Homer Dangler is considered one of the "pioneers" of contemporary long rifle building. Born in 1925, Dangler began shooting muzzleloaders as a young man. After returning home serving in the Navy during WWII, Dangler began building his own custom muzzleloaders in the 1950's. By the mid 1970's, he had already established himself as one of the best and most respected builders of custom muzzleloaders along with the likes of Wallace Gusler, William Buchele, and John Bivins.
Dangler became known for his "York" School of long rifles, styled after original guns made by the gunsmiths in York County Pennsylvania during the 1760s and 1770s. While many of Dangler's contemporaries produced rifles that were more "fantasy pieces" than actual historical recreations, Dangler was one of the first to actually strive for historical accuracy in the guns he created; opting to create rifles that looked like they could have actually existed during the 18th Century, and avoiding some of the gaudy inlays and over the top carving seen on many other contemporary pieces from the period.
In his later years, Dangler's name became synonymous with his custom line of wood and metal finishes; which are still on the market today. There are very few modern builders that don't have a bottle of Homer Dangler's barrel browning solution, or aniline stock stain sitting on their work bench.
Dangler officially retired from gun building in 2010 and passed away in 2019 at the age of 94, but his legacy as a gunbuilder and his influence on long rifle culture is as strong as ever.
This particular rifle was built by Homer Dangler in the 1990's. Like all of Dangler's guns it is beautifully executed. Built following the "York" School of long rifle styling, this rifle is consistent with the types of weapons created by gunsmiths in York County, Pennsylvania during the 1760s and 1770s. This type of rifle would have been used along the frontier during conflicts such as the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and as a tool of daily life by settlers and "longhunters" of the mid-to-late 18th century and early 19th century.
Dangler's skill and commitment to historical accuracy are on full display with this rifle. Stocked in high grade curly maple, Dangler has worked this stock into a graceful profile, adding tasteful carving and incised line decoration around the rear entry pipe, tang, and behind the cheek piece. One thing that is notable about Dangler's carving is just how refined and delicate it is. A far cry from the bold, deep relief carving seen on most modern Contemporary builds; Dangler opted to keep his carving shallow, relying heavily on incised lines rather than deep relief. This is no coincidence, but rather a conscious effort by Dangler to keep his work consistent with what is seen on original 18th Century York rifles; a school that has become known for its reliance on delicate incised line decoration. This style of decoration is very thoroughly documented in Rifles of Colonial America by George Shumway.
The large Siler lock is very cosistent with the faceted Germanic locks favored by York builders in the 18th Century; making it a perfect choice for this build. It remains in excellent condition and throws a hot shower of sparks with every pull of the trigger. The lock is triggered by a custom single set trigger made by Dangler, which needs to be set before cocking and firing.
The 42", swamped .40 caliber rifled barrel features a beautiful bore with beautiful rifling and no rust or pitting.
The brass furniture features delicate engraving which compliments the carving on the stock. The brass patchbox was custom made by Dangler and is a copy of a patchbox found on an original York rifle.
The barrel was neatly browned and signed by Homer Dangler. The gun features a very pleasing patina that almost makes in look like a well cared for original - the type of patina that can only be developed from good honest use, which gun builders have spent countless hours trying to simulate. Sometimes there's no substitution for the real thing.
This rifle would be an excellent choice for living history, hunting, or competition shooting. Custom-built guns of this quality don't come around very often and this piece is sure to be the pride and joy of its new owner
