Stuart, that rifle spent several years at my house and I can tell you some things about it from my notes. It is all iron-mounted and is signed in engraved block letters on a small silver plate on the top barrel flat "SB". There is a punch mark in each of the four corners of the silver plate plus one in between the S and B so as to appear to read "SoB". (I expect the gunsmith had fun with that). It is stocked in fairly plain maple and is 64 1/2" overall. The barrel is 46 7/8" x 1" with a slight swamp and appears to be of original length, judging from the presence of engraving at the muzzle and breach and the pins having not been moved. The barrel is rifled, 7 groves, approximately .36 caliber. The tang is 2 3/4" with a short pointed end.
Engraved "chicken tracks" are on almost all iron surfaces, including the barrel to the rear of the rear sight and for 10" back from the muzzle, the trigger guard, heel extension, toe plate, patch box, thimbles and side plate. There are seven silver hearts adorning the rifle. Four are inlet into the barrel, two just to the rear of the front sight on the flats just below the top flat, and two similarly positioned just to the rear of the rear sight. One silver heart is inlet into the front trigger guard extension and one on the rear trigger guard extension. The seventh heart, an elongated weeping heart, is on the wrist. The symbolism is Christian; seven being the perfect number and the weeping heart representing the heart of Jesus Christ, the overall symbolism being that of perfect love.
Silver is also used for three false escutcheon ovals on either side of the forestock. Each is attached with silver-headed pins. The double set triggers are finely made, with a slight rearward curl at the end of each (a feature which I have seen on some Carolina and Georgia rifles). The iron triggerguard is a plain spoon shape, forged from four parts. It is held by a screw on either extension.
The patchbox is two pieces, of iron, with the surround being of one piece. The release is triggered by a iron button in the toe plate.
The thimbles are iron, with three facets showing and rings on either end. The flintlock is held by a single bolt. The sideplate is iron, held in place by two screws. There is a half-moon silver inlay in the center of the sideplate. The nose cap is iron, two-piece, brazed, with chicken-track engraving.
The oral history was that the rifle turned up in the 1950s in a flea-market antique shop in the mountains above Fort Payne, Alabama. The rifle has many southern characteristics. Not only is it iron mounted, it has silver inlays in iron, chicken track engraving, spoon guard, guard attached by screws, flint with a single lock bolt, etc. The architecture is Southern and, in my opinion, most likely from North Carolina.
Frankly, having typed all the above, I'm wondering why I ever parted with this pleasing Southern rifle! You have a good eye to have expressed an interest in this rifle. I wish I had pictures to post, but I owned it in the pre-digital days.
Wayne Elliott
