observations on a small slice of East Tennessee rifles

[RMann]

I'm enjoying Dave Byrd's small book, "Gunmakers of Buffalo Valley & Greasy Cove in Unicoi County, Tennessee."  I am new to this interesting history, so am just sharing my observations of the 26 featured guns, in this informative publication.  The author characterizes these as the Bean School of rifle making, and the rifles detailed stretch from 1800 to1889, so mostly late flintlock through the percussion period.  I am not drawing any conclusions, just what I noted of this little slice of long rifles.

They were long, typically 42 to 48" barrels, 3/4 to 1" across the flats, and surprisingly (to me) small calibers.  Out of the 26 guns that were profiled, 23 ranged from .32 to .38 calibers, and just 1) .45, and 2) .40's. The few larger calibers tended to be earlier. With the exception of the earliest and latest of these guns, iron fittings were the rule, as well as long tangs.  Approximately 2/3 were walnut stocked, and 1/3 maple, and mostly full stocked, with some later 1/2 stocked.

I was a little surprised by the typically small calibers, but simply assume that is what best met their needs.  The author did explain "The earlier East Tennessee rifles - those made before the Civil War - are now quite scarce. This scarcity is likely due to the fact that more than 3,000 old flintlocks were converted to percussion guns and the barrels were bored out to .58 caliber for military use.  All this work was done at the Confederate armory in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Most of these guns were destroyed by the Confederacy  when better guns could be obtained.  And many of the old rifles were simply destroyed by hard use.  As well, the Union army captured and destroyed thousands of the guns used by the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War."  So this scenario may also partly account for the typically small calibers profiled in this book, but that is just my guess. (Small calibers, small game calibers, escaped the war.) Others could correct me here.

Anyway, this book was a nice diversion for me, from the bleaker background of last night and today's political news....  Hope some of you find this interesting too.  I picked up the book last month at the Log Cabin's trade fair, at Ian Pratt's recommendation.

[mountainman70]

Good evening and welcome aboard. I ,too, discovered these unique guns back in 2010,but really got into them about 2013 when I built my first iron Southern gal. Since then, I ,like a lot of us, have become drawn in to the Mystique of these Spirits of the Smokys .
Not to mention the folks that built, shot,hunted with ,and survived the Mountain experience with these guns we now so fondly embrace.
I like the brass and silver rifles of the Golden Age very much, and much has been researched about these guns and people. But sorta stumbling in to these "Plain" guns of the Mountains is like a newly discovered Pearl of great Price. It is exciting to me to have something new/old to learn about.
Enjoy your time here and study and learn. Much good fellowship here too. Best regards, Dave F

[RMann]

Thanks Dave, I'm enjoying this path too.  I too greatly admire the "golden age", and marvel at the workmanship.  It seems like the best of man's skill and artistry found their outlet in these guns, and I recognize the same strains in today's builders, as displayed on this site. I am finding so much to appreciate.  But I am a little intimidated at the skill level required, and can't imagine putting my hands into the intricacies.  Plus, my taste strongly leans to the simple.  I'd choose a shaker slat back over the finest chippendale, even as it's art is incredible.  Of course the working form and lines of any graceful southern gun is still challenging to get right. Without the "eye candy", the form has to be so nice, to carry the gun. So I am having fun learning and slowly starting to put my hand to wood and steel. And this site really informs my eyes and understanding.  Thanks to all!

[Bob Roller]

These are KISS guns.That means KeepItStunninglySimple and the only one I ever had
made for me was by Leonard Meadows in 1964 and it still is being used.The best and
most simple one I ever saw and handled was made by someone with the last name Sheetz.
It had no butt plate and only a screen door pull for a trigger guard and the barrel APPEARED
to be held in the wood by the rod going thru the thimbles that were fastened,maybe by soldering.
Stock was black walnut and the lock was an antique marked Maslin.The trigger was a single type
and was held by a pin thru the stock.This kind of rifle can be made for less than $500 assuming
no precarved stock was used.

Bob Roller

[Craig Wilcox]

Another thought for the small calibers was conservation of resources.  Powder and lead were expensive items for people who were really cash-strapped.  Thus, smaller calibers means less powder, less lead to be used.  But fear not for just small game - these were also used for deer'

My grandmother on my Dad's side was a Pirtle, and she grew up in eastern Tennessee.  She related several stories to me of her Dad and Granddad going hunting (these would be my Great- and Great-Great-Grandfathers). They had ONE rifle between them, and would come home with several rabbits and a turkey, or a few squirrels and a deer or two.  That was meat on the table!  She also claimed that the rifle would shoot "Number 0 shotgun pellets", which I guess means about .30 or .32 caliber.

The rifle was passed to her elder brother, and she did not know what became of it. The family moved to Arkansas, then partook of one of the earlier Oklahoma Land Rushes.  She would never admit if they were "Sooners", meaning that they jumped the gun and got their land before the majority of the "regular folk".

[Bob Roller]

When I built my first real muzzle loader it was 58 caliber and my maternal grandfather
told me I would have to take out a loan to buy lead to feed that thing.I told him that
Mack Meade's junk yard had a lot of lead for 10 cents a pound and that is what I used
for 4 years.Bullet placement means everything when hunting any living creature and I
know of big game being killed in Africa with small bore rifles by guides and professional
hunters.
Bob Roller

[Huntschool]

Those slim, plain rifles of East TN are amazing to me.  The frugal mountain folk had a hard desire to make things work for family et al.  I so appreciate the slim plain lines and the resort to lower calibers that I am taken back each time I get to see an original. 

[wormey]

I too am and have been a fan of North Carolina and Tennessee rifles for 50 years or more.  That being said, artisans today are making rifles mostly copying those from Pennsylvania and  Virginia  , that are much, much, better than any  ever produced by the old masters.  Artists today have the advantages of technology such as better lighting, pneumatic engravers,  investment castings and others to numerous to mention.  I mean no disrespect to anyone and love to admire their creations.  Popularity dictates that there are many more of  these being made than there are of iron mounted mountain rifles.  These are generally called simple and plain.  Don`t be deceived!  They are extremely difficult to reproduce.  Most modern copies are much too big, the wrists too large, and forearms too thick; they just don`t look right.  Look at an original Baxter Bean, Ambrose Lawing, or a Grose rifle and show me a copy that looks right.  With the well known exception of Jim Kibler`s Whitson, I don`t recall ever having seen one. As for the small calibers, I agree with the comments about the expense of powder and lead.  Remember that the third place winner of old time mountain shooting matches won the right to dig the lead out of the target (usually a tree). wormey   

[B.Barker]

Southern mountain rifles are not easy rifles to make if done correctly. The over the comb tang and since they are void of purties the rifle relies on the flow of the lines to give it elegance. The tangs are a lot of work to make and even more to inlet properly. If everything is done properly and well they are a thing of beauty.

[RMann]

I have been out of town, and just now catching up, so thanks for all the comments and especially the stories and historical insights. Another thing I noticed in reviewing these E TN rifles, is that every one pictured had set triggers.  I plan to build a similar rifle, but with a single trigger, as the simplicity of use appeals to me. I feel I'm on shaky ground, but I somewhat cling to the thought that exceptions to the rule are the rule in these southern mt. guns. Another words, I'm giving myself some latitude, but still struggle with my decisions. Do I even try to inlet one of those scarily long slender tangs?  I'll do what I feel best, with limited skills and individual tastes.  Yet at the same time I'm surprisingly apologetic, as I see and appreciate workmanship beyond me.  Still, I like the new challenge of working from a plank, and the probably flawed but engaging process of assembling or making the pieces and parts.  Part of me says "buy that kit you know is perfect", but most of me likes the challenge and fun of doing it myself, even with my limitations and the expected flaws.  Anyway, this site has sure provided inspiration, learning, and great examples from so many directions.  Thanks all!

[mountainman70]

Welcome back. we all learn by doing, stretching ourselves and trying new things. I am still learning,hope to live long enuff to eventually get reasonably good at these SMR guns.
I saw a sign years back, in a Pipe Organ shop, sez "Consider the Turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out".
One of my favs. Jus go slow and make sure you file a draft/bevel on all you inlet, ceptn the barrel.and especially, the tang.
Best regards, Dave F

[Hungry Horse]

I was born, and have lived my entire life in California. So you would assume my knowledge of SMR’s would be pretty slim. But, I believe that those folks from the Southern mountains that moved out of the Carolinas into Tennessee, and on into Arkansas, and Missouri, are the same families that left the dust bowl behind and came to California, just like my Mother’s family did. 
 Before SMR’s became a thing in the  modern muzzleloading world, I had seen quite a few in my own area. The funny thing is as prolific as the Bean clan was at building their version of these now famous guns, until they started writing articles about them in magazines I’d never even seen a picture of one. I only wish I’d bought some of those old mountain guns before they disappeared. I was privileged to see some squirrel rifles with hand made furniture that Must have been pretty rare, because I’ve never even seen a pictures of similar hardware since. Most of these guns were battered, and abused, but still together.

 Hungry Horse

[Elnathan]

Maybe it is a generational thing, or maybe a regional thing, but is always kind of funny to me when the subject of Appalachian rifles comes up and people consider them a rare and underappreciated facet of longrifle culture. I grew up in western NC, and back when I was a teenager and dependent on the local library for my books, the two best books on muzzleloaders that they would actually let you check out were Foxfire 5 and Guns and Gunmaking Tools of Southern Appalachia, with Biven's book on NC rifles in the non-circulating section. SMRs featured pretty heavily in both. Even today I think about half the rifles I've seen firsthand (mostly at the Knoxville Show) have been SMRs of one kind or another, and I think that as far as published info goes it is now easier to find detailed dimensions for SMRs than it is for say, Golden Age PA arms or Hawkens!

BTW, contrary to stereotype I don't believe that the Southern Appalachians were notably poor or isolated prior to the Civil War, and the classic Gillespies, Beans, and Bulls really should be viewed in terms of regional culture and styles rather than cost considerations. It was only after the Civil War and the following depression that the Appalachian regions fell behind the rest of the country in development and when the Appalachians began to be viewed as distinct economically and culturally from the rest of the south. Prior to that, the Appalachians weren't poorer, but there was less economic stratification - there were fewer slaves and slaveholders up here than there were down in the flatlands and no/few big plantations run by slave labor, which in turn meant that the economic divide between landowners growing wealthy off slave labor and the mass of poor whites and free blacks trying to compete with slave labor didn't exist. So if you are looking for an economic reason behind the restrained look of SMRs, the fact that most folks plowed their own fields is probably a better foundation than is poverty per se.

[rich pierce]

Elnathan, that is an interesting perspective. We probably don’t think of economic factors very often, and when we do, it’s in a broad sense to explain Golden Age rifles.

Early New England fowlers often used recycled parts from French guns, presumably captured in the F&I war. Away from the coast, the lifestyles of New Englanders in that early timeframe was probably similar to Appalachian folks a generation or two later. Small farms on hilly land were prevalent. From growing up on such a farm, I know what it’s like to not be “poor” but to also not have money burning a hole in my pocket.

[BeanStationgunmaker]

We have a old rifle that's been in the family a long time.Its a.40,what appears to be a chestnut or possibly oak stock and furniture from at least 3 different guns.My great uncle supposedly restocked it sometime around 1900-1920.The barrel is 46 inches long,triggerguard and double set triggers are typical of Bean style rifles.Wish it could tell its history

[Vestvol]

One reason for the transition from larger to smaller calibers may have been ecological. Deer were hunted to virtual extinction and elk to actual extinction in the southern mountains. At the turn of the 19th century there were likely millions of deer and Elk in Tennessee, however, by 1940 the TWRA estimates that there were less than 2,000 deer in the state and most of those being in the western part of the state. The State began reintroducing deer and that continued through 1985. There are now just under 1 million deer in the state.
I have assumed that the reason that the calibers seemed to get smaller through the 19th century is that as deer and elk became harder to find, that hunters began hunting different/smaller game and that meant smaller caliber rifles and shotguns became more likely to put meat on the table?

[LuVerne Schumann]

Well, they definitely succeeded in bringing deer numbers up.

Now how the heck do you get rid of the rats with antlers?