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Rifles

"They have voted ten companies of riflemen to be sent from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia to join the army before Boston. These are an excellent species of light infantry. They use a peculiar kind of musket called a rifle. It has a circular pattern of grooves within the barrel, and carries a ball with great exactness to great distances. They are the most accurate marksmen in the world."  John Adams

We produce rifles typical of ones made in Virginia during the last half of the 18th Century. These will show English influences filtering from the East combined with Germanic styling coming down the Shenandoah Valley out of Western Maryland.

Click on the image for a larger view.

This rifle was made by Clay Smith and is copied from the only known American rifle that has a brass barrel. The original shows very Germanic influences and may have been made in one of the Moravian shops of Bethlehem, western North Carolina and southwest Virginia. When compared to the Edward Marshall rifle which is beleived to have been made in the shops near Bethlehem, the locks are identical down to the engraving. This indicates that the locks where probably imported from Europe. 

This rifle shows very early styling with a simple two piece patchbox and German folk art influence in the carving.

The style of cheek rest and the heavy wide butt plate are typical of hunting rifles of central Europe in the mid 18th century.

Left side showing the plain but nicely shaped side plate. 

Lock area showing the large trigger guard and nicely shaped trigger. You can also see the finely engraved lock.

This fine rifle was made by George Suiter and Dave Wagner. (Dave left the shop in 1987)

This is a gun taken from a rifle by Klette who worked near Culpepper, Va.

Klette used a unique style of triggerguard and patchbox which makes this gun more English in appearance.

Left side of the Klette style rifle.

This view shows the very English style of sideplate. The well designed cheek piece and carving really makes this gun stand out.