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In the early Eighteenth Century, there were few gunsmiths in this land who were capable of building an entire gun. Many of the parts were imported from Europe. Frequently guns were built of scavenged military parts; you might find a gun with a Belgian barrel and an English lock, perhaps a trigger guard from a French musket. The arrival of skilled European gunsmiths in Pennsylvania, particularly from Germany, was key in the development of our own gunbuilding industry. These men brought not only their tools and skills, but the styles and designs of traditional Germanic gunbuilding. The jaeger is a German hunting rifle, short in length, and of large caliber. The earliest American guns have many Germanic features, both in the stock architecture and the decorative elements. The time period between 1750 and 1800 saw much melding of art and culture; the high art of Europe mixing with practical American gunsmithing. This is the time period that most excites me, a time of great upheaval and change in America, not only in gunsmithing, but in every aspect of our Nation. My current fascination is with the guns of Germanic descent. There are a two guns at the moment which reflect my interests. One is a Moravian Smooth Rifle, completed in 2006, embodies many Germanic features, from the lines of the stock to the European flavor of the carving. The other gun, a fancy jaeger in European style, is in the formative stages. Though the jaeger is under construction, you will be able to appreciate its architecture, along with a hint of the developing decorative elements.
Dixon's Muzzleloading Shop and Gunmaker's Fair Muzzle loading gun barrels: American Long Rifle forum: R.E. Davis gunlocks and hardware: How to videos: |
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