Southern? rifle

[oakridge]

I recently saw a rifle on the wall in an old store. It is hanging just below the ceiling, which is sixteen feet high, so I couldn't get a good look. It is percussion, with a walnut full stock, iron trigger guard and buttplate, long octagon barrell, with no patchbox or grease hole. Owner doesn't know if it is marked or not. Plain looking old longrifle, but what got my attention was what appears to be a poured pewter nose-cap, like in my drawing below. My question is whether this style of poured nose-cap was peculiar to a certain region (E. Tenn. , Southern Mtns.), or did it see wide-spread use?

[G-Man]

On fullstock longrifles poured nosecaps are usually associated with Appalachian rifles, but I've seen them on some otherwise plain late percussion rifles that were more likely made in the Ohio Valley as well. 

So I think they were used in other places - but most that I have personnaly seen appeared to have been added later after the barrel was cut back at the muzzle - i.e. on swamped barrels (especially some of those southern barrels with a lot of flare at the muzzle) where the original nosecap obviously no longer fit after the barrel was cut.

However, there are other examples out there that are believed to be original to the gun - I think Dennis' website shows a Gillespie with a poured nosecap and the barrel looks to be full length still.

Overall, I they look really cool on an iron mounted gun when done well!
 
Guy

[Tanselman]

The "chevron" type cast nose cap was used by several Tennessee makers, as well as wellknown Indiana maker, Washington Hatfield, who was trained in Campbell County, TN. The Hatfield rifles had the pewter "stripes" angled backwards, and if I recall correctly, connected at the top along the barrel.  Did the chevrons by chance angle backward slightly on this rifle?  Shelby Gallien, Indiana

[oakridge]

Thanks for the info guys. I hope the owner will let me get this gun down and take a closer look. It's location is in a crowded area, and I'll have to get a ladder in there. There's another walnut full-stock and a maple half-stock up there with it. Shelby, the pewter strips seem to be straight, with no slant to them. In my drawing the darkened area is the pewter, and the white strips in between is the wood showing. Doesn't appear to have chevron shape to it.