Blanket Gun ca1750

[Bob Smalser]

Unami Lenni Lenape-made blanket gun taken on the Blue Ridge in Pennsylvania during the F&I War. From an old Dutch dog-lock musket with French sideplate, fabricated parts, and improvised repairs. Around 70 caliber. Heavy stock scantling in walnut to use as a war club. Combined natural-shell and glass wampum belt is Susquehannock in design, with additional French trade jewelry.

Acquired from the estate of my ancestor Michael Newhart (1713-1794), a prosperous Pennsylvania Dutch farmer and part-time rifleman in the Northampton County Militia Ranging Company during the F&I and Revolutionary Wars. Here shown giving a living history presentation to a 5th-grade class.

Michael was the father of gunmakers Peter and Jacob Newhard (1743-1813) and an in-law to all the Moll and Kuntz gunmakers. He was also a neighbor and close friend of the Rupp family.

 

[necchi]

Seems to have a few rather modern embellishment's for a gun that a minimum of 219yrs old,

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Perfect retention of brass tacks, and a rather "odd" shaped "French" sideplate. I wonder why the rawhide hasn't yellowed. I'd like to x-ray the wrist and see if there is actually a repair under there.

:hmm:

LD

 

[LRB]

You're joking, right?

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm not expert enough to bash the guy or doubt his word.
We need to know more about the gun.
But, a big congrats to the reenactors speaking to school children. A high calling indeed. :thumbsup:

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'm sorry, but the metal isn't nearly of the right 'patina', the rawhide is new and clean and the beaded strip is "imported" and right off page 121 of the Crazy Crow Trading Company catalog, their #8541-602-028 . Somebody is "funning" somebody! :idunno:

 

[jdkerstetter]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one confused when I read this earlier today. I think what we have here is Bob showing us a contemporary, fantasy build someone did and telling us the story he created to go with it.

Perhaps this should be under the "Historically Correct Equipment" forum. It would likely be hottly debated there. Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Bob Smalser]

Of course I'm joking. :wink: That's why I posted it under gunmaking. I put this together from bits laying around during a rainy spell last week.

Everything is fabricated from scratch except for the Indian-made, 60-dollar (Narayan Sports) lock and an old Belgian percussion musket barrel I had on hand and plugged and redrilled to fit the lock. The lock is made from decent steel but took the better part of a day to get working properly.

Huge lock, ugly piece, but the kids in the classrooms will get a kick out of it as a reproduction along with the mix of original and repro artifacts we pass around in class.

Everything else, history-wise is quite accurate, however. Educating school, scout and 4H groups is one of the main roles of the various SAR color guards...and it's a kick to implement new ideas.
http://www.narayansports.com/

 

[user 922]

Have fun trying to bring that into a classroom.

 

[Bob Smalser]

Depends on the school, of course, but we take these things into schools regularly. All it usually takes is a call to the principle to explain why the artifacts are necessary for the presentation.

 

[jdkerstetter]

.....ugly piece, but the kids in the classrooms will get a kick out of it as a reproduction......

Reproduction of what? Is there a documented original piece embellished the way this one is? Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Have fun trying to bring that into a classroom.

Amen there! A few years ago I used to be invited to the local schools for similar programs. Drug along full buffalo hides, gun-stock war club, cut down flintlock horse-gun in a replica elk hide cover, etc. Kids had fun and I got to put some facts in before Hollywood filled their minds with PC hog-wash. Then somebody realized I actually had a gun..."HORRORS" and a war club..."HORRORS". Well, you get the picture...bit by the PC fanatics! So, when the teacher called and apologized for not being able to invite me back I told her the definition of "political correctness", to wit:

"Political Correctness is a theory fostered by a delusional and illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous main-stream media, that holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end!"

 

[Rifleman1776]

Depends on the school, of course, but we take these things into schools regularly. All it usually takes is a call to the principle to explain why the artifacts are necessary for the presentation.

I have been doing Rev. Rifleman presentations for over 40 years. Quite a few used to be in schools. But I gave that up when I had to spend time first explaining what the revolutionary war was and what it was about. The Rev. War is no longer taught in most schools. :cursing: And the clincher was when laws kicked in prohibiting guns within 1,000 feet of schools. I know that has changed but the exclusion of my flintlock still stands.

 

[user 922]

I don't think you'd find a school anywhere in the East that would allow a firearm of any type on school property. It would be school policy - the Principal wouldn't have any authority to make exceptions.

 

[Col. Batguano]

You'd better not chew a pop tart in to the shape of a long rifle either! :stir:

 

[mccarthy.tf]

Here in AZ not only did they let them on the grounds but they took the kids outside and made some smoke for them with a blank to give the kids an idea how it was done and how it looked and sounded. :thumbsup:

 

[kaintuck]

:blah: :stir: :rotf:

and as far as schooling goes......I-pads, and smart phones are way cooler than living history~

 

[tenngun]

so sad...my school had a shooting team and we compeated with other schools... it was a club and not on the official list but our football coach, pricipal and history teacher were coach.

 

[tenngun]

By the by I like your gun, Even if the only "blanket guns" documented were used in Pontiacs "rebellion" I am sure He didn't come up with the idea of a short gun on his own. Don't want to start a ball starter/ ball board argument here. Much like quegly down under I aint never had a use for 'em.

 

[Wes/Tex]

:blah: :stir: :rotf:

and as far as schooling goes......I-pads, and smart phones are way cooler than living history~

When they graduate from high school and misspell their own name on a one page job application, we're all in big trouble. They only recently changed school policy here that an "F" couldn't be given to little johnny without ma & pa's permission! How sad is that? :td: