An interesting confirmation of weapons authenticity in "The Patriot"

[Bobbalouie]

I spent the last week in Colonial Williamsburg Virginia, the restored colonial capitol, celebrating my wife's and my twentieth wedding anniversary. While there, I visited the gunsmithy, where they hand-build authentic period pieces with the original tools and techniques. They had several original pieces including long rifles, muskets, and fowling pieces on display, as well as their own reproductions. From what I could tell, the designs and metalurgy of their work were REALLY authentic. Because of the amount of time necessary using only the technology and hand-craftsmanship of the period, their pieces sell for around $20,000!

Rather than having an historical "interpreter" interacting with the guests, they had the master smith talk about his craft while he worked. I talked a long time with him about his craft and the types of weapons used at the time of the revolution. Toward the end of our discussion, I mentioned how impressed I was with the attention to detail and accuracy in the weapons of "The Patriot". The smith commented that, in fact, he could vouch for some of that authenticity because a good friend and collegue of his built the long rifle used by Mel Gibson in the production. It was a nice confirmation.

My wife and I had a great time, by the way!

Bobbalouie

 

[loknload]

Been there,Done that Very impressive town.
I to spent some time with the Gun Smith. I was impressed with their workings. They had some real nice stuff there. I was also realy impressed with the Church. I liked it there great vacation.
Congrats on the annivesary,Hope there are many more to follow

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous

 

[4V50 Gary]

Is William Gunstler still around? He was the master gunsmith at one time.

 

[Erik]

EVERY American should take the time to visit Williamsburg. They do a fine job, and I cannot imagine anyone not learning something.

 

[Apple a Day]

Hey, did you take the tour of the governor's mansion and see the huge display of weapons (muskets, pistols, sabers...)? I am always afraid I'll bump into something and they will all come cascading down on me.
I live down the road from Yorktown and used to cross the Coleman bridge every day to go to work in Gloucester, passing the battlefield. I loved driving to work in the early dawn with mists still wandering between redoubts and the shadows of cannons peering above the earthworks... People here see it so often we tend to take it for granted. My parents have a cannon ball as a decoration in their garden that a waterman friend gave them- they dredge them up all the time. It's a neat place to live.
There is a lot to see here and I would definitely recommend a visit to anyone. I've lived in the area off and on for ~20 years and I still learn something new every time I go to Williamsburg, Jamestown, the Victory center in Yorktown...
My niece griped and moaned the first time she came to visit and we took her to colonial Williamsburg. We had to drag her away in the evening and it was the first thing on her list of things to do the next time she came.
Always welcome!

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

 

[Bobbalouie]

loknload: Thanks for the kind words. I dropped into Bruton Parish for the noon prayer service. I still enjoy the wording of the Book of Common Prayer.

4v50gary: I didn't get the gunsmith's name, actually. Next time I'm up there, I'll have to ask. I live in the area and have an annual pass.

Apple a day: Yea, that was quite a display in the Governor's mansion, and several of the muskets on the walls were original pieces. I was interested that the noon musket is no longer fired. There are also no cannons on display in front of the magazine anymore. Oh well, at least they demonstrate the muskets at a little encampment next to the capitol building.

That area IS beautiful in the morning, isn't it? My family began visiting the area in the 1960s, camping along the Chickahominy river and visiting the three historic districts. Because my parents were quite the adventurers, we'd end up on morning and evening walks enjoying the local beauty as well as taking in the battlefields.

Bobbalouie

 

[Ivanhoe]

As I understand it, the guys who work in the shop for awhile can then leave and make a decent living selling their own work. Having Colonial Williamsburg on your resume is quite primo. Note that very few of the craftsmen at CW make a livable wage; most of the talent comes and goes due to financial reasons.

Along with the gunsmith, the other best shop there is the instrument maker.

There are several times of the year when it pays to visit CW; Xmastime can be pretty neat, and the "off season" when crowds are thinner (though CW's season is different than the usual tourist season).

When you're there, don't forget to wander around the William & Mary campus; Thomas Jefferson, among others, studied law there. In a historical sense, W&M is one of the most important universities in the world.