Early Rustic Arms "Cumberland longrifle"

[Tacksman45]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any information on a gun which Larry Williams used to offer through his website Early Rustic Arms. Is this gun based on any historical examples or a specific school of gunsmithing? In other words how historically accurate/plausible for a very early far western VA or NC rifle would this be? Would replacing the iron with brass and the lock with a Chambers bridled early Ketland lock be correct? I am thinking about using the same furniture as the rifle on top but in brass. I am also thinking about filing down the bottom of the protrusion at the rear of the triggerguard where it turn backwards so that it looks like a spoonbill guard.





If there are any IP issues with using these pictures I will remove them.

Thanks!
Tacksman

[rich pierce]

About half of unsigned rifles we think are pre-1770 can be reliably attributed to a region. So I’d not worry about geography. Forged iron mounts from the 1770s and earlier are extremely rare regardless of location. But I’d not sweat it unless you’re at the documentation level in your approach. This looks like a big early gun.

[Tacksman45]

About half of unsigned rifles we think are pre-1770 can be reliably attributed to a region. So I’d not worry about geography. Forged iron mounts from the 1770s and earlier are extremely rare regardless of location. But I’d not sweat it unless you’re at the documentation level in your approach. This looks like a big early gun.

Thanks for the reply Rich! By "big early gun" do you mean historically plausible?

[rich pierce]

About half of unsigned rifles we think are pre-1770 can be reliably attributed to a region. So I’d not worry about geography. Forged iron mounts from the 1770s and earlier are extremely rare regardless of location. But I’d not sweat it unless you’re at the documentation level in your approach. This looks like a big early gun.

Thanks for the reply Rich! By "big early gun" do you mean historically plausible?

Yep I think plausible is a fair word to use. It has (from what I’m seeing just here) a lock, butt profile and thickness, and patchbox style found on many guns we think are 1770s guns.