Author Topic: TN rifle for your review and comments  (Read 28572 times)

Offline Majorjoel

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #25 on: October 18, 2011, 01:18:10 PM »
Old Sigmond Freud would have a field day with us "lovers of longrifles"!  ;D :P :-X
Joel Hall

nosrettap1958

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #26 on: October 24, 2011, 05:58:52 AM »
What was that bumper sticker I once saw, oh yea, "A man and his rifle its a beautiful thing" 
« Last Edit: October 24, 2011, 05:59:28 AM by crawdad »

Offline jdm

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #27 on: September 07, 2012, 02:54:48 AM »
 First , Let me apologise  for bumping this old thread.  It's been almost a year sense it ran. The first rifle shown belongs to me. I was hoping someone new to the forum might see this .  If anyone has knowledge of a   signed rifle by Robert Hughe's  with this type of architecture . It would be interesting to see. 
 You know how it is, you always want to know more about these old pieces of history.   For you guys that have seen this sorry for the repeat.        JIM
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Offline Buck

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #28 on: September 07, 2012, 05:18:45 AM »
Jim,
I am not much of a Southern rifle guy, but I would be happy to have that baby in the collection. Beautiful piece, thanks for posting.
Buck

Offline WElliott

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #29 on: September 07, 2012, 02:49:09 PM »
Jim, Michael Briggs, who posts regularly on ALR, may have a suggestion. You may want to send an enquiry to him tru ALR. Also, Bill Ivey is a great gentleman who would gladly share his knowledge with you, although I don't think he follows ALR. Let me know if you need contact information for Bill.
Wayne
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Offline jdm

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #30 on: September 08, 2012, 05:09:29 AM »
Buck thanks   for your comments.

 Wayne , thank you for your suggestion. I will fallow up on it with Michael.    JIM
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nosrettap1958

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #31 on: December 05, 2012, 12:04:18 AM »
I studied Bill Iveys book last night, excellent book, to refresh myself on Robert Hughes. I agree with G-Man’s assessment of an Appalachian gunsmith that may be Robert Hughes or someone who apprenticed under him and moved closer to the Soddy Daisy area of Tennessee. 

Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #32 on: December 05, 2012, 06:11:30 AM »
I've seen two Robert Hughes rifles since this posting and I am thoroughly convinced neither this, nor my rifle were made by him! You should contact Wayne Bryson.
"We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

whetrock

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #33 on: December 05, 2012, 07:59:28 AM »

Jim,
Thanks for posting this rifle again. I only joined the forum recently, and so I hadn't seen the photos earlier. Very helpful photos, by the way.

Can you tell us if the butt plate is held by screws or nails. From the photo, it looks like the one centered in the crecent is a nail, but I suppose it could be a worn screw. I can't quite tell. Also wondering about the two on the top.

Also, am I correct in assuming that the toe-end of the toe plate is riveted to the toe of the buttplate? Or is that last "nail" just a nail pinning the toe plate to the wood.

Thanks.
Whetrock
 


Offline jdm

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #34 on: December 06, 2012, 05:00:34 AM »
Whetrock,

Thanks for your interest.
  The butt plate is held on with nails. There are no screws that I can see any where on the butt plate. The toe plate is also nailed.  This is a pleasing rifle that I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of.      JIM
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Offline Buck

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #35 on: December 06, 2012, 05:29:14 AM »
Jim,
That is a great rifle, thanks for posting it.
Buck

nosrettap1958

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #36 on: December 06, 2012, 06:51:20 PM »
Why are you so convinced about Hughes or a product of Hughes?

Offline jdm

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #37 on: December 07, 2012, 02:56:34 AM »

Why are you so convinced about Hughes or a product of Hughes?
[/quote]
crawdad,
 I'm not sure who you are addressing this comment to?   I don't know if it is made by Hughes or not. The idea it my be came from a rifle pictured in Bill Ivey's book. He was attributing it to  Robert Hughes. Mr Ivey is a lot more knowledgeable on rifles from this area than I.  Until a signed one like this turn up, it's just speculation. How ever it's a starting point for more research.
JIM
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nosrettap1958

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #38 on: December 07, 2012, 04:26:49 PM »
Jim, I was addressing this to SR and while I wouldn’t have mentioned Robert Hughes other than to point out that the three rifles pictured in Bill Ivey’s book attributed to Robert Hughes are all somewhat different and one of these examples having a high comb similar to a Tennessee.  We could get a lot of insight into the Appalachian school and this rifle in particular if we could find out when these three rifles were built.   

Offline G-Man

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #39 on: December 07, 2012, 07:56:08 PM »
I think there is also a bit of confusion regarding the original intent of my post - sorry if it  threw thingds offtrack- I meant only that the great rifle shown in the photos  looks to be by the same hand as the one shown in Bill Ivey's book, but in that book Bill does even not say he is 100 percent positive of the attriibution to Hughes.

Whoever this smith was, he had a wonderful sense of architecture and efficient, well made and beautifully designed mounts - really sort of the epitomy of all that we love about Appalachian iron mounted guns.    

I would enjoy seeing the triggers out of the stock on this one if you ever take them out - the guard looks like it sits rearward just a bit farther than on many rifles you see - alhtough it could just be the photo angle - but  it may have something to do with the internal structure of the triggers - perhaps something unique and that could be clue for where it was made.

Guy
« Last Edit: December 07, 2012, 08:50:54 PM by G-Man »

nosrettap1958

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #40 on: December 07, 2012, 08:54:52 PM »
I know Guy and I drew the same conclusions as you did.  Not attributing this rifle directly to a specific maker but noticed the similar sweeping lines of the two rifles that are starting appear in the Appalachian Mountains whether that is in North Carolina or Tennessee. I also noticed the similarities to and the beginnings of the distinctive lines associated with the Soddy Daisy area rifles.
Good stuff!!!
« Last Edit: December 08, 2012, 04:36:49 AM by crawdad »

Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #41 on: December 09, 2012, 05:12:55 PM »
Again, recommend you contact Wayne Bryson.  He has some key information on this maker.
"We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

Offline jdm

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #42 on: December 10, 2012, 04:11:52 AM »
G-Man  With my skills if I took the triggers out , I would be a collector of triggers. If you would like pictures from a different angle I could send you some.
 sequatchie Rifle,   I  don't know who Wayne Bryson is . Perhaps I would know him if I saw him. If you have information from him please share.  I am surprised no one has mentioned the rear ramrob  pipe. It is two pieces one riveted to the other. I thought it might be an identifying mark?    Anyway thank you all for the interest.    JIM
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Offline G-Man

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #43 on: December 10, 2012, 04:12:33 PM »
Know how you feel Jim - on these old guns I tend to lean toward the "it's been in there safe and sound for 200 years so why tempt fate....." approach.  I can't imagine the skill and confidence these guys like Louie Parker and others who restore these great old guns have when working on them.

I will have to take a look at the entry thimble arrangement again. 

I know I keep yammering on and on about this gun but it really is one of my favorite Appalachian iron mounted guns I have ever seen.  Thanks for sharing it with us Jim.

Guy

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #44 on: December 11, 2012, 01:49:58 AM »
OK, so I have a question. I notice the front trigger is disproportionately close to the front of the bow of the trigger guard. Some at least, of the Gillespie rifles have this same characteristic.  Why???  its hard to get a big fat finger in there, let alone one with a glove on??
« Last Edit: December 11, 2012, 01:50:13 AM by Dr. Tim-Boone »
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Offline Ken G

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #45 on: December 11, 2012, 03:37:54 AM »
Tim,
That's exactly the reason.  You can't get anything but the tip of your finger in there.  No wrapping a finger and jerking left of right.  So they say.................
Ken


Ok, the another reason would be different makers for the trigger guard and the triggers.  If you are subscribe to the belief that trigger guards, banana patchbox lids, and triggers were purchased from someone else (blacksmith or Conestago Wagon Co.) and assembled by a gun stocker much like a lot of folks do today (only without the benefit of large selections and life size picture catalogs) it would be pretty easy to have happen.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2012, 03:46:57 AM by Ken G »
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Offline G-Man

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #46 on: December 11, 2012, 03:47:18 PM »
Hi Ken - good to hear from you - I don't have photos of Sequatchie's rifle in front of me but if you note the one in the Ivey book that looks to be by the same hand, it also has the guard sitting back a bit farther than you usually see on most guns, i.e the front piece of the guard bow sits rearward of the cock, whereas on most rifles - even most guns from East Tennessee - it is usually sitting right below or just in front.  So it looks to me like the triggers are actually sitting back a bit farther than you usually see, rather than just solely the guard placement, if that makes sense. I could be wrong though. So it was just a thought - could have something to do with his trigger internals -  or maybe he just liked to crowd the guard back against the forward trigger - regardless, it works visually - great looking sleek look to all three of these guns.

Guy
« Last Edit: December 11, 2012, 05:31:19 PM by G-Man »

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: TN rifle for your review and comments
« Reply #47 on: December 11, 2012, 05:43:48 PM »
Quote
Tim,
That's exactly the reason.  You can't get anything but the tip of your finger in there.  No wrapping a finger and jerking left of right.  So they say.................
Ken
Tim,
Ken is correct, the intent was for a person to use the side of the tip of the index finger to gently touch off the light trigger pull. This kept a person from jerking the shot, at least this was the intent ;D I prefer to retain the excuse "I pulled that one" ;)
Dennis
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