A Man Who Loves History
by Fred Lipp
Mike pictured with the Baxter Girls, via facebook
Just try to imagine what a gunsmith in the 1770's would look like in a Kentucky settlement. He would have lived and worked close by in his log cabin home. His shop would be close to his home. The man would live his work and he would be so dedicated to his work, he would lose all track of time. This description of an early gunsmith is also a description of Mike Miller. He lives in a log cabin that was built in 1837 in the town of Edmonton, Kentucky, 50 miles east of Bowling Green in the south-central part of the state. His log home is roughly 20 ft by 45 ft., and has a loft giving him additional space. Mike and his family moved into the home in June, 2016, just before the June shoot at Friendship. Mike's love for muzzle loading guns began at an early age. He watched a program series on T. V. about Daniel Boone in 1966. Mike was 4 years old at the time, but the T. V. program had a lasting impression on him. There were other historical events in Mike's life that lead him to the life that he has chosen today, building muzzle loading guns. As a youth, he visited and played at Fort Harrod, Kentucky, and he learned the history of the area. Mike was also in a school play about Daniel Boone. Mike's interest in history continued to grow as he got older.
He also became interested in the guns of early America. Muzzleloading Kentucky styled guns to be specific, flintlock rifles and smoothbore guns. Today, Mike likes to attend living history demonstrations. Some include rendezvous in and around Kentucky. There he demonstrates colonial gun building. One of Mike's favorite historical events is at “Martin’s Station” in Ewing, Virginia, at which Mike attends and demonstrates. Martin's Station has a time period of about 1775. Dressed in period clothing, Mike demonstrates gun building as it was done in colonial times. The significance of this rendezvous is that it was the last settlement before the Cumberland Gap, which led into Kentucky. This settlement gave the early travelers one last chance to stock up on provisions before venturing into the unsettled part of the Western country. Because Mike's love of history and his God-given talent, Mike builds beautiful colonial flintlock rifles. Mike’s only formal training came from other muzzleloading gun builders. He has attended three different workshops at Western Kentucky University These classes are put on by various talented gun builders of our time teaching a certain aspect muzzle loading gun building trade with historical accuracy. Mike is so talented that he says, “If I see something that I like, I will just make it.” Mike worked with the late Bill Nagel of Paducah, Kentucky for 17 years before venturing out on his own.
Mike's business card is unique too, he has rotated his card 90 degrees, so that in order to read it, the longer part of the card is vertical. It contains all the important information. It also contains his motto that he explains his gun building philosophy, “Maker of fine Colonial Golden Age Flintlocks with a Southern Flavor.” Mike Miller has volunteered to donate his time and talent to building the 2020 gun give away at Gun Maker's Hall. Every year a professional muzzleloading gun builder donates his time and talent building a flintlock muzzle-loading rifle. Raffle tickets are sold either in Muzzle Blast or they are sold at Gun Makers Hall during a national shoot. The drawing is held the last Saturday of the September shoot at Friendship. Mike Miller has volunteered to donate his time and talent to building the 2020 gun give away at Gun Maker's Hall.
This year’s gun is a .45 caliber rifle that is patterned after an original Enoch Smith rifle from the late 1700's to 1800's. Mr. Smith worked in the Lexington, Kentucky area. A nice piece of curly maple stock was donated by Richard Miller. The “B” weight Rice barrel is 44 inches long. The lock is a late Ketland flintlock that came from Jim Chambers Flintlock. The triggers came from R. E. Davis. The brass and silver inlays were made in his shop. So, do not forget to get your ticket for the drawing to be held the last Saturday of the fall shoot in September.
The 2020 Incentive Rifle
This year’s Gun Makers Hall incentive rifle was built by a 16 year old young apprentice of Mike Miller, Malchiah Pifer. This is one of several muzzleloading rifles that he has built. Malchiah was 13 years old when his father and he were introduced to Mike Miller. The purpose of the visit was to shoot a flintlock rifle. They shot one of Mike's rifle. Malchiah really enjoyed shooting the smoke pole. He asked Mike if he would help him build his father a flintlock rifle. Mike said that he would be glad to and the rest is history. Malchiah enjoyed it so much that in time he became Mike's apprentice working in Mike's shop. This year’s incentive gun was built by the young Malchiah Pifer who was 16 years old at the time. The “poor boy” styled rifle that Malchiah built is similar to Mike's Gun Makers Hall give away gun. This young apprentice's gun is styled from an original Enoch Smith rifles of around the early 1800's guns. Just like the major gun giveaway, this too is styled after the same early gun builder.
The hard maple stock blank was donated by Richard Miller, who has been building flintlock rifles on the back porch of Gun Makers Hall for many years. The gun stock is a plain piece of hard maple wood. It has been the tradition to have a gun stock that is not as glamorous as the main gun give away. This rifle has a Green Mountain .45 cal. barrel that is 42 inches long and is 11/16 across the flat. The “poor boy” rifle that Malchiah built is similar to Mike Miller's gun that he built for Gun Makers Hall gun give away. The rifle has a R. E. Davis Ketland flintlock and set triggers too. The trigger guard was cast by Mike and Malchiah in Mike's gun shop. The remaining parts were made by Malchiah from sheet brass. I encourage everyone to buy tickets for this incentive rifle which will also give you a better chance to win the major gun giveaway rifle.