Posted: 12/30/2007 8:36:15 PM EDT
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Doing some research for building a period correct flintlock it seems that the rifle actually originated here in PA or at the very least the finest gunsmiths and gun makers resided in Pennsylvania. A skilled rifleman could shoot incredible groups at 200-250 yards with a good flintlock. Im looking at the Jim Chambers Christian Springs rifle by Edward Marshall. Built between 1760 and 1770. |
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Check this out I love this gun www.palongrifles.com/home/PicturePages/Pics_reading.htm |
You can't go wrong with a Chambers Kit. I have known Jim many years & he stands behind his products. If you want an education on flintlocks come to Friendship in the spring. Most all of the "masters" are there. Jim has a booth on "rifle row."  Hessian-1
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Christian Springs is not that far West of where I live. Many, many German craftsmen came into PA, thanks to Billy Penn, and brought their skills with them. You will find that the rifles change, as fathers taught their skills to their sons and the tastes and needs of the Colonists were different then Old Europe. Jim Chambers is a VERY good place to start with your search. Do you have this? Recreating the American Longrifle by William Buchele, George Shumway, Peter Alexander
What build are you going for? Berks County? Bucks County? Lancaster County? Lehigh County? York County? |
Correct, I did find that German gunmakers had been experimenting with rifled barrels before they settled here. |
Nice left-handed flintlock! Hessian-1
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Looking at this rifle. Wont be until Spring when I get home from Med deployment though.. here The Christian Springs rifle. here is a pic |
What where is the black plastic!!! Tapco needs to get on that pronto! |
You can tell that this is a transitional developement because of it still retains many of the Jäger features. Not bad at all. Stay safe and we'll see you back here soon enough! Happy New Year!! |
thanx I dont leave until the end of JAN but your right it has a blend of style. I like the straighter and higher comb of the jager rifles but also the thin well balanced and long lines of the American guns, this gun has a little of both and would be correct for militia riflemen of the Revolution so Im told.. |
try less powder in the flash pan and before you shoot tap the powder away from the flash hole. A delay in firing is usually cause by too much flash powder and it acts as a fuse burning down to the touch hole and then igniting the main charge. A small amount, no more than 3-4 grains is plenty. |
either way I like the rifle and Chambers site says the original rifle was carefully measured and photo'd to make the kits as accurate as possible to the original.. |
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I think a Jim Chambers kit is the way to go. Marsh Jim (as I've called him) puts out some quality kits and the best locks in the market. If there's a problem, Jim replaces it muy pronto (or his daugther Barbie will). I've seen his Marshall Gun and like it and may one day build it myself. BTW, our long rifle evolved from the German/Swiss jaeger rifle. The bore became smaller (to stretch the lead) and the barrel longer (it was thought at the time that longer barrels gave more time for the powder to burn). Correspondingly, the gun also became slimmer and in some respects, simpler. George Shumway has an excellent book out on the jaeger rifle. When it came to military jaegers, Shumway told me that there was no set pattern and that it all depended on who paid for it. Prussia was known to be very tight fisted and did away with all frills. Expect less or no inlays, relief carving, engraving or wire inlay in a Prussian jaeger. |