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early lancaster pictures
- Thread starter bowkill
- Start date
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There are several books that have photos of both early and late Lancasters available.
If you don't want to buy some books you might try your public library.
Look for:
"RIFLES of COLONIAL AMERICA" 2 volumes by G. Shumway
"THOUGHTS ON THE KENTUCKY RIFLE IN ITS' GOLDEN AGE" by Kindig
"KENTUCKY RIFLES & PISTOLS 1750-1858" BY James R. Johnson
"GUNSMITHS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA" by Dr. James Whisker
There are more but if your lucky these will get you started.
Some Public Librarys won't have any of them and some that do won't let you check them out.
To save yourself some gas money you might call the library and ask if they have any of these books available.
Some libraries that have them also won't let you photocopy the books on their copiers because that process often requires the book to be opened too far, but you might be able to take an electronic camera in and photograph the pictures.
School libraries (with the exception of College Libraries) aren't worth thinking about because these books all contain photos of Guns .
Some of these books are out of print now and a couple of them are quite expensive so give the Library a shot first.
If you don't want to buy some books you might try your public library.
Look for:
"RIFLES of COLONIAL AMERICA" 2 volumes by G. Shumway
"THOUGHTS ON THE KENTUCKY RIFLE IN ITS' GOLDEN AGE" by Kindig
"KENTUCKY RIFLES & PISTOLS 1750-1858" BY James R. Johnson
"GUNSMITHS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA" by Dr. James Whisker
There are more but if your lucky these will get you started.
Some Public Librarys won't have any of them and some that do won't let you check them out.
To save yourself some gas money you might call the library and ask if they have any of these books available.
Some libraries that have them also won't let you photocopy the books on their copiers because that process often requires the book to be opened too far, but you might be able to take an electronic camera in and photograph the pictures.
School libraries (with the exception of College Libraries) aren't worth thinking about because these books all contain photos of Guns .
Some of these books are out of print now and a couple of them are quite expensive so give the Library a shot first.
Ruth, an Isaac Haines Early Lancaster in .54 cal with a 39" Rice swamped bbl and Dunlap curly maple stock stained with AF and scraped, not sanded. Done plain on purpose, no patch box and very little carving - done by a very talented craftsman.
I always thought I would want silver also, but after getting This one i love the brass. It looks very elegant on this gun. The early lancaster has a bigger butt and trigger guard and the brass really stands out. The brass is also more period correct than silver. what ever you decide you cant go wrong with TVM. Im more than satisfied.bowkill said:
the reason i was asking is i have found a few that claim to be the real deal, early 1700's, with silver in lay, i'm thinking the same, brass would be more common. way out of my price range but man i tell ta if i had the funds oh ya, flint'er for sure!
Maestro
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German silver shows up on late guns. Sometime in the second quarter of the 19th c. Real silver on an early American long gun, as far as hardware, is rare, and I would doubt few, if any early Lancasters. Brass was used because most of the smiths could cast it themselves, and it was relatively cheap, and reasonably plentiful in amounts for casting gun furniture. Although, ready made parts were also imported. A gun could be made much as today, using largely ready made parts, other than the stock.
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"the reason i was asking is i have found a few that claim to be the real deal, early 1700's, with silver in lay, i'm thinking the same, brass would be more common. way out of my price range but man i tell ta if i had the funds oh ya, flint'er for sure!"
The earliest known, DATED, is a Joh Schreit dated 1761(Womelsdorf, Berks County). There were earlier makers in Lancaster, but either unsigned, undated, or the guns haven't survived. The earliest gunsmiths listed in tax rolls seem to be the Bakers of Pequea just prior to 1720(Chester County at that time), but NONE of their rifles are known despite making them until about 1750. Most of the Lancaster rifles with pictures in books are post Revolutionary War period.
As for silver mounted rifles, per Sam Dyke's circa 1985 KRA article, possibly the earliest known J P Beck (Lebanon Township was then part of Lancaster County)was mounted in silver, lavishly carved and engraved. I've seen the small, B&W photos with the article. J P Beck wasn't born until 1751 and wouldn't have apprenticed until the mid 1760s...
Inlays became more common later in the "Golden Age", so perhaps you meant early 1800s?
The earliest known, DATED, is a Joh Schreit dated 1761(Womelsdorf, Berks County). There were earlier makers in Lancaster, but either unsigned, undated, or the guns haven't survived. The earliest gunsmiths listed in tax rolls seem to be the Bakers of Pequea just prior to 1720(Chester County at that time), but NONE of their rifles are known despite making them until about 1750. Most of the Lancaster rifles with pictures in books are post Revolutionary War period.
As for silver mounted rifles, per Sam Dyke's circa 1985 KRA article, possibly the earliest known J P Beck (Lebanon Township was then part of Lancaster County)was mounted in silver, lavishly carved and engraved. I've seen the small, B&W photos with the article. J P Beck wasn't born until 1751 and wouldn't have apprenticed until the mid 1760s...
Inlays became more common later in the "Golden Age", so perhaps you meant early 1800s?
I just got my early lancaster in silver from TVM about two weeks ago. Should be able to get some pics up later.
One thing I noticed is that the nose cap is pretty loose. I can easily just pop it off the nose with gentle pressure. Is this supposed to be this way?
Going to give Toni a call today.
One thing I noticed is that the nose cap is pretty loose. I can easily just pop it off the nose with gentle pressure. Is this supposed to be this way?
Going to give Toni a call today.
If trying to be historically correct, be very cautious of looking at contemporary guns as a gun to gauge from. There is usually something that is very incorrect, not because the builder wants to be incorrect, but because there is a feature they like in a gun. Zonie, mentioned some good books and that is what would be good to go look at. I see the many cases in all activities of building or restoring where a build or restoration is copied. All you are probably doing is copying the errors of the contemporary builder or the restorers ideas. Read and study the books of original guns or go look at original guns. Many new made guns are just plain beautiful,but rarely as the original 1700-1800's builder would have made them.
Just my two cents and worth every ...It seems that silver mounted rifles are found when you run into gunsmiths who were also silversmiths and VV. Best examples were Voglers of Old Salem in NC. Several generations and over-the-top with silver. John Bivens Jr, Longrifles of North Carolina book has many pix. GrampaJ in NC :hatsoff:
