Design build names?

[N.Y. Yankee]

Some guns are built to very closely imitate a certain model, like a Hawken, or a Ethan Allen etc period correct for the design. Some are made to resemble a style of gun, like the Lyman GPR does, and some are just nice looking guns with a "Hawken" in the name. I use "Hawken" only as an example, there are many kinds, but I always wanted to know the terms for the different styles of these modern built guns. "They are not all replicas" as I once heard an old timer describe. At that time I didn't care much about it but I am much further along in the sport now and wish I could go back in time and talk with him. What can you tell me about it?

 

[Griz44Mag]

Some guns are built to very closely imitate a certain model, like a Hawken, or a Ethan Allen etc period correct for the design. Some are made to resemble a style of gun, like the Lyman GPR does, and some are just nice looking guns with a "Hawken" in the name. I use "Hawken" only as an example, there are many kinds, but I always wanted to know the terms for the different styles of these modern built guns. "They are not all replicas" as I once heard an old timer describe. At that time I didn't care much about it but I am much further along in the sport now and wish I could go back in time and talk with him. What can you tell me about it?

I can tell you from the collections I have seen, that the old time gun builders had as much variation in the guns as the modern builders have. Even a single builder would not make every gun the same. Look at the variations in the known original Hawkens guns. They tried different things to see if they could improve what they made, or change the decorations, or barrel lengths or stock configurations. Muzzleloader building is an art-form. Every artist is an entity unto himself, (herself - sorry ladies) as well as now-a-days....

 

[tenngun]

Most of our terms are make believe. They called them rifles or fowling pieces ect back then.
Their all colors on a rainbow. A SMR 1830 is different then a Pennsylvania 1770. But a line runs right through them. And along that line there were guns that looked like a little of both. there were full stock flintlock Ohio Rifles and silver mounted southern mountain rifles, and guns of cast off parts. Guns that got repairs and butchered.
Then we made a cottage industry in the 1970s of guns’ in the style of’, where mismatched parts was the rule. And ‘could have existed’ was a guide. Sometimes when I see some of these guns what makes them wrong doesn’t stand out.
In a black and white photo some of the old CVA mountain rifles blend right in to random plains guns of the 1850s-70s. I’ve seen more then one old gun that I can’t tell from the 1950s Turner Kirkland’s imports.

 

[Spikebuck]

I think by "style" you are referring to what is known as "schools?" Getting into all of this is a huge topic that if you really want to study it could probably last more than a lifetime.

Good gunbuilding books will many times have an intro that talks about "schools." A search of the web may find more info. As an example, here's one reference showing various schools from PA. One such book is "Longrifle Construction Manual" by Master gunmaker Suzanne Warren Bocio. The opening section discusses the schools with a picture example of each along with a list of gunmakers of the day that produced guns in that school.

http://www.cherrytreefamily.com/parifleschools.htm

While individual guns within a school can certainly be decorated differently, the school has a distinctive architecture. As stated above, gun styles also "morphed" over time, so you may have "early" and "late" versions of the same school. There are also those referred to as "transitional."

I am no expert in this at all....just passing on some very basic info if you are just starting to get a desire to look into this.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Interesting. Thank you.