... TENNESSEE RIFLE by BEALS ....

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

..... This is another original Unicoi Co., Tennessee rifle that I had the honor to view last week ...signed  "W.N. & J.M. BEALS   WR" on the barrel,.. 43 1/2" barrel, 3/4" barrel, about .36 cal,...curly striped maple, all forged iron fittings,... a fine , long slender rifle,... was very excited about the long , molded cheek-rest,...have only seen this style of molding on rifles made by the BEALS family,.... ENJOY,... regards, ... Cades Cove Fiddler ...     

[Dennis Glazener]

CCF,
Not to start a dispute but how does one know this is a Beals built rifle since they were such prolific barrel makers? Maybe the cheekrest moulding? I understand they did build rifles but I get the impression they made more barrels than rifles.
Dennis

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... Dennis.... this is the "Great Mystery",.... !!!,... I've only seen one other rifle marked "W.N. BEALS", with the same molding on cheek-rest,... also one marked "L.B." by Lewis Banner, with similar , but not as rounded molding,.. There is evidence that the BEALS gunsmiths sold finished barrels to others,...perhaps the ones marked with the "WR" ( warranteed) were the ones sold to others,.. ... I don't know,... there is the mystery,... we will probably never know,... anyway,... she does have all the markers of a BEALS build,....   

[Chowmi]

Nice rifle, thank you for showing it.
You must have had a great time traveling around and finding unknown rifles! 

I know little about southern rifles, so forgive the question:

Looks like there are two sideplate panels, the forward of which seems to be attached by a wood screw. Was it originally a flintlock with two lock bolts, or is the forward panel decorative? 

Cheers,
Norm.

[somehippy]

Love the lines to that rifle!  Thanks for posting this and many other nice southern guns CCF!

[n stephenson]

CCF , Thanks for posting, I have never held one of these large cheekpiece , placed high on the stock. How do they feel?  Thanks Nate

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... Norm, I do believe this rifle was originally flint,.... both sideplates are iron,... the front, a pointed oval, & the rear a large diamond,...the front screw has so much "patina" that I first didn't notice the countersunk wood screw,... also , enlarge the first photo, and the recessed cut for flint hammer is visible,... wish I had gotten better pix of lock and overall,... will photograph with a camera next time,...... Nate,... that cheek fits my face just fine,... along with the slender stock and 3/4", 36cal barrel, she is a fine squirrel rifle,....swings up just right,... AND, in good enough shape she could still be fired, even after 150 years,...!!!

[mountainman70]

More outstanding Tennessee  rifles,bro. You like a coon hound, trackin them ol guns out of the hills. Do ya bay and howl a biggun when ya trees one or two? Heck, I would !hahaha
It is exciting to me,as a ol hill boy, to see these Southern masterpieces coming to light and getting their makers just do,like the previous Pa/Ky  rifles, Hawkens/Plains rifles,etc.

keep a prowlin, ol Coon. Best regards, Dave F on the Mountain