This is one of the completely handmade rifles I made in the Colonial Williamsburg Gunshop It was finished in 1978. The lock and barrel were hand forged from wrought iron (except for the three springs, which are steel). The guard and butt piece were cast at the shop and the other brass mounts forged there. Even the wood screws were hand filed. This rifle took about 420 man hours to build and that includes the work of two men in forging, reaming and rifling the barrel. Getting the work done while talking to thousands of visitors took about a year.
The carving and engraving are based loosely on the engraving found on the back plate of a tall case clock made in Fredericksburg, Virginia in the mid-18th century.
Handmade lock forged from wrought iron and steel in the style of English locks ca. 1775-1780. Made in 1978 at the Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith Shop. This lock is similar in profile to those imported just before the Revolutionary War.
In this photograph the silver square on the quarter flat of the barrel is the hammer in hand touch mark I made and used on all my hand forged barrels.
Photos by Colonial Williamsburg from Flintriflesmith with copy by Gary Brumsfield
Thanks for sharing this. As with ALL of your work, it is absolutelty stunning!
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