Need some opinions on a future build...

[looper]

As a frequent visitor to this forum over the last 6 months, I've come to realize that the lot of you constitute a vast sum of knowledge, and opinions, of which you seem most eager to share. My perusings here, encouraged by one of your more notorious members, has kindled a fire within me to broaden my horizons so to speak. Actually a more apt description would be rekindling the fire.

I also recently came into possession of a family heirloom, a beautiful southern gun built by Thomas Peden in Greenville Co, SC, somewhere around the 1820s. The gun was originally a flintlock and was converted to percussion sometime after the civil war. I'll post some pictures and more details about that gun some other time. Eventually, I intend to build a replica of it, but feel I need to learn to ride the bicycle again before I attempt it. At the urging of a wizened not-too-old friend, I decided to get my feet wet with a "kit".

My initial desire is to build a fowler or a smooth rifle, as I feel it would be quite versatile for the type of hunting I primarily do (turkey, hogs, whitetail). I would, however, like for it to be a gun that might have been used by one of my ancestors.  Many lines of my family came to this country in the early colonial days, and some were historically significant. One in particular I find most fascinating. His name was James Few, the Regulator.

For those of you interested, here are a couple of links: http://www.enoriver.org/store/journals/fews-ford/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Few . James Few was my 5th Great Grandfather.

Not much is known about James. He was reported to be a carpenter, but likely made his living on the family farm. The Few family was among the first settlers in that area, arriving in 1758 from Maryland. I read one report that the land they owned was on the Eno River and was pristine, virgin forest. They cleared the land themselves for pasture and crops. They also had a small trading post/tavern and started a mill, which they subsequently sold. James involvement with the Regulators probably became his preoccupation the last few years of his life.

So, what type of firearm do you suppose he'd have carried?

I have some ideas, but would like to hear what you fellows think.

Thanks ahead.

Cheney Looper

[rich pierce]

Coming out of a Maryland farm in the 1750s a simple British fowling piece or trade gun would seem likely.  If you get a chance look at the book "Of Sorts for Provincials" which has a lot of great originals to inspire you.  Seems likely to me your farmer ancestor had to be militia-ready so would need a smooth or anyway when he was in Maryland.

[DBoone]

 He probably carried a smoothbore of some description.........(that is, if he couldn't find a good Howard Hill bow......possibly a Half-breed...LOL) 

[deepcreekdale]

I agree with both of the above posters. I would look at some simple, militia ready smoothbore, simple versatile and rugged. From your description, like most of our ancestors that were here at that time, money would have been scarce and not wasted on a fancy gun with lots of carving and engraving. Rich mentioned the book "Of sorts for Provincials" and he is right, it will be a great source for lots of interesting pieces that are probably the most typical firearms carried by the majority of people back then.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Sounds like a great project.  I take some issue with the notion that most everyone had some simple unadorned firearm.  Certainly, there likely is truth to the notion that the better decorated guns survived at a higher rate so we have a biased sample of them today but so many surviving guns of all stripes and flavors have some decoration.  Even trade guns often had some decoration even if crudely made.  Moreover, money might be scarce but commodities were valuable and traded for guns.  Journals of travelers in America (like Nicholas Cresswell) around the Rev War period often remarked how prosperous American farms and businesses seemed compared to Europe. Common folk seemed healthy and well fed and eager to emulate the "gentile" habits and fashions of European gentry as much as they could afford. My point is, be wary of the notion that most farmers and common folk had plain poor-boy kinds of guns. 

dave

[rich pierce]

Agree and there are some nicer officer's fusils and a fowling piece or two of good quality in there.  Plus the Faber rifle and of course outside the book "of Sorts for Provincials" you could consider a British rifle of the period.

[looper]

...(that is, if he couldn't find a good Howard Hill bow......possibly a Half-breed...LOL) 

You're getting the branches of my family tree all mixed up. Now, my great, great, great, great uncle Enyeto, I'm sure he might have traded a good locust bow for a Half-Breed.

[looper]

Thanks for the input. I do agree with you. Young James would probably have carried a smooth bore. I'm thinking something along the lines of Jim Chambers' Smooth Rifle, or, maybe even the Colonial Fowler.

From what research I've found, James, along with his wife and infant twins, lived in small house on his father's farm. He was the 2nd son of his father William and was only 12 years old when his family relocated to North Carolina, so I imagine any firearms he owned were something he would have purchased or traded for and not inherited. His father did own a trading post/tavern on the Eno River, so it's not inconceivable that guns from Virginia or Pennsylvania would have ended up there.

I'm not so sure that he would have owned a really fancy British piece, though I could see his father owning one. I also don't think he would have had a cobbled together trade gun. I do seeing whatever he had being adorned with some personal touches. I'd bet his horn had some sort of Latin phrase on it. Undoubtedly, he was educated. After all, his younger brother, William Few, Jr., went on to be a signer of the Constitution as the delegate from Georgia.

At any rate, thanks for your thoughts. I'm going to have my local genius/mentor/fellow ponderer (DBoone) keep me on track and maybe I can get a gun built.

[Dennis Glazener]

I'm going to have my local genius/mentor/fellow ponderer (DBoone) keep me on track and maybe I can get a gun built.

Just turn DBoone loose for a few days and he will have you one that will just fit the bill.
Dennis

[looper]

I'm going to have my local genius/mentor/fellow ponderer (DBoone) keep me on track and maybe I can get a gun built.

Just turn DBoone loose for a few days and he will have you one that will just fit the bill.
Dennis

No doubt about that. I'm going to do this one myself, though.

[DBoone]

Looper is a bow maker, craftsman of high caliber, a very serious hunter and a conversationalist with no equal....absolute genius.    

His original Peden rifle is an exceptional piece and a wonderful example of fine gunmaking in the South.  I look forward to seeing what he does.  I can guarantee it will be good, and probably the first of many guns.

One more note to ponder.......some years ago Wallace Gusler told me that he figured we have less than 10 % of the original guns (now in current collections) ever made from the 18th-19th century to look at and study.  What might  have the other 90% been like?  Are we forming opinions of the many by studying the few?  Just asking....

[rich pierce]

Always a subject of debate, whether surviving guns we see are representative. I think there's no doubt they are representative when we're talking about military guns and trade guns made essentially to patterns.

When it comes to guns made by local gunsmiths, I think that existing guns do represent most of the variety of guns of the period. Otherwise we would not recognize "schools" of longrifles, fowling pieces such as Hudson Valley or British style fowlers etc.

What is lacking are sufficient examples of quite early rifles that can be attributed with some confidence. Likely because few were made compared with the numbers made in the 1770s and even 1760s.

[BOB HILL]

Looper, good to see another South Carolinian on this trail. Congratulations on acquiring your family rifle. That's always so nice. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. It looks like you're on the right track with your next project. Got a very talented artist in your neighborhood and so many right here on this site. What I would have given for that thirty five years ago. Good luck and welcome.      Bob

[54ball]

 Lets look at JP Beck, a maker who has a pretty diverse sampling of his work still in existence.

 JP Beck Brass Box Rifles....
Fully carved and engraved, what many would expect of a full house Golden Age Rifle.

 JP Beck Wood Box Rifles....
 Plainer with less carving and engraving, what many would consider Rev War Era. Although his simpler wood box rifles may have been built up until his death in 1811.

 JP Beck Fowling Gun....
 A simple straight up build with great architecture. Little or no carving with simple if any engraving.

 So the Chambers Pennsylvania fowling gun cleanly assembled would be a good choice in my opinion.

[stuart cee dub]

While smoothbores were common I would not discount building a rifle suitable that that time period and region if you would prefer one as it's something you will shoot as well as build.
Also rifles were valuable and were trade items amongst the Indians who realized the utility of the increased accuracy especially those hunting deer for their hides.
They weren't all using smoothbore trade guns.While less common that the ubiquitous militia muskets ,Rifles were used north and south in all the colonies by all God's gun toting creatures.

[Elnathan]

Chamber's Officer's fusil kit might be a nice base to build a fowling on. Maybe ask for a colonial Virginia lock instead of the usual Roundfaced English lock.