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Austin Nixon

agostinoagostino Member Posts: 414 ✭✭
edited February 2008 in Ask the Experts
I'm trying to find information about a master gunsmith named Austin Nixon whose shop in the 1830's was in Buffalo, NY. I acquired a mountain rifle made by him a couple of years ago. It has a Remington barrel, but the rest appears to have been made by him. No doubt the barrel was purchased from Elihu Remington out of his wagon. The rifle shows a very high degree of craftsmanship. I've been told Nixon's work is popular in that part of NY, but I haven't found any specific information about him other than a brief mention of his name in a newspaper article I received from the Erie County Historical Society. Any info would be appreciated.
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Comments

  • captkirk3@dslextreme.comcaptkirk3@dslextreme.com Member Posts: 3,804
    edited November -1
    The only thing I find in My Data Base is confirmation of your assessment.

    NIXON, Austin....Washington Street, Buffalo. N.Y., c.1832...........
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  • Iroquois ScoutIroquois Scout Member Posts: 930 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    captkirk and I must be useing the same data base as that was all the information that I could find also. I doubt very much that Mr. Nixon bought the barrel off of Elihu Remington's wagon, as it would have been quite a trip from Ilion NY. to Buffalo by wagon in those days. Much more likely the barrel was ordered by mail and then placed on a canal boat and sent to Buffalo. Remember that the Erie Canal was completed in 1823. I don't know what you mean by the term "mountain rifle" as the area around Buffalo is rather flat. I live about 125 miles South East of Buffalo and have been collecting nearly 50 years and have never seen a Nixon rifle or even heard his name. The rifles that everyone is looking for are those by Morgan James and William Billinghurst. How about posting a discription of your rifle and maybe a picture or two.
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  • agostinoagostino Member Posts: 414 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    By mountain rifle I mean a relatively short barreled rifle like a Hawken. And in the 1830s, Buffalo was a departure point for the frontier.
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  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would post your questions about Nixon to this site,

    http://www.antiqueguns.com/phorum/list.php?6


    Many knowledgeable collectors, dealers and authors frequent it. Their main interest is 19th Century U.S. firearms. If anyone could help you in your research on Nixon, it would be the folks on that site.
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