Hi Richard,
Yes, you are correct. The German influence was such that German barrels were sometimes sought and mounted on English rifles. Some makers copied the wooden trigger guards found on some German guns. English makers installed sliding wood patch box covers, and some rifles had flat toes and others did not. However, none I've ever seen had horn muzzle caps or muzzle caps of any sort until half stocks became popular, extensive carving was rare, and they usually mounted fowler like trigger guards with no hand rails except if they copied wooden ones. Unlike many German rifles, the English versions usually had hook breeches and tangs unless they were breech loaders. The problem is there are not many English rifles from early to mid 18th century to examine and a large proportion of those few are breech loading. British styles changed over time. The Chambers kit is for a rifle made between 1730 and 1760 at the latest. Starting in the 1760s, the rifle would have a flat lock, and by 1770 probably very little carving except at the barrel tang, acorn trigger guard, and more common use of metal scroll trigger guards. Some would have single set triggers. There would be no checkering on the wrist until the 1770s. Toward the end of the 18th century, half stocked rifles became popular often with horn nose caps. Locks were smaller so the flats around them on the lock panels got larger. On older guns with round-faced locks, the flats were very narrow.
Richard, were you able to make a trip to see the Turvey rifle at Rock Ford? It really is more impressive in the flesh. None of the published photos do it justice. In Virginia planter Phillip Lee's correspondence during the 1750s, he writes how much he prefers English made rifles particularly by Turvey, to the locally made rifles. He laments that he cannot find a good one made locally.
dave
