E. Tenn. Mountain Rifle Parts?

[Loudy]

Over the last several months all the photos here of great iron mounted E. TN style mountain rifles have inspired me to try to build one for myself.  I mentioned my project to a gun-builder friend of mine and he kindly offered me some old rifle parts that had been laying around in his shop for several years.  He had an old forged barrel with a "lollipop" tang and a nice set of gunsmith made triggers.  The parts are supposed to have come off the same gun.  The unmarked straight 43" (15/16" flat to flat) barrel has a seven grooved 40 cal. bore that's pretty darn clean.  I plan to freshen in up a bit and make it into a shooter.     

I'm hoping someone here with firsthand knowledge of original longrifles from northeast TN can tell me if these parts appear to be typical for a gun from that region.  Don't laugh, but I'd also appreciate any educated hunches on who the original gunsmith might have been.  I know this is a stretch.  However, I've been amazed many times by the depth of knowledge of folks here on this forum.  Here's some photos...       







Thanks for lookin'
Mark       

[Ken G]

Mark,
I was hoping someone would reply with more knowledge than myself.  The triggers are not the typical early type you see on E. TN guns.  The front trigger would have a almost half circle part hanging down. 
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4616.0
Maybe some of the hardware store variety that became common during the percussion period.  Strange that the triggers are offset to one side and the hole in the mainspring?   That may mean something to someone. 

Sorry I could not help more.  Not many folks get to see trigger assemblies out of an original gun so you may not get manny replies. 

[longcruise]

I'm less expert than Ken by a long shot, but just a thougt on the hole in the mainspring;  Since the front trigger return spring takes up so much space on the front of the trigger plate, and since there is no hole in the front of the trigger plate for a tang bolt, could the half hole and the hole in the trigger plate have been the location of the tang bolt?  It would have placed it pretty far back on the tang and the tang bolt hole does seem to be pretty far back on the tang pictured.  Assuming they came from the same gun.

[Roger Fisher]

You are forming a plan and thats good.  Have you considered the weight involved with this 43" 15/16the 40 caliber piece? You did say it would be a shooter but did not mention whether or not your other hobby is weight lifting.    I assume you mean here to end up as an offhand shooter Straining to hold the rifle to shoot offhand can kill the accuracy and get you in to snapping at the trigger.  Don't ask how I know this    Just a thought   

[Loudy]

Ken, Mike and Roger,

Thanks for the replies.  I was hoping the cut-out in the locks mainspring would look familiar to someone.  I looked at the barrel a little closer and found signs that at one time it had an under-rib mounted to it.  I could only find evidence on one staked barrel lug.  The barrel appears to have only been used on a half-stock percussion rifle.  Assuming that the parts are from the same gun, Ken's hunch that these parts are not from an early rifle are probably right on.  I do plan to use these parts in a "shooter" rifle.  Over the last couple years I've enjoyed participating in the local "Chunk Gun" matches.  This barrel is heavy, but certainly not as heavy as some of the brutes rolled out on the line for these matches!  Below are some photos of the old iron triggerguard I plan to use on this project.  I picked it up from Jerry Noble at a show earlier in the year.  He said it similar to those used by some of the Bean's.  Architecturally, I guess I will shoot for a rifle similar to something that would have come out of their neck of the woods.





Thanks again.  Happy New Year!
Mark
 

     

[Steve Bookout]

Mark, just found your post.  The triggers you have are "keg" triggers, meaning that they were probably purchased at the local general store, and shipped from the manufacturer in a wooden keg.  I have had/seen two sets of triggers identical to what you show and the main springs do not have a cut out.  Therefore I also believe that the spring was modified to serve as a replacement set.  The shapes of the triggers indicate that they are not your common East Tennessee truck garden variety and suggest manufacture in the North, or perhaps England...in a stretch.  This would also support the replacement theory.  Nice triggers, tang and guard.  Hope to see you at the over the log shoots.  Cheers, Bookie

[Ken G]

That's a dandy of a trigger guard!  Really nice example of a E. TN guard. 
Thanks for sharing.
Ken