Well, here it is winter already. Is it cold there? It has been around freezing here, below freezing at night. I’ve been working on the Americans with Disabilities Act rifle project. This is a flintlock muzzle loading rifle, shooting bag, powder horn, hard case and accoutrements that will be given away as one prize, to raise money for building the ADA compliant restrooms at the Walter Cline range in Friendship Indiana. The rifle is being built by a collaboration of several contemporary gunmakers. John Kleihege made a choked barrel, Bill Hoover hand cut the gain twist rifling in the barrel. Dick Miller gave us a piece of gorgeous curly maple for the stock. Jim Chambers Flintlocks supplied a Late Ketland lock. I made some iron parts and roughed in the stock. Dennis Priddy is going to engrave the finished gun. Lora Parks got us a hard case to transport it safely. Kim Scobee has helped keep the office side of the project running. Everyone is putting a lot of effort into this project toward raising money for the NMLRA. I am immensely proud of them.

The Honorable Company of Horners has made a powder horn. This is a wonderfully crafted piece. It is carved and detailed to match the time period of the Joseph Bogle rifle and reflect Bogle’s travels during his life. Henry Bowman, Joe-D Baxter, Brett Davis, Gary Elsenbeck have been working on that project, I cannot thank them enough. I also owe a note of thanks to John Dewald, the Guild Master of the HCH, for his work on making this project happen and introducing me to some new friends. 

I’ve done about all I can do to the rifle, so I am transferring it on to another gunmaker. I’m sending the ADA gun off to Mike Miller. Mike is a master craftsman from Kentucky, and we are blessed to have him on the project. He has been doing some research on the original and I’m sending him a blueprint that Ron Borron drew from the original a few years ago. I know Mike will stay within the design of an early Virginia gun, but I hope he will put some of his own style work into the rifle. 

Over the years I have heard of what made a collaboration project a success, being that success was everyone involved enjoying the project, and it raised a fair amount of resources for its cause. Success was found in giving each artist the freedom to interpret the work yet put their individual style in it. I think part of what makes this project exciting is that each gunmaker and artisan adding their personal spin on it and making it their own. 

We are fortunate to have such a wonderful group working on the Americans with Disabilities Act rifle project. Each one is highly skilled, that is a given, but they are also very kind and have graciously donated their time and resources to support the NMLRA. I have asked so many for their support to build the ADA compliant restroom at the Walter Cline range. Everyone I talked to said they would help. We all owe them a debt of thanks. With the help of these gunmakers, artisans, individuals, sponsors and donors we are building the future of the NMLRA.

In September this year we will give the rifle, the horn made by the Honorable Company of Horners, and a complete set of accoutrements as one prize during the fall 2021 shoot at Friendship, Indiana. Have I mentioned that you need to buy some tickets? You can purchase them at Gunmaker’s Hall during the national shoots, in the magazine and on the NMLRA website nmlra.org. You may copy tickets printed from the magazine and the web, but please make sure the size stays the same. When you cut out the tickets, please trim them to size. Tickets will be printed the month this article appears and each month until the September 2021 issue. Send your tickets and money to the NMLRA, PO Box 67, Friendship, IN 47021. You could win this horn, the Bogle rifle, and all the other custom items provided to our drawing. We would appreciate your support! This drawing is not valid where prohibited by law.

You can also make a monetary donation to the NMLRA American Disabilities Act project without buying tickets if you so desire. I am also looking for donations from corporate sponsors. If you or your company would like to donate, be it financially or by helping out one of our artists, please contact me at gunmakershall@gmail.com or through the NMLRA office.

 Thank you for your support

Benjaman Quearry

gunmakershall@gmail.com