black powder percussion cap hunting rifle popular in the early 1870s

[seekscharles]

Hi. I am a third grade teacher. My class is currently reading Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I have never owned a gun, but I own an antique bullet mold and a cast iron bullet ladle. I am sure many of you might be able to figure out what kind of black powder percussion cap hunting rifle popular Charles Ingalls might have used in the early 1870s, of Lake Pepin, Wisconsin. If so, I would love the help.

Currently, I am using images from the books Eyewitness Books: Arms & Armor by Michele Byam and Gun: A Visual History edited by Chris Stone, the artifacts I mentioned, and some pictures of Civil War era percussion caps to help describe Pa's nightly rifle prepping rituals.

Thank you, in advance. (I may not be quick at responding.)

[smylee grouch]

His rifle could have been made several years prior to the 1870s, if you knew if it was a Wisconsin made gun it might be a little easier to narrow down.

[Hungry Horse]

The majority of folks that enjoy muzzleloading firearms, assume that modern metallic cartridge guns immediately took over the firearm market when they became widely available. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Gunsmiths ( especially those in remote areas where cartridges were’nt readily available) were still making muzzleloaders. And even in metropolitan areas many serious target shooters shot high end, custom built, muzzleloading target rifles.
 Guns made during this period often sported back action lock, little, or no decoration, and often had peep sights, or even an early telescopic sight.

  Hungry Horse

[Carl Young]

It has been decades since I read the books, but as I recall Ingalls did not have much money, nor any particular affection for firearms that would motivate him to own a better quality of gun. It is quite possible that his gun was a civil war surplus rifle, or a surplus rifle that had been bored out to a smooth bore for use as a shotgun. These were relatively cheap and adequately functional, and so were commonplace.

Just my speculation.

[Daryl]

Carl- that is what I was thinking as well. Quite likely a Civil War or earlier mil. rifle for $1.50 to $2.00.

[rich pierce]

That’s what my family had on a small farm in upstate NY in same timeframe. A sporterized 1863 Springfield bored smooth.

[Bob Roller]

That’s what my family had on a small farm in upstate NY in same timeframe. A sporterized 1863 Springfield bored smooth.

N.G.Whitmore whose target rifles were legendary made a good portion of his income
by smooth reaming rifled muskets into rabbit getters.
He was located in Mansfield,Mass. and Potsdam NY and died in 1912.

Bob Roller

[FDR]

Converted muskets were in common use in Tennessee as late as the 1890's. My Grandfather told me hunting stories of his childhood where he used one quite effectively. He was born in 1876. Powder, musket caps and shot came from the country store in a paper bag (powder), cloth bag for the shot and caps in a tin.

Fred

[seekscharles]

Thanks for your help so far. I figured this might have been an older rifle. It may have even been handed down to him. I am also aware that gunsmiths would often make rifles on a local basis. (I live near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and several local gunsmiths have been well documented during this same era.)

Here are a few more hints: Charles Ingalls was born in Cuba, Allegany County, New York, in 1836, and his daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, was born near Pepin, in Pepin County, Wisconsin, in 1867. Charles Ingalls had a younger brother who fought in the Civil War, but I believe he may have been the only one who fought in that war (and it changed him for the worse, apparently).

These books were written as memoirs. Little House in the Big Woods was published in 1932, when Laura Ingalls Wilder would have been about 65 years old. I imagine many of her memories were blurred and/or combined. In Little House, she would have been only 4 and 5, during the full year recorded in the book. I am just looking for a general rifle her father might have carried (but if someone could somehow figure out the exact rifle, I would LOVE it, of course).

Here's how I am planning to use this information: I am thinking of making a two-dimensional model of it by enlarging an image, printing it, and mounting it to stiff paper (with, maybe, a paper fastener for moving the hammer), so I can sort of model "Pa's" method for cleaning it. (The books keep flopping closed when I stand them, showing long, two-page illustrations on my knee.)

[seekscharles]

Oh, and I am sure this was not a shotgun. Ingalls melted bits of lead in his big, long-handled spoon and poured the melted lead into his bullet mold. After the bullets cooled, he used his jack-knife to trim off the little lumps made by the hole. He also had little pieces of greased cloth. After he had poured the gun powder into the barrel and tapped it down, he put one of the little patches over the muzzle, placed one of the new bullets on it, and pushed them both down into the barrel with the ramrod.

[seekscharles]

Oh yeah, and he also shot and killed a black bear with this rifle, with one shot. Additionally, near the beginning of the book, he shot two deer with it. They were hanging in the trees when Laura looked out the window one morning. He trapped smaller game. He was always concerned with panthers, too. He didn't want to meet a panther, bear, or wolf without his gun, so he always had it loaded and ready, and he had to be sure to kill them with one shot.

[Leatherbark]

He probably used a "Conestoga Rifle Works" type of rifle. Or an old "Leman".  If we are guessing anyway, that would have been a common rifle for a not really too poor of a person?

Bob

[Skychief]

I can offer no help regarding Charles' rifle, but let me say, I sure wish more third grade teachers like you, taught these days.  Kudos to you and your endeavor.  Thanks for not brainwashing our children that firearms are evil.  Here, here!

Best regards, Skychief.

[Pukka Bundook]

Plus  1 for Skychiefs post above.   

I commend you for your efforts and teaching practices.   

Kind regards,
Richard.

[bones92]

SeeksCharles, it may be hard to nail down with any certainty which rifle Ingals used, but the suggestions others have made are all viable. 

You are probably in a public school, so this would probably NEVER get approved, but there are probably clubs in your area with guys who do "living history" or reenactments that could come to your class wearing the clothes and carrying the tools and firearm that would have been typical in the 1870s.   I guarantee your students would NEVER forget that.   At the least, perhaps you can set up a visit to a local muzzle-loading club during non-school hours for whomever may want to attend.

[Daryl]

My brother Taylor used to do this in the high schools and elementary schools around Prince George, B.C. The kids absolutely loved it. He's show up in an elaborately decorated buckskin shirt, breech clout and brain tanned deer skin leggings along with possibles, horn and long rifle of his make.

Quite a lesson for the students.  At that time(15 to 20 years ago), he was also a sub-teacher for art, (history, I think) and shop in the high schools, even the one my kids attended.

[Mike from OK]

Alvin York was born in 1887 and used his father's flintlock rifle to shoot and hunt with in his youth.

It was not uncommon to find rural folk still relying on muzzleloaders in the early parts of the 20th century...

I read an article sometime back ( can't remember where ) about a man reminiscing about spending time on his grandmother's farm. Grandma still squirrel hunted with a muzzleloading rifle. I can't remember if the rifle was a flint or cap. But he describes in detail about how his grandmother made her own powder... She would leach the saltpeter from soil in the chicken run.

Now, I've said all that because we really know very little about Charles Ingalls' rifle. It could have been a longrifle passed to him from the days of his youth in New York... It also could have been converted from flint to percussion at some point. There's just so much we don't know... I do remember that in one of the books Charles had (at some point bought ) a cartridge shotgun. Because  he shot up all his shells killing birds in the corn and had to go to town to buy more.

I read the LHOTP series of books to my daughter many years ago. I don't remember many details, but I enjoyed the books immensely.

Mike

[dsully]

My  father told me when he came home with his newly purchased tc hawken back in the 1970s,my grandmother who was in her 90s at the time,took one look at the rifle and gave him detailed instructions on how it was to be loaded fired and cleaned.She explained that caplock rifles were all that her brothers ,the family had too hunt with.This was in northern Minnesota close to Ely on the iron range on a homestead.Probably close to the same livivg conditions as the little house books

[awol]

Seekscharles,

If you'd like, I can send you,via e-mail, photos of an antique rifle made in Cuba, NY. It is what we call a plain hunting rifle, half-stocked, with percussion lock. It is quite likely the type of rifle Ingalls used. Maybe most likely.

Just send me please a PM with your address and I'll send them to you soon.

[bob in the woods]

My Great Uncle Joe was still using an old Snider rifle when I was a kid in the 50's .   Farming folks didn't give up on a gun as long as it still worked. I  still remember the old paper cased cartridges he had.  My Great Grandfather was still using a percussion double barrel shotgun during this same time.

[Hungry Horse]

For years a small group of black powder shooters in the gun club I belong to did a demonstration at the local middle school. The new gun laws put a stop to it due to the guidelines regarding firearm on campus. We are exploring doing the demonstration for several schools at once in an off campus location, to remove this stumbling block. We have a lot of support from the teachers who had us in their classrooms. Recent school shootings may ruin this.

  Hungry Horse

[longcruise]

The loading description seems to be for a round ball shooter.  The use of the term "bullet" can be a bit misleading if thought of in the contemporary sense but I've seen round balls referred to as bullets in old accounts.

[Daryl]

"Bullets" also meant balls in the States and in England, "balls" also meant conicals, ie: bullets.

[44-henry]

I read the books when I was younger. As I recall Laura's father partially made his living as a trapper and had done this before getting married. As for an interest in firearms, I do not think that was a focus of Lauras when writing the books, but at different points during the series different guns are mentioned. He owned for instance a percussion revolver which is mentioned in Little House on the Prairie, some form of shotgun (also I believe from the same book that he used to shoot a brace of mallards), and also a rifle of some sort.

Given the detail that she does go into about casting bullets, cleaning, and loading (he apparently did these chores often enough to leave an impression on both his young daughters) you get the impression that their father was both knowledgeable and competent in the use of firearms and depended on them both for their livelyhood as well as protection. Leman rifles were well built and affordable, it could have been one of those as well as countless others.

[tim crowe]

I don't have " The Little House in the Big Woods " handy. I believe Laura gave a brief description of the rifle  one point in the book. Don't know if it helps , but Caroline's family home farm was located in Brookfield, Wi, Charles was from Concord, Wi about 30 miles apart.  Maybe the Waukesha  County Historical Society can help you out.