An Early Virginia Longrifle This is a 1785 Augusta/Rockbridge County, Virginia style longrifle based on the earlier of the two rifles documented by Wallace Gusler in the Journal of Historical Arms Making Technology, Volume II (JHAT II). The patchbox and its engraving is an original design extrapolated from the box on the early gun documented […]
Read More… from Gun #19 Augusta/Rockbridge Virginia Longrifle
Shown here is a bespoke powder horn with color scrimshaw. The form of the horn is Early Virginia with a turned beaded hard maple base plug and a turned Axis deer antler tip. This right hand horn is approximately 14.75″ around the outside curve, 12.25″ tip to tip, and with a 2.375″ diameter base plug. […]
Read More… from Early Virginia Powder Horn with Color Scrimshaw
I am doing more scrimshawed horns right now and trying some new things. This is my latest effort featuring a Carolina parakeet and a Northern Cardinal along with some fraktur flowers. I hope you like it. This right hand horn is 14″ around the outside curve and 11.5″ tip to tip, not including the […]
Read More… from Applied-tip Powder Horn with Color Fraktur (Horn #44)
Applied tip powder horns, as the name implies, have turned horn, antler, or bone tips that either screw onto or are pinned to the powder horn body. These are professionally made horns that had turned butt plugs as well, and sometimes turned horn bands. Screw-tip powder horns were made as early as the French and Indian […]
Shown here is an outfit that I made for myself consisting of an early Virginia shot pouch and a Virginia banded, screw-tip powder horn. Most of the shot pouches made these days are relatively complicated affairs using designs from the early to middle 19th century. If you want a shot pouch that is proper for […]
The vast majority of original powder horns were as plain as they could be and still be functional. That means a flat pine (or other softwood) base plug and little or no carving of the throat; just enough work to contain powder and attach a strap. Many times a screw was used to attach a […]
Handmade Tumbler Trouble In conjunction with some recent repair/restoration work, I have started working on an all handmade flintlock. That means one made of wrought iron in the same manner as an 18th century Virginia gun shop including making all the screws. I have completed a set of templates for the lock and have forged […]
Not too long ago, my osteopath told me I needed to take my overstuffed wallet out of my back pocket and ditch it. It was pretty ratty anyway; almost worn through in places. I shopped around for a replacement but just couldn’t find anything just right. I needed to carry my drivers license, registration, proof […]
This powder horn was made from a raw horn in a late colonial style. I scraped it down, carved and filed the spout in the traditional manner. The plain domed base plug was carved from pine and held in place with wooden pegs. I turned the stopper from a scrap piece of curly maple. […]
An Unusual Iron Mounted Rifle The longrifle shown here is an iron mounted chunk gun with stylistic elements found on guns from the Augusta/Rockbridge area of Virginia down into southwest Virginia. This rifle includes a four-piece iron patchbox and a faceted trigger guard and thimbles similar to a couple of rifles from Wallace Gusler’s step-toe […]
Read More… from Gun #12 – An Iron Mounted Virginia Chunk Gun