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American & Southern | March 26, 2026

Thu, Mar 26, 2026 10:00AM EDT
  2026-03-26 10:00:00 2026-03-26 10:00:00 America/New_York Brunk Auctions Brunk Auctions : American & Southern | March 26, 2026 https://live.brunkauctions.com/auctions/brunk/american-southern-march-26-2026-20723
Edward Beyer’s panoramic view of Old Liberty (Bedford), VA; Edgefield SC stoneware; paintings by Robert Cottingham, Wolf Kahn, Nicolai Cikovsky, Thomas Sully, John Joseph Enneking, Robert Reid, Dana Pond, Willie Daniels, Alfred T Bricher, Colin Campbell Cooper; folk portraits; early 19th Century Charleston coin silver basket and silver by Tiffany, Gorham, Reed & Barton, and Kirk; Chinese export porcelain; a large collection of NC longrifles; American furniture including a Barnard Cermenati labeled mirror; Tiffany Favrile and Steuben Aurene glass, among others.
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Lot 176

William Dettmar North Carolina Salem School Longrifle

Estimate: $600 - $1,000
Starting Bid
$300

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $25
$100 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$3,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000

(Hamburg, Germany b. 1932, Forsyth County, Salem, NC, 1949-1909) late Salem period, percussion half stock, 38-1/8 in. octagonal barrel, 3/8 in. bore stamped "W. DETTMAR / SALEM N.C." on top of barrel, dovetail blade front sight, split rear sight, 4-1/4 in. pointed two screw tang, back action lock, walnut stock with carved cheek rest, brass trigger guard, and butt plate, iron thimbles and forend cap, ramrod, overall 56-1/2 in.

Provenance: From The Collections of Dr. George Waynick and Dr. Edward G. Hill Jr., Old Salem, North Carolina

Note: Considered one of the last of the Salem gunsmiths, William Dettmar was born in Germany where he began to apprentice in the trade, after arriving in Salem he apprenticed with Timothy Vogler then later opened his own shop in Salem, the majority of his rifles are percussion with back action locks which was a common practice among the later gunsmiths, various examples of Dettmar signed rifles and locks are known, The Longrifle Makers of the Salem School, pg. 44, C. Michael Briggs, and North Carolina Schools of Longrifles 1765 - 1865, pg. 153, William Ivey and Kenneth Orr.

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Purchased items will be available for pick up or shipping from our Asheville, North Carolina auction facility within ten business days of the auction, or will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Brunk Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Brunk Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items.

From The Collections of Dr. George Waynick and Dr. Edward G. Hill Jr., Old Salem, North Carolina

handling wear consistent with age and use, oxidation to exterior of barrel, wear to surface, pitting around cock, file marks on sides of barrel near breech, possible metal work to bolster, loose and absent barrel puns, loose ramrod guide and forend at barrel, loose soldering at guide, chip to buttstock toe, 1 in. split to stock at side screw, ink inventory number at side screw, cock is loose but functions with set triggers Note - Brunk Auctions makes every effort to offer accurate and thorough information, but encourages prospective bidders to inspect items in person whenever possible. Condition statements are provided as a courtesy for general guidance and should not be considered complete or definitive. They do not represent a warranty or assumption of liability by Brunk Auctions. Certain condition issues may not be specifically noted in the report but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which are considered part of the overall condition report. Please refer to our Terms of Sale for complete information and contact us for additional photos or information as needed.