Millennium Gun by Donelson (made in 2000)

Swamped Octagon or Octagon-to-round rifled or smooth bored barrel
flintlock of your choice-modified to fit the particular style
iron or brass Mountings: buttplate, sideplate, toeplate, simple two-piece patchbox, entry pipe and two rod pipes, triggerguard, and front and rear sights.
premium stock-wood either a blank or precarved (depending on style and pull-length needed) and in Walnut, Cherry, or Curly Maple.
Carving includes: lock mouldings with teardrop finials and a forestock moulding along the ramrod channel.
---the cost of this Longarms package is $3850.00

Classic Lehigh Longrifle

This flaming red beauty was inspired by a John Rupp original known to have been in Kindig's collection.

Dubbed "Cherry" for the fabulous stock cut from a personally harvested local tree, this gun sports hand-forged iron mounts: trigger guard, buttplate, sideplate, and rod pipes.

Iron mounts are uncommon on Pennsylvania rifles, but the owner was clear that: "I'm sure if I had asked John (Rupp) to mount it in iron in his day, he would have done it.".....perhaps true!

This gun has a Rice swamped barrel in 44" length and the Christian Springs Lock-modified somewhat.

Metal is patinaed with light pitting. Stock is stained with yellow-brown tones underneath and with Colonial Red in the oil over the top (as the originals were).

As this wears, it will lighten in the areas of most contact and this is exactly what you see on the Lehigh Rifles of old.

The "Liberty Capped" image of an Indian or Colonial, so common on Lehigh guns, is carved just ahead of the front guard extension.

Sleek lines and graceful curves make the Lehigh style eye appealing

Bucks Co. A. Verner Style Rifle by Donelson—
ca. 1780-1790

Classic lines of Andrew Verner both in stock and in patchbox. Octagon 1" Premium Goodoien barrel 42" Long.

L&R Classic Flintlock with signature finial profiling of Verner.

Cast brass butt plate, guard and side plate.
Hand made: swaged brass muzzlecap, rod pipes, long tail entry pipe.

Super premium and rare Birdseye maple stock-red violin stained. Incised carving in the Bucks Co. style.

Hand forged trigger–precursor to unique Donelson signature trigger.

Early Dickert Lancaster Rifle by Donelson

This gun is meant to be from Jacob Dickert's earliest years ca. 1770 when he was just leaving his apprenticeship with Andreas Albrecht, the gunsmith of the Christian Springs gunshop.


This gun is similar to an existing rifle by Dickert except for the patchbox, which is brass in the original.  


The sliding wood patchbox used here is inspired by one attributed to Christian's Spring.


The Siler lock used here has also been heavily modified to reflect the Christian Spring influence.


Straight Germanic set triggers with a decoratively filed plate.  


The magnificent curly maple stock is relief carved in the Dickert style and has a hand-rubbed oil-based finish.  

French Tulle Fusil De Chasse Ca. 1691-1741

THE FRENCH FUSILS: the eye-pleasing lines of the French Fusils look good even on the plainest guns. Just good, clean, elegant lines!

top: The Fusil Fin (fine hunting and service gun)
2nd: The Fusil De Chasse (gun of the chase, hunting gun)
3rd: The Fusil De Traite (trade gun, Type C)
4th: The Fusil De Traite (trade gun, Type D)

The Fusil Fin: the Fin or Fine gun is a fancier, higher quality version of the other regular Fusils or it can be a fancy fowler with unique characteristics apart from the regular guns. This example is a Fusil Fin, since it has a fancy sideplate and very nice and unusual wood (it must be noted that Curly Maple is NOT yet documented as being used on French Fusils, although Maple and other wood was sent back as an export from the Colonies). It also has fancier carving around the barrel tang and often these Fusil Fins have a two-line forestock moulding along the top edge of the barrel channel.

These Fine guns were often called "Chief Grade" guns since they were often given to the higher ranking individuals. Fine guns were mounted in brass or iron and often had a wrist inlay of Silver or Brass.

to build a Fusil Fin such as this example shown....$2195

The Fusil De Chasse: ca. 1691-1741. The Hunting gun was a high quality gun supplied for the Colonials and wasn't really intended for the native trade...but of course it found it's way there and the Indians were noted by the traders of "having once used them (Hunting gun), they would want no other (trade gun)". Our replicas today, of course, are all of equal quality.

The Fusil De Chasse was made at both Tulle and St. Etienne, although most seem to have been made at Tulle. Rarely mounted in brass, the De Chasse was usually iron mounted and stocked in Walnut. During the 1720's, Walnut became expensive and rare after a severe frost in 1709 killed most of the Walnut in France. Fruitwoods (Cherry, Apple, Pear??) appear as the common wood on many Fusils then.

Barrels usually were 44" and tapered Octagon to round...prior to 1720 the Octagon faded into round with no boundary....after 1720 the Octagon transitioned to 16 flats for a couple inches then a wedding ring transition to round (see Bouchard's: "The Fusil De Tulle in New France 1691-1741"). Most surviving examples measure 20 gauge or so, this in spite of them being documented as being 28 balls to the pound (28 gauge=.56 cal.)....so perhaps these have been re-bored to the larger size?? Barrels 44" and 24 ga.or 20 ga.are available. Walnut, Cherry, and Maple stocks are available, and include lock panel mouldings with tear-drop finials and tang carving with another finial shape. Rear sights are noted on some originals (added later?) and are also an option today.

To build a Fusil De Chasse ....$1895

The Fusil De Traite: ca. 1680-1750. This Early Trade gun has been called the Type C by Hamilton in his "Colonial Frontier Guns" and is considered to be the earliest "pattern" to which guns were made for the Indian trade. Made at St. Etienne, but not at Tulle. This trade gun is brass mounted and sports a fancy pierced sideplate, a brass triggerguard and buttplate with triangular flaming-torch finials and the brass mounts are engraved. Stocked in Walnut or other plain wood, there is no carving, and the stock is a little straighter than the Hunting gun. For an French and Indian War period reenactor, you could hardly find a more appropriate gun (accept for maybe the Type D, which follows). Few examples survive today (Museum of Fur Trade has one), but thousands of parts have been excavated throughout the country, "they must have been imported in astronomical numbers" said Hamilton. This example is stocked in plain Maple, barrel 42" tapered Octagon to round and 20 gauge.

To build a (Type C) Fusil De Traite.....$1795

The Fusil De Traite: ca. 1730-1760. The second French trade gun has been called the Type D by Hamilton and came later than the Type C, but there seems to be quite a period when both were being made and traded. These were mounted in brass or iron and feature a solid fowler-like sideplate often engraved with hunting scenes. The guard finials do not match the buttplate finial (like in the Type C). The buttplate was also often engraved. Sometimes a third lockbolt at the tail of the sideplate is seen (like in the English guns of the day). Caliber and wood the same...

To build a (Type D) Fusil De Traite......$1795

Fusil Lock Option: I offer an optional lock modification package to rebuild the lock for your Fusil to more accurately portray the original French locks. This is done by widening and lengthening the lock plate to get closer to the 6" length of the originals. I also replace the topjaw with a longer slotted version (handmade) that will engage the cock stem (which must be narrowed for this) like a tongue and groove system. Todays locks all have the topjaw just butting up against the cock stem, common after 1750 or so. Also, I replace the frizzen spring with a large radius trade gun version and often replace the frizzen as well. For Tulle style guns, I stamp them "TVLLE" or can engrave "St. Etienne" on those guns as desired. ....all guns shown have this option......

Fusil Lock Option.....$195

Lancaster Smooth Rifle by Donelson—ca 1780-1790

42" Getz Octagon to round barrel

.20 gauge, smooth bore patina

Large siler flintlock

Handmade 4 piece brass patchbox, engraved

Barrel held with 3 keys

Relief carved curly maple stock, aquafortis stained and oil finished

Lexington, KY Style Rifle ca. 1800

42" swamped Getz barrel in .54 cal. lightly browned.

L&R Queen Anne Flintlock — modified to a later style.

Brass mountings: butt plate, trigger guard, side plate, pipes, muzzle cap.

Handmade 2 piece brass patchbox with characteristic wide breadth reaching up to the butt plate extension and down to the toe plate.

Four sets of silver acorn-headed escutcheons, 4 barrel keys.

Relief carved curly maple stock, aquafortis stained, linseed oil finish

Early Reading Area Rifle

This rifle was inspired by #21 in Shumways: “Rifles of Colonial America Vol.. 1”.

Custom Octagon-to-round rifled barrel in .50 cal x 42”.

Christian Springs lock modified to Reading Style.

Curly maple hand scraped (no sandpaper used), aquafortis stained and hand-rubbed oil finished.

Hand made rod and entry pipes of brass.

A beautiful gun inspired by a great original piece.

A Fine Southern Iron-mounted Rifle

All hand forged iron mountings:

butt plate,
unusual one-piece forged guard,
two piece patchbox,
toeplate,
3-bolt sideplate
and a coin silver cheekpiece star.

42” octagon swamped barrel and L&R Queen Ann lock styled to later 1770–1780 trade lock style.

Early Transitional Lehigh Rifle

An Early Transitional Lehigh Rifle inspired by a fine original described by Shumway in an article in Muzzle Blasts.

44” swamped octagon barrel smooth bored .62 (.20 gauge).


Christian Springs lock, hand-forged buttplate, sideplate, triggerguard, and muzzlecap.


Hand scraped curly maple stock, aquafortis stained with hand-rubbed oil finish.


Unusual sliding wood patchbox wrapped in iron.


Sling swivels similar to those on the original (presumed Revolutionary War service)