Vincent Rifles

[Marc Adamchek]

Anybody know much about these and/or can point me to a good source book on them?

 

[tenngun]

A little. I think it was father and son. Some full stock most half stock, were light, many silver mounted. A few sported a wooden under rib. Metal might be engraved, but wood plainly finished. Most active starting about 1840 popular through 1860s. Tended to be .45 or less, slim and light. I don’t think any were made in flint lock.
Dad was born early nineteenth century started gunsmithing after adulthood. I think he was a furniture maker in much of his life. He tended to ‘fine rifles’ upper end market.

 

[Col. Batguano]

They are something of a sub-set of Ohio styled rifles, so concentrate your research there, as well as some surrounding areas of the relevant time period.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Anybody know much about these and/or can point me to a good source book on them?

I don't have any literature on the Vincent rifle, but I do have a very nice Vincent .45 cal. built by L Bryner.
It is 1/2 stock with a 35" X 7/8" inch barrel.
The stock is curly maple with silver mounts. Butt Plate is a very crescent curv.
Trigger guard, butt plate and ram rod thimbles are brass.
The gun sports a double set trigger, and engraved percussion lock.
The rifle is a pure joy to shoot and hold.
Send me your email and I will gladly send you some pictures of it.
Best regards!
Fred

 

[Rudyard]

The only Vincents I know of are Ohio Near Marietta Iv'e been to the house site and was pointed out the stump they shot into ..They where two brothers I think one being Caleb .Their working dates are more late 19th into the 20th century 1916 or so . The contempory maker most involved was to my knowledge Rod England about 26 years ago .And the Curator of the Campus Martious Museum in Marietta is very well up on them .
Rudyard

 

[rich pierce]

An original sold recently here: https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/vincent-percussion-half-stock-rifle-33539

 

[Rudyard]

Then Caleb must be a son . I was shown his watch & barrel stamp most likely the younger. Rod England used to market kits . But like many another inspired gun maker he struggled with cash flow , It was some how brought up and the Councillor declared ."He should stop gun making , & get a real job"!. Rudyard

 

[Scota@4570]

I've made two replicas. I bobbed the spike on the top of the butplate and opened the curve up on both. Not all originals had that spike that Track uses on their casting. My shoulder is too large to fire the rifle in any conventional stance with the issue butplate. Some say to shoot if off you bicep. I can not fit it over my bicep either. Think about it before you use the butplate as issued.

The Track parts set make up into a very slim rifle. The rib adds significant weight. I have been milling the underside of ribs to lighten them. It works real well and the rifle feels better off hand without the extra weight. I do solder all ribs, no screws. The locks are "iffy". My last one butsted the sear nose before installation. Using a powder drum on a 13/16" 45 cal barrel give me the willies. So far so good. Be sure and make the drum rest against the lock plate. Align you tap well with the drill press of mill. Sloppy threads would be bad news on this build.

American Long Rifles forum has a virtual library that includes good photos of several originals. They are under the Ohio gunsmith section. Both John and Caleb rifles are featured. I'd post links but that is not allowed here.

 

[tenngun]

I found that the biceps hold seems to work for me best off the bicep, so it’s more /less an ‘arm pit hold.

 

[Dphar1950]

Late rifles with deep crescents are not meant to be shot off the shoulder. The are made to he shot off the arm like a Schuetzen rifle. Its the more efficient in offhand even with shotgun butt unless shooting at flying birds or other moving targets when precise accuracy is less important. The stance requires the non-shooting shoulder to be toward the target to a greater or lessor extent. This is reduce the shooters ability to swing the rifle on a moving target or to change targets rapidly as is needed with a shotgun shooting flying birds. But lots on people insist on using the shotgun stance when shooting a rifle at stationary targets. This is a mistake if after best accuracy when shooting standing with a rifle.

 

[Scota@4570]

I am a decent off hand shot. I bounce around between expert and master in CMP and shoot master in NMLRA aggregates . The problem is not taking a "tactical" stance. It is that, for my body, the radius of the curvature simply is too small to fit any reasonable part of my arm or shoulder while any off hand hold that is conducive to good shooting. I pointed it out as a head up for someone who may to figure it out until it was too late and they made a rifle they can not use. I speculate that the rifles were originally made for skinny small people 170 years ago.

 

[Ames]

I was a skinny small person 20 years ago. If a Vincent fit me then, and then I add 30 lbs. of good cookin', it should still fit me. Yes?
I ask because if I ever built another gun it would be a Vincent. Don't want to out grow my guns.

 

[Rudyard]

The only American rifle I own is out of Darke county possibly Switzer of Greenville area it has the cresent butt plate , typical degenerate hog rifle half stock, lead nose cap, set triggers, no half cock . But under the butt plate was a scrap of a garage letter and the note 'Traded one Hamilton rifle for one hair trigger rifle to Albert Wolfe on Sunday Feb 19th 1919 also powder horn & mould '. signed ' Homer Magato' (The Hamilton rifles where a frightfully cheap 22 bl ).The garage had a Versailles address which is just north of Greenville . Pure speculation but the redoubtable Anne Mozeen - Anne Oakley came from Willow Dell between these locations and just might have met /shot against the rifles owners . Or the stock of it, as it had no other parts the, lock & a new barrel of 40 cal I added to restore it . I made a flint LH' Chiefs Grade ' Ordnance issue/gift Trade gun with a rifled barrel option plus completed a double flint ten bore shotgun in Greenville dos'nt put me in the same league as Switzer but have fond memories of my times there & always felt comfortable in Ohio .
Rudyard

 

[Mark Herman]

F.G. Ford,
You have a Vincent repro by INE of the best contemporary builders who made them. Larry passed away several years ago. We, Association of Ohio Longrifle Collectors, have a 5 volume set of books related to Ohio builders and their rifles including the Vincent's. A chronological history and photos are in the volume for Washington County. The set sells for $150 including shipping or individual volumes for $40 shipped. I have them available.

 

[Dphar1950]

I am a decent off hand shot. I bounce around between expert and master in CMP and shoot master in NMLRA aggregates . The problem is not taking a "tactical" stance. It is that, for my body, the radius of the curvature simply is too small to fit any reasonable part of my arm or shoulder while any off hand hold that is conducive to good shooting. I pointed it out as a head up for someone who may to figure it out until it was too late and they made a rifle they can not use. I speculate that the rifles were originally made for skinny small people 170 years ago.

This makes sense, did not think about arm size. Many try shooting them off the shoulder. I think I missed high master by a hair I think this year in service rifle. Could not figure yeah or nay but the card never came so.... I have only done one Vincent and its not exactly historically correct since I don't do drum and nipple guns

.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

I don't have any literature on the Vincent rifle, but I do have a very nice Vincent .45 cal. built by L Bryner.
It is 1/2 stock with a 35" X 7/8" inch barrel.
The stock is curly maple with silver mounts. Butt Plate is a very crescent curv.
Trigger guard, butt plate and ram rod thimbles are brass.
The gun sports a double set trigger, and engraved percussion lock.
The rifle is a pure joy to shoot and hold.
Send me your email and I will gladly send you some pictures of it.
Best regards!
Fred

Fred: I'd love to see it! my email is [email protected] (By the way, I also have a Vincent .45 made by someone obscure I bought from a very nice Cherokee gentleman. Although it's not "high end" it holds a special place in my battery and my heart. I'll send you some photos of it back to you)

 

[jlatz]

I have been using a Vincent style rifle since 1992 built by Wes Rowe. In .40 caliber it has done great target work at our club shoots and at Friendship.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

F.G. Ford,
You have a Vincent repro by INE of the best contemporary builders who made them. Larry passed away several years ago. We, Association of Ohio Longrifle Collectors, have a 5 volume set of books related to Ohio builders and their rifles including the Vincent's. A chronological history and photos are in the volume for Washington County. The set sells for $150 including shipping or individual volumes for $40 shipped. I have them available.

Mark - Is there one of those volumes that has more coverage of the Vincent rifle than the others? If so, I'd gladly purchase it. Please send me any information to my email address: [email protected] Many Thanks - Marc

 

[F.G. Ford]

Mark - Is there one of those volumes that has more coverage of the Vincent rifle than the others? If so, I'd gladly purchase it. Please send me any information to my email address: [email protected] Many Thanks - Marc

Hello Marc,
I just sent you some pictures of the Larry Bryner rifle that I have.
I hope they turned out ok, I am not the best with the tablet, or great photographer.
Serious problem with fat fingers.
Have a great day!
Fred

 

[Mark Herman]

Fred,
Have not received your pictures yet. Will send pics of my Bryner Vincent later today.
Mark