[Knitting A Conundrum]

Naw, Indian woman's too valuable. Who you think prepped all them furs? Kept the menfolk in moccassins?

Did you get to the bottom pictures? That's an unusual rifle. We think it was from ca. 1835 -1840. Underhammer. It's signed, and we've id'd the gunsmith, but I forgot the name.

[spunkets]

Yes I saw the underhammer, that's a nice one also. The "star" on that gun's stock was the design for one of our rendezvous medallions a few years back. I'm one of the Big River Long Rifles that puts on the Prairie duChien, WI Rendezvous in June.

Both of those rifles look like they were originally blued. I couldn't read the signature on the underhammer. If you look to the right in the signature pic, you'll see blue patches. They wouldn't be there, unless the gun was originally blue. The rest of the color is gone to wear and to red oxide conversion. If you look at the outer edge of the blue patches, you'll note the red/brown. That edge will move in over time, until the blue is gone.

It looks like they commonly blued the guns with heat. This fine gunsmith's site has quite a few that are blued using a charcoal fire. The guns I noted are reproductions, but authentic appearance was his prime concern. Mine is functionality and accuracy. I never polish the brass.