Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Hi guys, I signed up hoping someone here could help me with a gun maker named John Sheetz of Staunton, Va. He lived around 1810 , and I have a converted to percussion rifle made by him with the barrel made by a Jesse Worley. Found it along with one made by a Samuel Beck in a out of business gun shop locally. Since he was a local boy, thought one of you guys perhaps remember him. There is very little on either gentleman on the internet. The Sheetz gun needs repairs, and I am looking for a person to repair
Bubba"s work. Gosh, they had them back then too?? here are the pics I took of both with the longer is the Sheetz rifle.

I've never heard of him but those are beautiful!

Sorry I cant help with info...but had to comment on how crazy beautiful the quilt figuring in that stock is.

Thanks guys. I wanted guns like these two for years but could never afford them. I would tell you the prices I paid, but I don't want to be the cause of any heart stoppage. No, not high, but I really didn't know what I bought until I got home and looked them over, then I needed a drink.

If you're looking for a restorer, I would suggest Don Stith, who runs the St. Louis Plains Rifle Co. He's done flintlock restorations for both my grandmother and for me, superb work, and I believe he used to do restoration work for the Virginia Historical Society.

...been oogling and googling - two beauties you have there!

Do you have Jim Whisker's book?
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/ind ... ic=13710.0

mebbe you could tie into the Sheetz family to see if there's any elders left that would have the knowledge you're looking for. http://annasheets.brinkster.net/sheets.html

Interesting stuff here... http://www.flintriflesmith.com/Writinga ... aRifle.htm

If you get them restored, do let us know! And If you run across any info on Andy Boggs' workmanship, do share that too.
The buttplate on the one gun is very similar to my Great Grandpap's Boggs...
http://vagunforum.net/your-hardware/sho ... ilit=boggs

I am sending the Sheetz's rifle out to Don this week for a look see, and get an estimate on repairing it. I figure the worst is I can't afford it, and lose shipping charges. I have only 2 BP guns, a revolver in .36 cal. and a Thompson Hawkins with 6 or so pounds of BP in my powder frig. Get hot out here in Arizona, so I try to keep the powder stable. I've seen a few beautiful home built ones at gun shows. but never had the money to get one, and now I run across these two. I've only got a hundred a piece invested, so I hope for the best on repairs. I have guns that sit, but these two look like shooters to me, especially when you shoulder them. The Sheetz's has a canted stock, and fits like a dream, and the bead falls right on target/

Wow!...

Congrats and good luck.

arizonagirl wrote:I am sending the Sheetz's rifle out to Don this week for a look see, and get an estimate on repairing it. I figure the worst is I can't afford it, and lose shipping charges.

Well, without getting into specifics, I will say that Don's been extremely reasonable on the restoration prices. The tradeoff is that he can take years. (The old saw, "fast, cheap, or well, pick any two" applies.)

I'm retired, a good hunter, so I have LOTS of patients, and just imagine what I can get back for the wait, a rifle 200 years old, that functions, I get to cuddle it. RAchel

Sweet rifles!