Randall (Randy) Steffy, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania native, born in 1954, is a pattern maker and owner of Steffy's Pattern Shop, founded by his grandfather in 1926, which supports the sand-cast foundry trade.
An early affinity for guns, the outdoors, Daniel Boone stories, and literature such as Allan Eckert's wilderness book series, fostered his deep interest in owning, hunting with, and shooting flintlock muzzleloaders. His extensive experience in wood and metalworking, along with the attendant skill set, closely aligns with that of a colonial gunsmith, inspiring confidence in his chosen avocation: flintlock rifle building.
Randy acquired a percussion cap pistol kit, his entry into the black powder culture, at age 15. A Dixie Gun Works flintlock long rifle kit followed soon after. His skills in precise wood and metalworking enabled him to undertake increasingly demanding plank builds, initially single-barreled PA longrifles and, later, flint swivel breaches, always seeking another level of challenge. With each new build, his interest in and attention to original features and designs increased, and his craftsmanship and dedication, which resonate with fellow enthusiasts, grew.
Contemporary muzzleloader builders Allen Martin and Mark Wheland, friends and mentors, offered critique and encouragement along the way, and, as a challenge, suggested that the Wm. Antes swivel breech should be his next build, an iconic piece in American firearms history. In 2014, he began determining dimensions from available photos, knowing that the original, housed at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka, KS, was his primary source, albeit not easily accessible. He created patterns for the Antes butt plate and a speculative trigger guard, based on Antes' original design elements, and cast the brass parts in his small foundry.
About that time, in a masterful stroke of good fortune, Dr. Bill Paton, Anchorage, Alaska, having seen web postings of an earlier swivel breech Randy made, contacted him with the suggestion that he tackle the challenge of building a close copy of the Antes swivel, with a commitment to provide help otherwise unavailable. What that meant soon became evident, as Bill forwarded all of his study sketches, thoroughly dimensioned worksheets, personal photos, and plaster molds taken from key areas of the Kansas rifle. This support from Bill, who selflessly shared his detailed research and passion, underscores the importance of collaboration in this project and inspires pride in the collective effort to replicate a unique, historic firearm, hopefully adding to the mystique and allure of the one-and-only Antes swivel breech rifle.