1810-20 Ohio River Style

[warren5421]

I have a SMR kit from Jim Kibler that Chuch Edwards is finishing for me.  Now I would like to have a rifle in the style used along the Ohio river.  I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio which is 90 miles south of Columbus and 120 miles up the river from Cincinnati.  Would the style in the area be more like the Pennsylvania or the SMR. I do know that at some time in the 1800’s there was a gunmaker in Portsmouth but know nothing about him.  My dad had a friend that had 1or 2 guns built by the smith.  I don’t remember if they were flintlocks or caplock.

[rich pierce]

We have a library here with photos and write ups of original rifles.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=332.0
Follow the links. The Vincents are the most famous Ohio makers. Of course a gun 1810-1820 would be a flintlock.

[heinz]

Another thought is you could Purchase Hutslar's Ohio Gunsmiths, a copy is available in the For Sale section.  Many of the Ohio gunsmiths in that early period migrated down the Ohio River from PA and continued in the style they learned there.  Samuel Hawken was active in Xenia , Ohio in that time period.  If you identify some of the early names in the Portsmouth area, you could look at the corresponding Pa styles.

[warren5421]

Buying the book

[galudwig]

The Hustlar book is mainly a listing of Ohio Gunsmiths by County, based on advertisements and family histories. Decent reference, but lacks a variety of pictures of examples of Ohio made guns. A better resource is the Association of Ohio Long Rifle Collectors website. There is a section on there that lists all of the current and past Association Newsletters that contain detailed research and photos of guns made by Ohio Makers. There is also a 5 volume set of books called “Ohio Gunsmiths & Allied Tradesmen” that is sponsored and sold by the AOLRC that is really the definitive works on firearms made in Ohio.

The Vincent’s worked out of Marietta and are probably the most well known. However, there were many more makers who set up in the River towns to supply the needs of settlers and explorers heading west.

http://www.aolrc.com/

[smokinbuck]

The Association of Ohio LONGRIFLE Collectors series of books is a great source of info on Ohio makers and has pictures of many of the rifles they built. The set, 5 volumes, is available for $135 plus shipping or individual volumes are available for $35 plus shipping. For more info on these PM me.

[galudwig]

The Association of Ohio LONGRIFLE Collectors series of books is a great source of info on Ohio makers and has pictures of many of the rifles they built. The set, 5 volumes, is available for $135 plus shipping or individual volumes are available for $35 plus shipping. For more info on these PM me.

Geez, I wish I would have thought to mention that... 

[Goo]

If you are still in Ohio take the time to go over to the the Log cabin shop they have a examples of Ohio guns you can see in person.