Overthemountain rifle

[54ball]

 I thought many of you may like to see a project started from the very beginning.

 This is my second build and will be my first from a blank. It's going to be a contemporary piece but it is based on of several circa 1780s-1800 Overthemountain gunsmiths from SW Virginia, East Tennessee, The Cumberland and Kentucky. The pattern was taken from an original mystery step toe rifle that has attributes of that time and region.

 Rifles such as this bridge the gap between the earlier Pennsylvania and later Appalachian styles of rifles. I hope I can capture that.

 Here are some sketches and a rough layout for the general configuration.



 Here are some specs....
 barrel 46" FCI custom profile.....Golden Age
 Curly Maple stock...
 Chambers "big Ketland" lock...The rifle begs for a later Ketland but they are kind of hard to find right now and the early Ketland is very close to one of the rifles that inspired this build.
 Bonewitz buttplate....actually very close to the pattern and again very close to one of the model rifles.
 Haines small guard....Similar but it's going to be heavily modified. The grip is going to be replaced with a lower grip (closer to the wrist) with a forward curl.

 Nothing is set in stone but this has given me a good starting point for the general configuration.

 Please share any comments. 

[rich pierce]

Great project. I love to hear about inspired builds. Your drawing looks "Bonewitz-y" which is z very good thing the main difference being the step wrist. Keep us posted!

[ghost]

I like it! This is going to be fun!

[bgf]

Any pictures of inspiration stock?  My first reaction is that the wrist is a bit too long, thin and rounded based on my understanding of your description, but that was just a feeling...  I think it is compounded by the amount of drop, which is also more than I would expect for that period/area and the stepped wrist.

The single trigger is unusual, also.

The toe of buttstock seems awfully far behind heel.

I like that patchbox--very classy and yet purely functional.

Anyway, just typing what comes to mind, have to look back over my pictures of stepped wrist southern mountain rifles to see if my reactions are even reasonable.

Love the idea and most of what you've got!

[Elnathan]

I too would be interested in hearing/seeing more about the originals that inspired this one, or at least some tips as to where I might find information. I've mostly concentrated on pre-1785 rifles, so the written sources I own reflect that, but I've been curious about these later step-wristed rifles lately.

Looks like a really interesting project. Iron or brass mounts?

[54ball]

 Thanks for the replies.
 All I have is the tracing of the original and memory of it's features. The rifle had lost it's original furniture but was otherwise intact.


 Due to folds in the pattern the tracing looks distorted in the photo but it's straight in real life.

 Here are some articles by Mel Helanka that provided me with some additional inspiration.
 Riflemen of the Cumberland
http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/uploads/1/0/3/4/10348480/kra_bulletin_spring_2014_v13_1to11_lres.pdf
 Kentucky's Humble Gunsmiths
http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/uploads/1/0/3/4/10348480/across_the_woods_kra.pdf

 Elnathan, I hope the articles above are some help to you. These are the smiths that are inspiring this build....Of course the unknown smith who built the pattern rifle. Thomas Simpson, Jacob Young (the Cumberland), The Humble brothers (Kentucky) and the early work of John Bull (North East Tennessee). It's my opinion that the pattern rifle shares attributes in time and features with these Overthemountain smiths.
 This rifle is going to be trimmed in iron.

 Here is a rifle from the museum that is a little similar and I can't help but think it's  origin is  not too far removed from what has been mentioned above.
 http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=14832.0
 Mr. Pierce, the above rifle has that slight Roman Nose comb like the pattern rifle similar to Bonewitz.
 
 bgf, All I have is a the tracing and the toe line may have got distorted in the transfer for my drawing plus all the correction I made. I redrew that area several time so I may have gotten off just a little. Also,the Reading or Bonewitz plate may give the illusion of kicking the toe out. I think mainly because of the of flat or angle on the heel of that plate.
 I'm going to cut out the original pattern and use it as a template when I draw it out on the wood.
 I can't wait to saw it out and start setting down that 46 inch barrel.

 I want to thank my master, Mr. Parker for making all this possible. Your help has been immeasurable.

 I cant wait to start slinging chips.

[Elnathan]

Heh. I just printed out those articles a week or so ago....I got a chance to look at a rifle attributed to Conrad Humble at the KRA show last spring (probably the one mentioned in the article) and was looking for more info on the Humble brothers when I found that article, and the Whitley rifle has been a favorite for a long time.

[bgf]

Thanks for the replies.
 All I have is the tracing of the original and memory of it's features. The rifle had lost it's original furniture but was otherwise intact.


 Due to folds in the pattern the tracing looks distorted in the photo but it's straight in real life.

 Here are some articles by Mel Helanka that provided me with some additional inspiration.
 Riflemen of the Cumberland
http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/uploads/1/0/3/4/10348480/kra_bulletin_spring_2014_v13_1to11_lres.pdf
 Kentucky's Humble Gunsmiths
http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/uploads/1/0/3/4/10348480/across_the_woods_kra.pdf

 Elnathan, I hope the articles above are some help to you. These are the smiths that are inspiring this build....Of course the unknown smith who built the pattern rifle. Thomas Simpson, Jacob Young (the Cumberland), The Humble brothers (Kentucky) and the early work of John Bull (North East Tennessee). It's my opinion that the pattern rifle shares attributes in time and features with these Overthemountain smiths.
 This rifle is going to be trimmed in iron.

 Here is a rifle from the museum that is a little similar and I can't help but think it's  origin is  not too far removed from what has been mentioned above.
 http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=14832.0
 Mr. Pierce, the above rifle has that slight Roman Nose comb like the pattern rifle similar to Bonewitz.
 
 bgf, All I have is a the tracing and the toe line may have got distorted in the transfer for my drawing plus all the correction I made. I redrew that area several time so I may have gotten off just a little. Also,the Reading or Bonewitz plate may give the illusion of kicking the toe out. I think mainly because of the of flat or angle on the heel of that plate.
 I'm going to cut out the original pattern and use it as a template when I draw it out on the wood.
 I can't wait to saw it out and start setting down that 46 inch barrel.

 I want to thank my master, Mr. Parker for making all this possible. Your help has been immeasurable.

 I cant wait to start slinging chips.

Good deal, that trace buttstock fixes the pitch problem, just bend the buttplate to fit.  Given some of your models, another minor touch would be to taper the buttplate return to match the comb.

That GoB is classic, though I can see why stock originality is not assured.  Note the pin placement and iirc the 4 pipes (3 + return) also, which are original and regional features, likely SWVa.

[54ball]

 Well, some changes.

  I went to a show in Virginia and found a nice wide butt plate and triggerguard set. They are of a style appropriate for a Virginia rifle of about 1780 and it is more in line with the Early Ketland.

 After some adjustments the furniture works on my pattern well and will still have the slight step toe.

 So now it's trimmed in brass.

 This rifle has a name or more accurately, a identity.

It's the....Alligator Horse.
 So named because the side plate on the original was shaped like the "Alligator Horse".

 The blank has been sawn out, the barrel marked and it's now ready for the barrel to be set down. 

 If photo bucket will cooperate I should have some photos soon.

[PPatch]

Careful planning and research, a very good start on what I'm sure will be a handsome gunne.

Keep us posted on the build and have all the fun making it.

dave