Bill Shipman Rifle

This rifle is made in contemporary style meaning that it's not a copy of any particular school or maker. The swamped barrel is 44 in. long, 1 in. at the breach and in .50 cal. Four steel wedges for retention. Chambers late Ketland lock. Highly modified Davis set triggers. Handmade patchbox with a sterling silver fish. The cheekpiece inlay star has alternating pieces of sterling silver and brass.

Copy and photos supplied by Bill Shipman.

Bill Shipman Pistol

A pistol made in the Hagerstown School style. 10 in. Getz swamped barrel. Ditchburn pistol lock.

Photos supplied by Bill Shipman.

Pinwheel Lancaster by Bill Shipman

The patchbox on this rifle is a favorite with customers it seems. and I've used it a number of times.  It's almost become a trademark.

The style of the rifle is typical of the 1780's in Lancaster, but the use of sterling silver mixed with the brass marks it as contemporary.  The petals of the patchbox pinwheel are tipped in silver, the silver wrist inlay has brass designs at the top and bottom, the cheekpiece star alternates brass and silver at each point, and there's a sterling silver band at the breech.

The photos came out a little dark as far as the wood is concerned.  Its darkly stained but not quite that much.  Note the perfect grain, if you can, through the wrist and toe in the sugar maple stock.  You can see a bit of cast off in the lower shot. 

The patchbox release is a wide square steel stud in the toe plate.

The carving, on the cheekpiece side at least, is a takeoff of Isaac Haines, a Lancaster gunmaker of the period and one of the best guncarvers of the longrifle era.

The front sight is made from folding sterling silver sheet then brazing it into one piece and filing to shape.  My tired eyes love a sterling sight.  A little nick at the sharp rear edge helps me find it perfectly in the dark woods or when the light is in my eyes, and it can be darkened with brass black if that's your desire for some conditions.  German silver doesn't cut it.

The barrel is a rice swamped 44" 50 cal. 1 1/16 in. at the breech.

Copy and photos supplied by Bill Shipman.

Viewers Response to Locks

Above two images a Davis lock modified for a Tulle by David Rase.

This lock is for a bench copy Nicholas Hawk rifle. It's entirely from the Chambers late Ketland. It's been made considerably smaller with a modified plate and pan, hammer and screw, and frizzen spring. The original lock has a replaced hammer and frizzen, and frizzen spring. The plate, marked BOULTON, is original as are the internals. Most Hawks that I've seen have rollers on the frizzen spring.

This was made in 1989 and I freely admit if the Chambers early Ketland would have been around, I wouldn't have bothered. The plate was milled from a solid hunk and filed up. The hammer and frizzen came from Reeves Goering. The frizzen spring from the Davis Twigg. The internals from a large Siler and the long mainspring forged from a piece of spring steel I found at Dixons. Talk about a conglomeration!

Above three images supplied by Bill Shipman.

Above three lock by Brian Anderson.

Bill Shipman Western Pennsylvania Rifle

This gun is made in the style of David Morton of Westmoreland Co. in western PA. Morton worked in the early 1800's. .45 cal. Rice barrel, 1 in. at the breech, tapered and flared, 44 in. long. The front sight and inlays are sterling silver and the upper panels of the patchbox sideplates are filled with silver. Signed and dated.

Copy and photos supplied by Bill Shipman.

Bill Shipman After George Schroyer

This is a close copy of a George Schroyer. Small Siler lock, custom .54 smoothbore, oct. to round, 1 in. at the breech, 46 in. long, duplicating the original. All other parts were handmade.

A bench copy is one made with the original in hand. A documentary copy is an exact copy.

Photos supplied by Bill Shipman. More examples cam be found at Bill Shipman.

Bill Shipman "Isaiah 6:8 Rifle"

A rifle made in the style of Hagerstown, MD. gunmaker George Kreps in the period 1790-1810. Tapered and flared barrel in .50 cal. 44 inches long. The barrel is held by 4 steel wedges with brass heads.

The lock is a Jim Chambers' Golden Age heavily modified, as thin as it can possibly be made, with a replacement hammer and top jaw.

This rifle was made for a Navy Seal and the cheekpiece inlay is the Seal "Trident", the badge they wear above the left pocket when in uniform.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said; "send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Copy and Photos supplied by Bill Shipman.