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Post by spence on Jul 4, 2021 19:34:54 GMT -7
I lost a very dear, long-time friend last summer. The friendship lasted almost fifty-five years, and we shared many good times. Jack was a hunter, mostly of quail and doves, but always modern, never black powder. In about 1970 he went to an NRA gun show in Dayton, Ohio, and saw William Buchele building a flintlock rifle at a workbench he had set up as a demonstration. The gun was near completion, and Jack was amazed at the craftsmanship. He knew nothing about the whole world of black powder shooting and contemporary gun building, but he knew C. ‘Doc’ Haddaway, the well known lock maker, who was also there, so he asked him if the gun would be a good investment. Doc assured him it would be, so Jack arranged to buy the gun when it was finished. It has been hanging on Jack’s wall ever since. It was never fired, Jack had no interest in muzzleloading guns from that point of view. Over many years I took the gun home and cleaned it well every 2-3 years. Jack disposed of all his guns except that one before he died last July, and his wife had no idea what to do with it after he was gone. A couple of days ago she called, said she was looking for someone to give it a good home and the TLC it deserves, and gave it to me. I never dreamed of owning such a rifle, and I’m still a bit overwhelmed by the situation. When I got into the BP game in 1973 Bill Buchele was already a respected name, had already written the book which for a long time was considered the bible of contemporary flintlock rifle building. I’m having a little trouble getting my head around the fact that I own a rifle and lock actually built by him which is sitting in my den. Spence        |
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Post by paranger on Jul 5, 2021 4:01:11 GMT -7
Gorgeous, Spence. I am glad it found a home where it will be appreciated.
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Post by hawkeyes on Jul 5, 2021 5:30:20 GMT -7
Oh my that is an absolutely amazing and beautiful piece... Just splendid, a true work of art to cherish. I'm amazed by every detail, an honor to have and behold.
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Post by brokennock on Jul 5, 2021 7:53:20 GMT -7
I am very sorry for the loss of your long time friend.
That is a phenomenal rifle. What an honor to get to be the steward of such a piece, and one that was previously in the collection of a good friend.
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Post by Black Hand on Jul 5, 2021 9:04:37 GMT -7
Spence,
Sorry to hear about the passing of your friend.
May she give you many years of pleasure in the field.
Albert
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Post by spence on Jul 5, 2021 10:08:35 GMT -7
May she give you many years of pleasure in the field. Ahhh...there's the rub. In all the years I looked after the gun I never pulled the trigger, tripped the lock, because it wasn't my gun, and I didn't even want to leave a mark on the frizzen. Now the situation is different, and I'm thinking what a hoot it would be to take a deer with a Buchele rifle. But...Jack never fired the gun for fifty years, so I'm wondering if I should leave it unfired. I somehow had the impression for all those years that it was a .50 caliber, and I have nothing I would need to get set up for a .50, but it turns out it's .45 caliber and I have everything I need for that. I've weighed out a matched set of balls, calculated trajectories zeroed at 25 and 50 yards, but i'll have to cogitate for a while before I decide what to do about that question. I should have such problems.  Spence |
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Post by hawkeyes on Jul 5, 2021 10:14:29 GMT -7
I'll gladly give her a day in the forest with the utmost of care, send her my way and I'll handle making the smoke!
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Post by Black Hand on Jul 5, 2021 11:06:03 GMT -7
May she give you many years of pleasure in the field. Ahhh...there's the rub. In all the years I looked after the gun I never pulled the trigger, tripped the lock, because it wasn't my gun, and I didn't even want to leave a mark on the frizzen. Now the situation is different, and I'm thinking what a hoot it would be to take a deer with a Buchele rifle. But...Jack never fired the gun for fifty years, so I'm wondering if I should leave it unfired. I somehow had the impression for all those years that it was a .50 caliber, and I have nothing I would need to get set up for a .50, but it turns out it's .45 caliber and I have everything I need for that. I've weighed out a matched set of balls, calculated trajectories zeroed at 25 and 50 yards, but i'll have to cogitate for a while before I decide what to do about that question. I should have such problems. Spence What's the use of having a Ferrari in the garage that is never driven...? She's yours, you get to decide. |
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Post by brokennock on Jul 5, 2021 15:30:09 GMT -7
May she give you many years of pleasure in the field. Ahhh...there's the rub. In all the years I looked after the gun I never pulled the trigger, tripped the lock, because it wasn't my gun, and I didn't even want to leave a mark on the frizzen. Now the situation is different, and I'm thinking what a hoot it would be to take a deer with a Buchele rifle. But...Jack never fired the gun for fifty years, so I'm wondering if I should leave it unfired. I somehow had the impression for all those years that it was a .50 caliber, and I have nothing I would need to get set up for a .50, but it turns out it's .45 caliber and I have everything I need for that. I've weighed out a matched set of balls, calculated trajectories zeroed at 25 and 50 yards, but i'll have to cogitate for a while before I decide what to do about that question. I should have such problems. Spence That spot of converging deer trails you found on your birthday,,,, go shoot a deer there with this rifle. Take your friend hunting. |
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Post by spence on Jul 5, 2021 16:34:45 GMT -7
If I do it, that's exactly where it will be.
Spence
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Post by brokennock on Jul 5, 2021 18:51:02 GMT -7
I can't stop going back and looking at this rifle. I absolutely love the mello tone the brass has taken over the years. Not tarnished or patina, just, well, mello.
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Post by spence on Jul 5, 2021 19:33:39 GMT -7
I absolutely love the mello tone the brass has taken over the years. Not tarnished or patina, just, well, mello. I have wondered if it might be because a different alloy of brass was used. I have another rifle from exactly the same time period which shows the same kind of 'mellow' brass. This is an inlay on the top of the comb of the rifle.  Spence |
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Post by hawkeyes on Jul 6, 2021 5:11:56 GMT -7
I absolutely love the mello tone the brass has taken over the years. Not tarnished or patina, just, well, mello. I have wondered if it might be because a different alloy of brass was used. I have another rifle from exactly the same time period which shows the same kind of 'mellow' brass. This is an inlay on the top of the comb of the rifle. Spence This may be... my observations are the higher quality rifles I've seen and studied appear to have a higher quality ratio of alloy in the mountings than lesser rifles. They exhibit the same aging/ patina. I have no scientific evidence to support the theory though. I does make me wonder if the craftsman of the period were more aware of the metallurgy of sorts to achieve a higher purity for their mountings. Such details are amongst a multitude that make the firelock a work of art and so fascinating. |
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Post by brokennock on Jul 6, 2021 6:08:18 GMT -7
Absolutely beautiful. The brass almost seems to blend with the lighter tones of the wood.
Or maybe it's the other way around?
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Post by artificer on Aug 5, 2021 1:56:31 GMT -7
I absolutely love the mello tone the brass has taken over the years. Not tarnished or patina, just, well, mello. I have wondered if it might be because a different alloy of brass was used. I have another rifle from exactly the same time period which shows the same kind of 'mellow' brass. This is an inlay on the top of the comb of the rifle. Spence Spence, My sincere condolences on the loss of your lifetime friend. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he meant to leave it in the hands of a person he knew would enjoy it and care for it properly. I'm not sure if this will be any help, but I've been thinking back to when my Best Friend in Life first took me to the Primitive Range in Friendship, IN for the Spring Nationals of 1974. Sutlers Row had two or three people selling castings and if my memory isn't completely gone, even then one stood out from all the rest for the quality of the detail of the castings and the actual brass alloy used. I want to say that was Reeves Goering, who everyone said to go to first and only him because the alloy in his castings was softer, like the original castings, compared to some folks who used something closer to Naval Bronze, which was and remains much harder. I remember all the best builders used his parts, though I'm not sure if he had already been in business at that time? I think so, but I'm not completely sure. Does his name ring a bell to you from around that time? Gus |
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