A true southern Poor Boy rifle as found

[gibster]

Folks, this is as basic as it gets for a working rifle.  There is no carving, inlays or decoration and was made using the minimum amount of parts necessary to have a working rifle.  Call it a Barn Gun or a Poor Boy or whatever, but this is the type of rifle that mountain folks used for protection, to put food on the table and for entertainment at local shooting matches.  This came out of family estate in North West Arkansas and ended up in a local gun shop who didn't know what they had.  A friend called me and said that it was for sale for a grand total of $59.00.  I told him to buy it, sight unseen and I am really glad that I did.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I was told that some of the hardware was missing and was in "rough" shape.  Trust me, I've paid more for pieces/parts in a cardboard box and thought that I had a deal. 
Anyway, the barrel is 40 1/2-inches long and looks to have been shortened about 2-inches.  There are initals A H on the barrel, so any help there would be appreciated.  Jerry Nobel lists a gun smith using those initals in his books, but don't know if it is the same maker or not.  The barrel has a noticeable flair towards the muzzle end of the barrel and is larger than the breech end.  Could be a recycled barrel from an older rifle and was shortened at the breech when made???   The tang, as seen in the pictures is broken at the screw and will be about the only repair that this rifle will see.  The rifle was made without a cheek piece and the length of pull is a short 12 1/2-inches.  The guard is just a strap that is nailed to the stock.  Single trigger with a trigger plate that is nailed in place.  The trigger is pinned to the stock.  There are two ram rod pipes made from thin steel.  The lock is a Leman and functions properly.  There were tacks added around the grease hole and in front of it at some point, but are now gone.  I'l let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

[B Shipman]

Aside from the pointed barrel tang, it has the look of a Schimmel from PA. Great find.

[rich pierce]

Real nice architecture.  Seems small bore, .32-.36.  Trying to think why the muzzle end is of larger diameter then the b reech.  Might be an old barrel shortened at the breech end.

[flintman-tx]

Great buy!!!

[Tanselman]

I've seen two other rifles marked "A.H." and both were rather plain, swamped barrels, maple stocked, with good architecture. The othere rifles had butt plates, but were generally plain. I thought perhaps they were made in Kentucky, due to the strong similarities to many simple working rifles from the central part of that state that were iron mounted in whole or part, but I have not proven the connection.

The small bore tends to speak against the use of a much earlier barrel, because it would probably have a  larger caliber if earlier. Many of these early percussion working rifles have been shortened one or more times at the breech, pulling the barrel back and reducing the light swamp at the breech end. Regardless, you have an interesting and nicely stocked working rifle, and it was great that you posted it for us to enjoy.  Shelby Gallien

[jim m]

anyone else notice the muzzle treatment. seems almost out of place on a plain gun. great find, I'm very intrigued by these plain guns

[trentOH]

I'm intrigued by the sguare trigger guard, the circle scribed around the bore at the muzzle, and the lack of a front sight. From the looks of the heel of the stock, that rifle leaned against a corner and on a hard floor for a LONG time.

I'd bet there's an outstanding dendrologist somewhere who can tell you where the wood came from, and how long ago.

[44-henry]

That's a neat rifle and a great buy to boot. It has some features that are similar to a rifle I posted here a couple years ago, I do love those plain guns.

[SR James]

Another fairly plain gun that recently sold on an online auction: