The Antes Rifle!

This rifle needs no introduction or fancy words. This is a bench copy of one of the finest examples of the work of William Antes, a very early maker. It is likely that the original was made in the decade that saw the commencement of the American Revolutionary War. The simple yet elegant lines exemplify the esthetic that we have come to cherish: wide buttstock, daisy finial on the 4 piece patchbox and a well planned sculptural quality though out.

The original rifle which resides in a private collection, was carefully examined by Brad Emig who supplied detailed measurements, photos and rubbings from the original and also made a wax casting of the Grotesque Mask in silver from the original and kindly supplied this material to Jud. Jud and I are grateful to Brad Emig for his role in making this rifle a reality.

An added point of interest: the original has a more yellow cast to its color than many other original  rifles which often have a reddish color. Jud surmised that the original may have been stained with tobacco. When research confirmed that tobacco was used by some makers, Jud obtained raw tobacco leaves from our good friend Gary Blumenthal and used the resulting concentrate, over many applications, to form the unique color seen in the final version of this rifle.