A different Tennessee

[TN Longhunter]

Mention a Tennessee Rifle and iron mount, walnut stocked, poor boy jumps to mind. With more being learned about the Middle Cumberland Schools, we (collective, not me) are learning more about other gunmakers and their styles. This is a recent gun made by Ric Lambert in the style made in Sparta Tennessee in the 1790s. Fifty caliber, swamped barrel and holds perfect.

[oldtravler61]

 TN nice rifle. Eric does fine work. Oldtravler

[wattlebuster]

fine looking rifle

[Mike Brooks]

Ain't that sumpin'? Lambert has been doing some fine work.

[TN Longhunter]

Ain't that sumpin'? Lambert has been doing some fine work.

I've known Ric for a long time. What he is doing now is excellent work. This piece hangs perfect for me.

[oldtravler61]

  Ric does fine work an his photography of firearms is excellent. Oldtravler

[BOB HILL]

Beautiful rifle. Ric is a very talented artist.     Bob

[TN Longhunter]

  Ric does fine work an his photography of firearms is excellent. Oldtravler

Just to make clear, any defects in the photo are mine. Not Ric's. I have learned a lot by picking his brain and still have a way to go, but my photos don't measure up to his.

[nosrettap1958]

That's surprising coming from that part of Tennessee, well east of Nashville.

[nosrettap1958]

That has very few if any of the Tennessee influences from Appalachia nor does it seem to have any influences from the Kentucky schools.

[Mike Brooks]

That has very few if any of the Tennessee influences from Appalachia nor does it seem to have any influences from the Kentucky schools.

It's just a lot earlier than you're used to seeing.

[sz]

That's a very nice rifle,  Are there any other photos?  I'd love to see more close-ups

[hanshi]

It's some great looking rifle, to be sure.  Interesting that it's an earlier Tn style.  Masterful work, obviously.

[TN Longhunter]

That's a very nice rifle,  Are there any other photos?  I'd love to see more close-ups

Just took a few quick photos when I got it with plans to take more detailed ones. Now I'm 8hours from home and Ric has the rifle to take to the CLA and show it off. I won't have it back till after the show. You have my permission to fondle it at the show. Holds like a dream.

[Ric27]

That has very few if any of the Tennessee influences from Appalachia nor does it seem to have any influences from the Kentucky schools.

The Appalachian school of longrifles is a thing unto itself. Running from Virginia all the way to Georgia. That school started in the late 1700s and is still going strong today and hasn't changed much and is pushing 250 years. Amazing really! During the Rev. War a whole lot of "armors" were trained and throne together. Ideas, techniques and styles were homogenized during The War. During and after that time many of the men making rifles and repairing arms ventured forth to seek their fortunes in the West. There was a huge market in Kentucky and Tennessee for the skills they had acquired. The Cumberland Valley area East of Nashville became a center of industry and Gun making was in the for front. This rifle is representative of that school.

[nosrettap1958]

Yes, possibly but the long rifle was in North Carolina long before Tennessee and pushed west.

Correct? 

[Elnathan]

Yes, possibly but the long rifle was in North Carolina long before Tennessee and pushed west.

Correct?

Yes, more or less. However,  I'm not sure that there were enough longrifles actually manufactured in NC for a distinctive style to have developed prior to the settlement of Eastern TN (longrifles were pretty common in the Carolina backcountry by the 1770s, but I suspect that most were imported). There certainly aren't many early NC rifles surviving today.
On the other hand, I believe that there are some similarities between some early KY rifles and later NC rifles that can be attributed to certain gunsmiths, such as the Bryans, having been originally trained in NC. That does suggest that some distinctively NC attributes may have been around prior to the Revolution. I don't know much at all about KY schools, though - Shelby Gallien would be the person to ask, I think.

Also, I think that due to geography SW Virginia may have been a bigger influence on TN than NC .

[Mike Brooks]

That has very few if any of the Tennessee influences from Appalachia nor does it seem to have any influences from the Kentucky schools.

It's just a lot earlier than you're used to seeing.

I should have stated that style of gun wasn't a 'mountain gun" either. Built in a more 'civilized" area.

[Molly]

Sweet thing no matter.  I tend to think many would never characterize it as a TN rifle.  But then if a maker moved to TN from PA and the first rifle made in TN was exactly like the last one made in PA what would you call it?  Saying that some makers made rifles like this in TN around a specific area, maybe that's all that it takes to call it a TN rifle.

But it's really nice.

Yes, a civilized gun.  But then does that make your traditional TN rifle uncivilized!

[Ric27]

This is an area of study that has recently come to light. I would like to present a quote from an article by Mel Hankal, published in a recent KRA builtin titled, Riflemen of the Cumberland. It can be read in entirety here, http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/uploads/1/0/3/4/10348480/kra_bulletin_spring_2014_v13_1to11_lres.pdf

"The gunsmith Jacob Young, second child of William Young and Elizabeth Huff, was born May 8, 1774,
on the southwest frontier of Virginia. Jacob’s father, William, was also a gunsmith and in 1776 was living
in Rowan County, North Carolina. William was an armorer under the command of General Griffith
Rutherford. In 1779 he moved his family to the Cumberland, settling on Indian Creek near modern-day
Boma, Tennessee. It was then Sumner County, North Carolina."   

So you can see from this bit of verified information that the trend I spoke of was under way during the Rev. War. I know of no known rifles attributed to William Young, but there are several known, signed rifles buy Jacob Young made as early as 1790. Of the three rifles I have photographed made by Jacob Young two would be considered "high art" rifles. Another rife maker and mess mate of William Young , Thomas Simpson had also move into the Cumberland Valley of Tennessee at that time and was making rifles of the highest quality.

All of the rifles made by the men mentioned above were highly influenced buy the Virginia and N. Carolina schools as were the Kentucky gun makers on the frontier. That said the Cumberland Valley School makers along with the KY makers were very distinct in the style they developed.

[TN Longhunter]

Great read Ric. Missed that article, but just added more appreciation for the rifle.

[Ric27]

Yes, possibly but the long rifle was in North Carolina long before Tennessee and pushed west.

Correct?

Yes, more or less. However,  I'm not sure that there were enough longrifles actually manufactured in NC for a distinctive style to have developed prior to the settlement of Eastern TN (longrifles were pretty common in the Carolina backcountry by the 1770s, but I suspect that most were imported).

North Carolina had a thriving longrifle industry supplying weapons to a fast growing population in that state. Starting on the east coast and rapidly spreading west during the third quarter of the 18th century. Buy the time of the Rev War there were several distinct schools fully developed in the east, central and finally in some mountain sections of the state.
 

[nosrettap1958]

To me that rifle certainly has more Virginia influences than influences from the Western North Carolina/Appalachian schools.

[Molly]

I would tend to agree with c'dad although the box is not like any VA I have seen yet it is VERY appealing!

[Ric27]

To me that rifle certainly has more Virginia influences than influences from the Western North Carolina/Appalachian schools.

You are right Crawdad, the rifle has no Appalachian influences at all.