Lot 4: Southern Style Rifle by Robert Hill

Artist Robert Hill created an outstanding Southern style rifle for this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction. Hill started with an exceptional blank of very dense curly maple. He crafted an early style rifle with a large stock, wide buttplate, and strong architecture. 

The stock is married to a 44-inch-long, .54 caliber Rice swamped barrel and a Chambers Colonial Virginia lock. The stock is also adorned with a sliding patchbox, relief carving,  and several hand-engraved silver inlays. Hill forged all the furniture for this rifle from wrought iron.

Hill also created a straightforward bag and knife to accompany the rifle. The bag is made from homemade bark tanned deerskin. The knife is made from high carbon steel and features a forged bolster and curly maple scales with brass pins. 

A Palmetto tree maker’s mark is a Hill family tradition; as the artist points out, “it’s a way we harken back to our long South Carolina heritage.” Hill explains that he’s a third generation gunmaker and blacksmith, and carries on a rich family tradition. “The third, fourth, and fifth Robert W. Hill all work together in our shop,” he says. 

Bidders at this year’s auction will have an opportunity to own a fine example of an early Southern rifle. “I chose to build it,” says Hill, “because it exhibits the things I like about gun building, such as relief carving, engraving, and creating a very strong architecture to the butt of the gun.”

For more information on the work of Robert Hill, contact: rhillv@icloud.com