I was told a story. My great grandfather was a boy. His father had a rifle that was a shooter. He won all the local shooting matches with it. A local woman came by and said she could put a hex on it. GGFather said kiss a pig. Suddenly said rifle won't hit Sheet. After some consultation, GGFather was told to draw a picture of the the woman, and shoot it with said rifle. GGF did so, but the ball struck the drawing in the arm. Next morning, the old hag showed up at the family farm with her arm in a sling. Asked to borrow some sugar. GGF's Mother sent hag packing, but before she left, she grabbed a dish towel and made an escape. Apparently, they gotta take something.
Many Pennsylvania rifles had all kinds of hex signs on them to ward off an protect from evil spirits or having hexes put on them. You see them in the inlays and carvings!
Opps, meant to add some makers put religious emblems on the bottom flats of the barrels. I think it was the famous build J. P. Beck (I think it was Beck), that marked his bbls IHS and such on the bottom.
Last edited by kaywoodie; 11/17/20.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
