tennessee/nc carolina ?

[jim m]

excuse my ignorance, but to my inexperienced eye it seems like the style and architecture on many nc Carolina and Tennessee rifles are very similar. the primary difference being the trigger guard and tangs. it seems like the more I learn about this wonderful part of our history the less I know

[Clowdis]

Some people will refer to these rifles as "southern mountain rifles" which is a pretty broad term. Styles developed in areas with no particular regard to state lines. The Appalachains were pretty sparsley populated also and the concentration of gunsmiths wasn't the same as in other more populated parts of either state. These conditions didn't lead to much in the way of new ideas, especially considering the fact that the people who settled there didn't have much in the way of money to foster these new ideas. I suspect that most of the styles and designs came in with the first gunsmithing families and no-one saw much reason to change it. My thoughts and opinions only