First Post Wonderful things!

[Tinman76!]

Hello All, I offer the apology of one who should have posted long ago. A retired forester with a love of nice wood!
Am updating my NRA Logs so sons will no what they inherit. Seems lots of information and value is being lost as some fine rifles transfer ownership with any knowledge being lost.So I'm trying to fill in the blanks and show some neat rifles that came on the market recently.
As pictures are always a first request I am attempting to show a couple of rifles that followed me home at least for a while! I knew these two rifles are never seen in this small town and seldom come up for sale. Ah, the weakness of the collecting / shooting bug! Would like to learn anything about these rifles. One by ALM the other by D G. Thanks for any and all information concerning some well made flintlocks.

[Stoner creek]

Looks like a Dixie Gunworks lock on the bottom gun. We need better pictures.

[Tinman76!]

Thanks Stoner Creek, First attempt at posting and pic uploads. You will want to see more. Let me try some more>

[Tinman76!]

The oxen are slow. /. but the earth is patient


If I'm lucky this is by Doug Anderson (White Eyes) Came from fellows collection who died in 1984 , Kalispell area.

[Stoner creek]

This fella knew engraving. Being in Montana there could be a connection to Monte Mandarino. Let’s hope so.

[Jim Kibler]

An interesting sideplate as well.  Perhaps in the Fainot style?

[Mike Brooks]

I went to WKU classes back in the 90s with Doug Anderson. He was a good builder back then. He was enamored with the Woodbury school back in those days. What his stuff goes for now I wouldn't  know.

[Tinman76!]

More great information! Not looking for price as future heirs (sons 3) will have to deal with value should they be ignorant enough to sell one. A collector / shooter should only trade up! The what am I looking at information is more interesting. Saw some auctions online (RIA) indicating mid 3 or so.

Having some issues with pic portal. Going oink showing bad browser portal? Will try more later with other engraved brass ramrod pipe and butt plate.

[Tinman76!]

The other rifle pictured with the full burl is a .36 cal:
Lock plate marked` W G Sutter Ruffsdale PA. ;
Top flat has initials ALM engraved (Script);
Barrel changes to brass or gold plated,
About 24 inlays (brass and silver)
All parts engraved.

[Mike Brooks]

I went to WKU classes back in the 90s with Doug Anderson. He was a good builder back then. He was enamored with the Woodbury school back in those days. What his stuff goes for now I wouldn't  know.

Actually, it was the mid 80's, not the 90's.

[Mike Brooks]

More great information! Not looking for price as future heirs (sons 3) will have to deal with value should they be ignorant enough to sell one. A collector / shooter should only trade up! The what am I looking at information is more interesting. Saw some auctions online (RIA) indicating mid 3 or so.

Having some issues with pic portal. Going oink showing bad browser portal? Will try more later with other engraved brass ramrod pipe and butt plate.

Generally, you'll have problems if your pictures are too big. You need to resize them.

[sdilts]

The other rifle pictured with the full burl is a .36 cal:
Lock plate marked` W G Sutter Ruffsdale PA. ;
Top flat has initials ALM engraved (Script);
Barrel changes to brass or gold plated,
About 24 inlays (brass and silver)
All parts engraved.

The ALM is for Leonard Meadows from Shady Spring, WV. He was making guns back in the 50s. He was still building when he died in 1975. I've seen several of his guns with that same burl wood. He must have gotten a truckload of it at one time.

[Tinman76!]

Thanks sdilts. Have not seen that kind of burl before. Very consistent from muzzle to butt. No gaps or air spaces.

[mtlonghunter]

Engraving probably by Larry merical if it was from late 70' early 80's. Doug lived with them for a short while back then in Kalispell.

[Tinman76!]

That Makes sense. I knew Larry some from his shop and was introduced to Mr. Anderson who was building rifles there.
Wonder if I still have Larry’s catalog. Small world as I was in right place when these two came out of the closet! Fine rifles all around for the time they built these. All getting old now.

Blessed to be here still shooting elk with kids. I watch them shoot mostly! Bringing back some memories.

[Tinman76!]

Thanking all for the information that came from several members! The slender long SMR, with initials ALM is a Leonard Meadows and information about him was available in old forum entries and elsewhere.  He liked nice wood and an entry comment was that he had a lot of this burl wood and hung with great craftsmen from back in the day.
The Smoothbore by D.A.  is indeed a Doug Anderson (White eyes) flintlock. Was made in Kalispell before 1984 and by "it's a small world", someone I once met. I was introduced to him by Larry Mericale (SP?), who I agree was the engraver.
Sent a letter to A Doug Anderson who makes fine Flintlocks, but he is not the D. A. (Doug Anderson) who made my rifle, and I think now lives in West Virginia. 
May be able to track Larry Mericale down in Kalispell Area, as I think he is still involved with a muzzleloading group of free trappers, or was? He might know what lock and barrel Doug was using.
Will try to post better, smaller pictures for others who might like to see them.

[Marplot]

The other rifle pictured with the full burl is a .36 cal:
Lock plate marked` W G Sutter Ruffsdale PA. ;
Top flat has initials ALM engraved (Script);
Barrel changes to brass or gold plated,
About 24 inlays (brass and silver)
All parts engraved.

Could we see some of the pictures with the inlays? Thanks!

[Bob Roller]

ALM was Leonard Meadows signature and I traded some locks to him for making a SMR for me and I shot it a lot.It was a flintlock and was a companion piece to my Whiworth long range target rifle.He had a heart attack that was survivable but a knucklehead in a car would not let the ambulance pass on a narrow road even with all the flashing lights and siren blaring.George Suiiter called me in the middle of the night to tell me about Len and the ambulance and Len's death.Supposedly an ambulance attendant got the plate number of the car but whether or not any hard action was taken against the driver we don't know and 49 years have staggered by since then.W.G Sutter made locks and specialized in the Bedford County style and had a daughter that was a talented engraver.He made lock tumblers from Chrysler and Packard torsion bars and I told him about 1144 "stressproof"that was as easy to machine as 12L14 but don't know if he tried it or not.
Bob Roller