What historical rifle would you most like to shoot?

Lewis air rifle

An original J & S Hawken.. (Yes, hopefully will make it to the Hawken Classic this year)

SDSmlf said:

I have shot original Brown Besses, Jaegers and ‘Kentucky’ rifles, but not a J&S Hawken. That said, would probably most likely want to shoot a rifle most, if not all of us have seen shot. Fess Parker’s (aka Daniel Boone) rifle from the Daniel Boone TV series. And yes, I know it’s a prop gun made from a modified Trap Door. But that would be the rifle to shoot. There weren’t many made, but we all saw it being shot.

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I'm right there with you.

Both researchers and Fess Parker said that the Trapdoor conversions were just prop guns made to give the appearance of a flintlock, and were non-firing. In Disney's Davy Crockett and the Daniel Boone series, Parker used an original John Fondersmith original Lancaster County flintlock rifle for the firing scenes. The top of the octagonal rifled steel barrel is stamped "J * F * S" in block letters for maker John Fondersmith. Fondersmith was born in Pfuunstatdt, Germany in 1746 and arrived in America in 1750. He became a gunsmith in Strasburg Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and served in the militia before and during the Revolution. He died in 1821. This rifle and another rifle with nearly identical features and signed in script, John Fondersmith, are the subject of an article by Dr. Glenn Marsh in the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin number 84 from 2001.

Both of the rifles, Fondersmith's original and the prop gun used by Fess Parker in the series went up for auction and sold at Morphy's Auctions in September 2018. They were Lot #77 and #78.

Here are links to both Lots.

Fondersmith Flintlock

Trapdoor/Flintlock Prop Gun

2 shots. I cant imagin the press and the scandal hungry public allowing Joe to do anything normal like that. he is or was a trap shooter to my knowledge. also I wager the the president has a few more responsibilities these days than they did in Teddys time. that being said I would love to have a trapdoor springfield, a left handed half stock flintlock, a ruger black hawk, and a win 73 in 45LC an M1 Garand and a Ruger single six.

andy52 said:

Come to the Hawken Classic and you can shoot an original at no cost, but no elk included....

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When and where is the Hawken Classic? I'd love to shoot an original Hawken.

andy52 said:

Wetzel killed a lot of natives and many for no real reason other than his hatred of them.

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Yeah, I guess he was kind of blood thirsty and vengeful for the deaths of his father and brother IIRC.

rhart said:

Yeah, I guess he was kind of blood thirsty and vengeful for the deaths of his father and brother IIRC.

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Correct, for the remainder of his life.

rhart said:

When and where is the Hawken Classic? I'd love to shoot an original Hawken.

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25-27 Aug. Boones home historical sight St. Charles Mo.
Here's a video of last year's event.

Was that a real firing rifle in "Quigley Down Under" or a non firing prop?

Eutycus said:

Was that a real firing rifle in "Quigley Down Under" or a non firing prop?

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Firing fully functional rifle made by Shiloh Sharps. They made three rifles for the movie, and one production was complete, Selleck bought all three. Story
The Quigly

Being fascinated with Lewis and Clark since childhood, and visited spots on their journey through WA and ID many times, I want to shoot one of their 'short rifles'. Then we'd know once and for all what they really were.

Maybe an Enfield rifle or General Lees1851 navy.

Gunny5821 said:

Firing fully functional rifle made by Shiloh Sharps. They made three rifles for the movie, and one production was complete, Selleck bought all three. Story
The Quigly

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I had a Shiloh sharps 45-120 ( crazy guy I got it from had rebarreled it, it came with the original Farmington 45-70 barrel) had to learn paper patching and powder loading with a long brass trickle funnel. The nutter had silver soldered a set of mounts or an old fecker 10 power as well as a set of bubble level vernier sights). Once I figured it out it shot remarkably well. Sold it at huge profit to a guy who wanted a buffalo rifle. (Don’t recall buff hunters with glass sights but maybe he took it off). Neat gun but always a major production to load for it.

Harry Pope's 35/40.....

Brokennock said:

A rifle at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775????!
Hmmmmm.......

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in my original post i was using "rifle" loosely in the generic. now that you questioned it, i am going down a rabbit hole. searching the records my wife has IE. wills of all the Munroe clan listed on the militia roster of Parkers troops. she also has records of all that were inlaws of the Munroe's. I want to see if any "rifle guns" are listed in their wills. will keep me off the street corners i suppose.

the wheel lock that once belonged to Prince Philippe de Croy

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/23197

deerstalkert said:

in my original post i was using "rifle" loosely in the generic. now that you questioned it, i am going down a rabbit hole. searching the records my wife has IE. wills of all the Munroe clan listed on the militia roster of Parkers troops. she also has records of all that were inlaws of the Munroe's. I want to see if any "rifle guns" are listed in their wills. will keep me off the street corners i suppose.

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That should be an interesting rabbit hole. I hope you will report back what you find.

Broen bess or 1816 Springfield.....matter a fact I'd buy either if within my means

Interesting video of the TR gun. The refurbishment happened in 1986. I noticed the Presidential seal (added at the refurbishment) has the eagle facing left toward the olive branch. Prior to 1945 the eagle faced to the right, toward the talons full of arrows. Truman changed it after the war. I wonder if that was a goof, or intentional?