School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Nicholas Beyer (c.1780-1850)is regarded today as one of the grand masters of the late golden age of flintlock riflebuilding. Beyer was most likely an apprentice of J. P Beck of Lebanon, PA. Beyer worked near Annville at the dawn of the 19th century and produced many fine guns. His patchboxes often feature […]
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) John Bowers, gunsmith, Jonestown, Lebanon Co., PA., taxed in 1860 circa. Builder of percussion rifles and pistols.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) E. Reedy was the son of Leonard Reedy and lived about three miles from Gratz, Dauphin Co., PA. (Kauffman)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Daniel Shell (d.1864), the son of Martin Shell, Jr., and brother of John, was taxed as a gunsmith in Lower Paxton Twp., Dauphin County, PA, from 1825 through 1847.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Martin Shell, Jr., (1763-1817) was taxed as a gunsmith in Paxton Twp. Dauphin County, PA from 1790 to the time of his death. He was the father of John, Jacob and Daniel Shell, all gunsmiths. While some sources list only one Martin Shell, it is most likely that there was Martin Sr., […]
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Christian Beck, brother of J. P. Beck, worked as a gunsmith in the early 1800’s in Lebanon, PA. It appears that he was itinerant for part of his life, travelling westward, as did many gunsmiths at the time. Note: It is possible that there was a father and son who were both […]
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) David Reduk, Annville Twp., Dauphin Co., PA, tax list 1800, gunsmith. (Kauffman)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Jacob Welshantz (Welshance) Jr., son of York gunsmith J. Welshantz, worked in Harrisburg in the 1807-1811 period. He then moved to York where he carried on the family trade through 1831.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Christian Siple was apprenticed to Jacob Haeffer in Lancaster Boro as early as 1797. He moved to Middletown, PA where he was taxed as a gunsmith from 1808 to 1825. He worked in town as well as in contiguous Swatara Township, Dauphin County. He died circa 1827. Some of his products show […]
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) P. Kline (d. 1870) was taxed as a gunsmith as early as 1828 and his name appears in county records as being active in the trade through the mid-1860’s. His gunshop was located in Halifax, Dauphin Co., PA. Halifax is located north of Harrisburg on the Susquehanna River and was the site […]
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Benjamin F. Landis (1800-1833) learned the trade from Jacob Roop of Paxton and built guns in Halifax Boro. He was active within the county as early as 1819. It appears that Landis moved west sometime after 1825 for he later surfaces as a gunsmith in Cincinnati, Ohio.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) David Glassbrenner (1798-1872) worked as a gunsmith from 1828 through the mid-1850’s in Dauphin County, PA. It is believed that most of his time was spent in Harrisburg and contiguous townships.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Jacob Sneevely, gunsmith, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., PA, taxed in the trade as early as 1817.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Adam Sweigart, gunsmith, Halifax, Dauphin Co., appears on tax lists 1815, 1817. (Kauffman, 1960)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) John Brooks, Jr., was taxed as a gunsmith from 1802 through 1817 in Harrisburg, the county seat of Dauphin County, PA. He built classic longrifles with Lancaster school overtones, consistent with the fact that he built guns in Lancaster city prior to moving to Harrisburg.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) John Hoffman, Lykens Twp., Dauphin Co., PA, gunsmith, tax list 1828. (Kauffman)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) John Ford was taxed as a gunsmith in Harrisburg, PA from 1833 through 1852. He served also as the superintendent of the state armory in Harrisburg. He was a capable builder of both flintlock and percussion longrifles. He died in 1862.
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Jacob Raaf, gunsmith, Halifax Boro, Dauphin Co., PA, 1820 tax list. (Kauffman)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Jacob Unholtz, gunsmith, Lykens Twp., Dauphin Co., PA, tax lsit 1825. (Kauffman)
School: Lebanon/Dauphin (Pennsylvania/PA) Simon Lingle was taxed as a gunsmith in 1850, working in Derry Twp., Dauphin Co., PA. (present-day Hershey) Known specimens are percussion rifles.
