Where is this one from?

[Stoner creek]

 A friend showed me this gun Thursday and was quizzing me about its origin. There are certainly features about it that appear “out of school” for one’s first glance interpretation. It’s iron mounted with a missing trigger guard. No visible signature.
Here you go!!!

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... Sure is different,.... It ain't a Lawing,.....!!!

[Daniel Coats]

Do you think that carving at the rear pipe has been added later?

[Mike Brooks]

I think EK made it.

[wildcatter]

Interesting rifle for sure and thanks for sharing it. Looks to have a very severe drop from the rear lock mortise to the toe, could be just the camera angle but sure seems to fall off quickly. Looks to have a really nice piece of wood for the stock, I would have said  made somewhere in Tennessee but the two screw tang, side plate make pause. I'll throw out N. GA as a possibility because of the drop, side plate and tang but I could be totally off base.

[Stoner creek]

I’m guessing that that carving came along later in the guns lifetime. It belongs to Jud Brennan. He was a little bit at a loss as to its origin too. My best guess was that area where Virginia, North Carolina, & Tennessee lie.

[WadePatton]

I think EK made it.

Beat me to it! 

[WadePatton]

I’m guessing that that carving came along later in the guns lifetime. It belongs to Jud Brennan. He was a little bit at a loss as to its origin too. My best guess was that area where Virginia, North Carolina, & Tennessee lie.

The tang doesn't fit my "idealized" notions of TN, so I'm with you on the VA/NC part there.  But you know I'm a noob-and there are no absolutes when it comes to TN