now nearly retired from.
FEW on this or any other forum can make this claim.Both men I just named were founding members of the NMLRA.One benefactor
Bill mentioned was Powel Crosley Jr. maker of Crosley radios and later a tiny car that was truly SUB compact.Crosley himself drove
a Duesenberg that cost $16,000 in 1934 ;D. The acquisition of the property in Southern Indiana was a real help to establish a place
for "National"shooting matches and the later purchase of 204 acres and the old house that now is the NMLRA headquarters was a
real benefit.The commercial row area to me looks like a disaster area but the area is prone to frequent floods and nothing can be done
about that in that particular area.
    E.M.Farris was the one who got me started in making locks and triggers long with We Kindig who owned the Log Cabin Shop were the two
that bought these items from me when they,in reality would barely rise to the level of junk.The lock making skills of the British gunmakers was and still is a fascination to me and thanks to Lynton McKenzie who would loan anything he had to me for study and try to copy I think I
came about as close as anyone to that level and applied it to common locks.I am both honored and surprised at some of the prices being paid for some of my later work in lock making. The simple triggers I now make are all i care to do and for the first 4 months of this current year made and sold only 2 Hawken triggers.
Gotta go,my Dachshund says "I got to GO".
Bob Roller
 

Offline jrb

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #32 on: May 23, 2022, 03:37:58 PM »
Congrats on your SUPER find! Hershel House is auctioning one of his real big knives right now on his facebook site, that would go along great with your rifle.

Offline Daniel Coats

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #33 on: May 23, 2022, 06:28:11 PM »
Here's the rifle and knife from about the same time period. Note the makers stamp on both.



I've had the knife a lot longer than the rifle but they're a matched pair from now on.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline frankie

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #34 on: May 24, 2022, 04:03:29 AM »
 :very nice

Offline Carney Pace

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #35 on: May 24, 2022, 03:28:42 PM »
Dan
Looked at that rifle, lots of nice rifles  there.
Sunday a Don King full stock Hawken style rifle showed up on a table.
Sorry I missed you,
Carney

Offline Daniel Coats

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #36 on: May 24, 2022, 03:55:04 PM »
Dan
Looked at that rifle, lots of nice rifles  there.
Sunday a Don King full stock Hawken style rifle showed up on a table.
Sorry I missed you,
Carney

Thanks Carney I was only there for a few hours on Friday. I stopped by your table a few times but you were either busy or away. Palmer Divide was snowing by 2:30 with a tough forecast ahead. Hope to catch up next time.

Other rifles I noticed by Mark Silver, Jim Kibler, Homer Dangler, Jack Haugh, and more.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline J. Talbert

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #37 on: May 25, 2022, 07:37:16 AM »
That’s the Classic Hershel if there ever was one.
Congratulations, I’m very envious.  :D

Jeff
There are no solutions.  There are only trade-offs.”
Thomas Sowell

Offline bones92

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Re: My Hershel House Rifle
« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2022, 04:17:57 PM »
Very nice!  I think that's actually the first Herschel House rifle I've seen in photos.   I love the way he carved his name on the barrel.
If it was easy, everyone would do it.