Kettenburg's 1750's Rifle

What do you all think?

Has he nailed a likely 1750's rifle with this beauty?
[url] http://web.mac.com/kettenburgs/iWeb/Site/1750s Rifle.html[/url]

Doc

If you just look at the pics and not read the writing you would swear it was an antique.

Eric Kettenburg is one of the best of the young Kentucky rifle builders around and specializes in rifles from the Berks County area.This is purely a conjectural rifle based on a number of guns by a variety of makers of early guns from that general area as he makes clear in his description.Owning one of his guns would indeed be a pleasure.I have seen several guns by him and they have been first rate BUT they are recreations and should not be considered as exact recreations of any one or more guns from the pre Revolutionary period.I saw a rifle this year at the CLA which was a very good copy of a Revolutionary War period Reading gun and I know a maker who built a very good copy of a Ca. 1770-1785 gun from the same area.Until we find another signed and possibly dated gun from that period we will be forced to go on making educated guesses such as Eric has done so well here.
Tom Patton

What do I think? Derned nice work as usual from Eric. To much drop in the butt for this type of rifle though. Way too much. That much drop would look great on a Bedford. :hmm:

If you want pre-1750, try toning down this one!
[url] http://www.ronaldscottflintlock.com/pages/bavarian.html[/url]

:wink:

Great gun, too much drop. I'm guessing that amount of drop was a customer request. :hmm: Otherwise I just can't imagine why.
I really like the whole premise of the gun otherwise, well executed and designed. That kind of thought put into a gun is always well rewarded with the end result. Just to much drop is all.

I agree with Mike here and I doubt Eric would have put that much drop unless asked to do so.I would think the date of such a gun would be closer to the 1760's or early 1770's.Eric mentioned RCA 17 which has recently been suggested to be the work of William Antes who probably started his career in the Behlehem/Christian Springs area in the late 1750's and this gun appears somewhat later than RCA 17.BUT having said that,I really like this gun and it would be a pleasure to own it.
Tom Patton

That is a beautiful piece of work.

Nice work, wonder how long that customer waited...

I think it passes as well as any of the better builders interpretations of an early colonial built gun, the drop of the butt is severe IMHO but as stated by others someone probably wanted it that way, I'd have to bob my head up like a turkey at a turkey shoot to see the sights.

Deep interpretation but I agree with the drop comments. I would have to tuck it under my arm to look down the barrel. Cant imagine but only a handfull in the world that would fit that gun.

I think this is the rifle that TOTW had for sale. IF it is, I got to shoulder it last week and it did feel like the drop was a little much to me. The work was what you expect in a Kettenberg gun,beeeyouuutiful.