Pins, Keys and E. TN rifles

[Ken G]

Has anyone ever seen a E. TN rifle with the barrel held by keys instead of pins?  I know it's possible and might even be probable but I have never actually seen one with my own eyes. 
Thanks,
Ken

[Carper]

Baleing wire, copper wire, finish nails, hickory splinters, black tape but no keys as of yet. Johnny

[G-Man]

Hi Ken - the Joseph Bogle rifle has iron keys - very small rectangular ones in cross section.  There are a few other iron mounted guns I recall seeing with keys - like the William Cole rifle, that look to be of SW Virginia origin.

I will have to check - I think I have also seen a picture of a Bull gun with keys.  The "John Bull for Isaac Guess" rifle looks to have escutcheons, but from the picture I have it looks like they are for pins rather than keys.

As far as the classic east Tennessee, Unicoi/ Bean or Lawing style gun, I can't say that I've seen keys used.  Maybe because those forends were just so slender and sometimes get almost vee-shaped down through the forend, keys might not look right with that style (?).  But given the use of them on some of the earlier ones, like the Bogle and Bull guns, it could be a neat build, especially on an early gun.

Guy

[G-Man]

Ken - sent you an e-mail - actually there is one in one of Jerry Noble's books that has oval escutcheons that look like they are sized for keys, but I can't tell from the photo.  It is the gun that has the large silver or brass surround inlay behind the patchbox. 

Does anyone know if this gun has pins or keys?

Guy

[Bill of the 45th]

At the Museum of the Appalacia (sp) last year I saw that there was the remnants of what appeared to be a Soddy that had cut nails.  Does that count as wedges.

Bill

[ironwolf]

  Hey Ken.  I was gonna' ask you that.
The Lawing gun I examined last summer, The long one built in 1879,  had keys.  They were very small, and may not have been original to the piece.
  If I thought I'd be frequently removing the tube, I wouldn't think twice about using keys.

  Kevin

[Sam Everly]

Ken, i know i have seen one some where, but i have seen so many over the last 35 or more years, messing with these guns . It was a east Tenn, and was a heavy rifle . It had a banana box and a nose cap , well just say it was fully dressed . No poor boy, i don't think it was signed . If i had to say, it was at a M.S.A. show a couple of years ago .       

[Dennis Glazener]

Ken - sent you an e-mail - actually there is one in one of Jerry Noble's books that has oval escutcheons that look like they are sized for keys, but I can't tell from the photo.  It is the gun that has the large silver or brass surround inlay behind the patchbox.

Does anyone know if this gun has pins or keys?

Guy

Ken,
If I were you I would call Jerry Noble. He can tell you if there are many around with keys.
Dennis