INVOLVEMENT WITH GRRW MUZZLE LOADERS

I must get asked how we got the old Green River Rifle Works back-up and operating again ?

QUESTIONS

#1 - INVOLVEMENT WITH GRRW MUZZLE LOADERS

A friend Dwain Thompson & yours truly decided to start a mountain man club in the spring of 1973 as I had over 200 acres to use for our activities (family farm with 60 acres under plow) and 150 acres of hill side (for us to use) and a 100 acres of un-useable hill side. We both knew guys that would be interested, a meeting was held & our club was started - referred to as “The Buckhorn Skinners” (named for the canyon we lived in, the Buckhorn Canyon) which was used by a few famous mountain men and a trader Mario Medina who lived near-bye & hunted in this area (carrying a Hawken rifle).

Having read & knew about the rifles built by the Hawken brothers & begin raised in the Chester & Lancaster counties in PA. I also knew a lot about about the Leman guns and their history with my father a collector. There were always articles in my father’s collector magazines about these early eastern gun builders.

I purchased my first GRRW rifle after shooting a friend's, little did I know what I was getting into? This relation with the GRRW brand started in 1973 after reading an article in a muzzle loading magazine the “Buckskin Report”. At the time I was a blanket trader carrying the usual items found in the magazines like the “Report”; TC’s Hawken rifles, CVA’s different models were the hot guns to have along with H&B hawks (nothing really special).

“The Camp Blanket” was no different than 1000’s of other "blanket traders", but we did get mentioned by Richard House “Beau Jock” in an issue of the “Buckskin Report” for having quality trade goods. Neat but I needed to have something others weren’t carrying, something like the GRRW rifle was the answer.

I had picked up a GRRW Leman Trade Rifle #1xx ?, Thomson had a GRRW Hawken #H04, Dwain knew Greg Roberts of GRRW living in Nederland CO & we both knew Doc White (owner of GRRW) from rendezvous. Another friend that owned a shop in Ft. Collins CO & myself contacted Greg Roberts for the first of many GRRW firearms that passed through our hands. In those early years we bought, sold or traded GRRW firearms all the time, a little higher in price over others mentioned, but sold twice as fast.

The rifles of GRRW had a large following and continued with every mountain man or fur trade movie released. This period was very successful for all involved with the rendezvous circuit and the magazines that wrote about the hay days of the fur trade in North America.

Now you have the answer to the first question.

#2 - HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED

In 2015 a friend told me about a free newsletter called “The Green River Gazette”, I subscribed & started reading about the old history of GRRW. Then a GRRW Collector's pictures started to appear, next thing I know I get talked into building a website for the GRRW brand of old. Made the mistake of having an email contact, then the questions started, so I added a comment page. Several of the former employees of GRRW started taking part with their remarks, that’s really neat to see their names again. Ron Paull ( GRRW former gunsmith ) & myself started emailing about the fun times at GRRW. Then I mentioned it would be great to see the old employees together building again, he had been thinking the same thing.

In October 2016 the two of us talked to Doc White, he liked the idea of getting the old group together but warned about old issues & the problems of GRRW at the time of its closing.

First we needed a "Mission Statement & Disclaimer" then a business plan. This was all put together on one weekend, know an attorney, & the plan was simple. Read this information at the top of page, see "Process" and "Mission".

Our first order was January 2017 with a H.E. Leman Trade Rifle built by Carl Walker ( just like the past when Carl built GRRW's first rifle ).

Check the "GRRW Collectors Association" ( known as GRRW-CA ) links above for how the new venture works, its as clean & made as easy as possible.  grrw.ca.tripod.com/

To contact GRRW Collectors Association with your questions: grrw.ca@gmail.com

#3 - ARE YOU FOLKS HIRING & HOW MUCH DO YOU GET PAID

Well there are no openings at this time & none seen in the future.  I make ZERO for being the contact person & do not expect this to change any time soon.  That's ZERO - NO MONEY - NO BREAK ON PARTS OR LABOR, PERIOD.

I think that has answered the questions folks.  Thank you for your time.


Now let look at what we make at GRRW.CA (all hand built) with the parts you will purchase & supply to you personal custom muzzle-loading gunsmith. Simple process & one that I'm no involved with, this is between you & your smith.


Doc White’s designs of rifles became fairly famous, while some went nowhere. Inventing was second nature to him as we all know. His organization of the 'Green River Rifle Works' back in the 1970’s was probably the most exciting new venture to the buck skinning crowd. Finally a reproduction that looked like the originals & priced at a fair retail price. Doc was becoming famous with his guns & sharing his knowledge of these weapons in many articles seen in those days.

THE HAWKEN RIFLES The Hawken is was complex rifle & did not lend itself to easy manufacture, which is why most modern ‘Hawken's’ are barely similar to the real thing. As ardent traditional muzzle loading enthusiasts, the men at GRRW wanted to make their rifles as close to the real thing as possible.

THE LEMAN RIFLES The Leman Trade Rifle design was a compromise. Doc designed a plain, easy to manufacture but sturdy & effective hunting rifle that at least in general represented the half stock Leman rifles found on the Western Frontier.

THE POOR BOY RIFLE There was a demand for a less expensive rifle than the Leman or Hawken in the 1970’s. Doc's response was the so-called 'Poor Boy'. It was full stocked, no butt plate, single trigger, 3 pins instead of keys, two forward ferrules only, no fore-end cap, a plain kind of rifle.

THE NW TRADE GUN "Blue Jacket" Sanders and "Grizz" Roberts started to work on a less expensive rifle than the any of the others being built in the 1980’s. It was a full stocked, flat butt plate, single trigger, 3 pins instead of keys, two forward ferrules only, no fore-end cap, a plain smoothbore gun.

THE TRAPPER PISTOL This was a popular hand gun. Doc designed a plain, easy to manufacture but sturdy & effective pistol that in general represented what was found on the Western Frontier.
Courtesy of White Muzzleloading.


At this time since the first rifle being built with four old smiths working part time (a guy does have other duties you know - hunting, fishing, taking care of wifely duties, yardwork & lets not forget the garden (lots of weeds to pull in Roosevelt & there's always rock collecting. Since the first rifle we have built over 71 guns, that's Trapper Pistols, Hawken's, Leman's, Poor Boy's & NW Trade guns. Not to bad for these gentlemen in their late 70's early 80's with still having the great skill sets of old.

Buck