I am an artist and craftsman specializing in the recreation of flintlock sporting arms and accouterments; with a particular interest in southern (Virginia) longrifles, shot pouches and powder horns. While it is easier to refer to myself as a gunmaker, I am more than that. I have interests in all sorts of arts and crafts including fraktur (18th and 19th century German folk art), calligraphy, period cabinet making and joinery, wood turning, and photography as well as drawing and painting. I bring all of that to bear on my firearms and accouterments work. I also do web and graphic design, and I did everything you see on this web site. That is why I refer to myself as an artist and craftsman.
As much as I consider myself an artist and craftsman, I have made my living mostly in information technologies with over 21 years experience in IT operations. I have also made a living teaching technology to high school and college students, and as detailer/draftsman making furniture and fixtures. Very early, however, I fell in love with antique firearms, particularly the American longrifle. I was captivated by the artistry and craftsmanship of these guns. The variety of skills required to create one appealed to me as well as its integral part in the history of our nation. Consequently, I have spent a good bit of my spare time , what little there was of it, over the last 30 some odd years learning to build the American longrifle.
I started my gun building career with a CVA pistol kit that I received for Christmas when I was in the seventh grade. When I was in high school and college I built a longrifle from a blank with a Douglas swamped barrel and a Doc Haddaway lock. It was a pretty awful mishmash of longrifle styles with some really bad carving. Fortunately, I have learned a lot since then, and the parts have long since been recycled.
Due to the demands of a burgeoning career in information systems, I didn’t start another rifle for 15 years. Eventually, tired of working with computers day in and day out, I started working on my second rifle in 1995. It was an iron mounted, southern style longrifle, made using a Green Mountain barrel, a small Siler lock that I made to look like a late English lock, and a very plain piece of black walnut.
That longrifle won a Judges Choice award in the Apprentice class at Dixon’s Gunmakers Fair in 1999, and provided the encouragement for me to keep building. I have been studying and building seriously since 2003 and won a First Place ribbon for craftsmanship in the Journeyman class at Dixon’s in 2005, and another Judges Choice ribbon in the Master class in 2009.
As well as being a regular attendee at the the Dixon’s Gunmakers Fair, I have also attended the Armsmakers Workshop at Conner Prairie, and the N.M.L.R.A. Gunsmithing Workshop in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I also take every opportunity to study original longrifles, making appointments as necessary to view both public and private collections.
I have a particular fondness for southern longrifles and accouterments; particularly the longrifles made in the region from Augusta County Virginia southwest into East Tennessee. I am currently concentrating on building and collecting longrifles and accouterments from that area as well as painted furniture and fraktur from up and down the Valley of Virginia.
While my particular interest is southern longrifles and accouterments, I welcome any longrifle, fowler, or pistol project. My current projects are listed on the “Blog” under “Current Projects”. The planned projects are in, you guessed it, “Planned Projects” . As I am always making something new to strike my fancy, the previous items need to find a good home. These are offered for sale on the “For Sale” page. Nothing I make is mine forever; just until I make something I like better or somebody else wants it more. If you are interested in anything I have up for sale, are planning to make, or made in the past; I would love to hear from you.
As important as collecting and building longrifles is to me, and it is very important, I strive to make Christ the most important thing in my life because he died so that sinners like you and I might be forgiven our sins and gain eternal life. I have had, and continue to have, some very difficult challenges with my health and have seen some very dark times. It is only through faith, prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit that I have made it through many days. Life isn’t easy, and Christians aren’t perfect. I am certainly very far from perfect. We are all sinners. The Bible tells us that not one of us is justified. However, as a Christian, you are forgiven and striving to get better in every way each day. As a sinner needing forgiveness; just ask Christ into your life; sincerely repent of your sins; rejoice in the fact that your sins, past, present, and future are forgiven and forgotten; and let the Lord help you each day to become the person he wants you to be. Not unlike mastering a craft, it is a life long, difficult, journey, but the end of the journey is eternal life. Don’t wait, start your journey today! Jesus loves you and is waiting for you to ask him into your life. Once you do, you will also find that he will lift your burdens and make things possible that are far beyond your capabilities.
May God bless you.
Mark E. Elliott
