... many original Tennessee rifles are now half-stock that were originally full-stock,... the upper fore-arm being very thin was sometimes broken or split, and it was easier and quicker just to cut away the broken part and move the nosecap back, and add rammer pipes to an under "rib" or just solder to the bottom barrel flat,...I have one that has a wooden rib pinned to the barrel under lugs and the pipes pinned to the wooden rib,... I have another that has the pipes attatched to the barrel lugs ... no rib,... I must say the rib looks nicer in profile, but the ones attatched to the bottom flat serve their purpose,... you can usually tell if the rifle-gun was originally fullstock by the location of the underlugs, finish on the bottom three flats, and a faint line on the side flats where the forearm wood once was,... they shot just as well with the forearm removed, and these old mountain riflemen were not too proud to use them,... regards,... Cades Cove Fiddler,...
