Were narrow buttstocks and deeply curved crescent buttplates something that sprung up in the 1780s to 1790s in Appalachia but didn’t catch on in the rest of the country for another 20 years? Do we have any documentation about that, for example a signed iron-mounted, narrow buttstocked rifle with a deep crescent buttplate by a maker who died pre-1810?
Where do these dates come from?
I've held one in my hands. It was brass. The maker was Thomas Simpson, the patchbox dated 1803. While not like 1830s crescents this Simpson Rifle had a definate crescent and the buttstock was thinner than what you would expect for 1803. I have had long conversations with the gunsmith who owns the 1803 Simpson about how I would date it later if not for the 1803 date on the box. Bonified dates are rare on Rifles. There are two known Simpsons, the Mansker Rifle and the 1803 owned by this gunsmith. Simpson is of what Hankla coined....The Cumberland School.
The same gunsmith has an attributed John Bull that he feels could be late 1790s. The Bull Rifle is a big robust rifle trimmed in iron. The crescent is not unlike the rifles mentioned above. Interestingly, the Bull has a slight step-toe, (step-wrist). Another old mystery rifle came in for repair a couple of years back, it too had features like the step toe. The Bull Rifle would just about fit in the tracing of the mystery rifle. I don't think Bull made the mystery rifle but it was close kin......a regional thing I would surmise. That region......West of the Blue Ridge.
Mel Hankla has the Humble Brothers rifles. The Conrad Humble rifle has a pronounced peak at the heel. Too the buttstock is rather thin for a 1791 and before made rifle. Conrad died in 1791.
At the Alabama show I got to speak with Mel. We feel there is something there. Something was going on in the West by these Over the mountains gunsmiths.
Makers....
Sheetz,
Jacob Young
Thomas Simpson
John Bull
Possibly the Homakers
Conrad and Micheal Humble
and maybe more we do not know of.
Rich....It goes the other way too!
The Lauks of Va...Winchester. There is a link with JP Beck to the Lauks. Becks first wife was a Lauk. A lot of Lauk rifles, epscially 2nd generation have Early features but are 19th Century rifles. These Lauks are in brass and have incised carving into the 1830s
I have seen a good many what I call Valley Rifles at the Front Royal show. These are 19th Century Rifles some have nearly or have straight barrels but overall they have what I consider early Pa type features. The exception being some have more of a crescent butt than others. They tend to have smallish triggerguards and small English style locks. The stock shape is a throwback to early Pa And Va Style. Most are unsigned and rather plain.
I'll close with this thought. Kentucky Rifle development is taught as a linear string. This string runs East to West....North to South. This may be a good way to simplify an incredibly complicated subject. Instead of linear development Like a string, I think it's more like a cloth. It has many strands that go up down and back and forth......a tapestry.
