Wayne Heckert was born January 15, 1947 and grew up in Steelton, PA. He recently retired from 31 years in public education and has expanded his lifelong firearms hobby into an active gun shop. He spends a substantial amount of shop time doing repairs on a wide range of firearms, and focuses on flintlock and percussion guns. As a graduate of the Jacobsburg Gunsmithing Program at the Henry Plantation in Boulton, Wayne has had the rich opportunity of being guided by the finest and most experienced team of muzzleloading gunsmiths in Pennsylvania. He gets a chance to build about four longrifles a year, does minimal advertising, and is satisfied to keep output at the present level.

"I consider myself to be a traditionalist journeyman," says Heckert, "and I strive to build functional, affordable, and historically accurate eastern Pennsylvania rifles that my clients will be proud to own. I like the Lancaster pattern for function and the Lehigh pattern for aesthetics and feel comfortable going in either direction." Wayne