Marc - great rifle - you and I have discussed it several times as it prgressed and so I don't know what to add other than I am just really impressed with your iron work.
Don - the original used as the inspiration for the architecture and mounts on this gun was shown in the American Traditions article on iron mounted guns last year - it was not carved (with the exception of some nice moldings) but is from a school of gunmaking up farther north in Virginia where carved brass mounted guns were typical - so not really an Appalachian style iron mounted gun - but the product of a very different gunmaking culture really. So although not typical, the addition of the carving is something one might have seen on an iron mounted gun in this style, as opposed to the more common, Appalachian style iron mounted rifles we think of which were usually severely plain with regard to decoration. There are a few other examples of iron mounted guns - mostly from Virginia and Piedmont North Carolina - that have some relief and/or incised carving. I think what folks were getting at with regard to the nosecap is that the poured nosecaps when used were most typically seen on Appalachian style guns. Hershel began using them years ago as one of his stylisitc elements on his guns and so they have become popular as a common accepted part of iron mounted contemporary guns but the original rifle in this case had an iron nosecap.
Regardless of all that, man, what an impressive rifle!
Guy
