"Long Tom" Historic Smoothbore Flintlock

[Tacksman45]

This is "Long Tom" a flintlock smoothbore which belonged to Buncombe County pioneer Daniel Smith, on display at the display at the Smith-McDowell House Museum in Asheville, North Carolina. Despite often being described as a "rifle" it is in fact a smoothbore, which appears to be around 10 gauge. The lock looks very similar to a Chambers Large Siler. Thoughts about the architecture, furniture, ect? Some descriptions include "pre-revolutionary," any thought on when this gun was built and by whom? Would this stock profile be appropriate for a pre-revolutionary longrifle? I will try to get some better pictures at some point. Thanks for looking!

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/10/22/visiting-our-past-tales-mr-smiths-musket-and-wwii-poster/1699202002/

[blienemann]

It is a Siler lock. The photos may be distorted, but it appears that lock panels may taper narrower at the rear from a large barrel breech, similar to English fowlers and Hawken rifles. Better pics would be great, but thanks for posting these. Bob

[rich pierce]

The buttstock looks a bit narrow and the deeply curved shape of the butt suggest 1800 or possibly later to me.

[backsplash75]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=20650.5;wap2

Mike Gahagan:
There is a gun in the Smith-McDowell House Museum in Asheville,NC that belonged to Daniel Smith that fought at Kings Mountain as a Captain in the North Carolina Militia.It is believed that he used it not only there but also to fight the Cherokee.It is a plain "Poor Boy" with a smooth bore appox.16 ga. and about 56" long,no butt plate or entry thimble,English style trigger guard and walnut stock.It had at one time been converted to percussion but the Museum had someone put back to flint with a Siler replacement.The whole gun is 6 feet long.The guy that contacted me about building a copy of it for him said that Daniel Smith was his 6 th or 7th great grandfather and that he had researched all of his history,and is very convinced that he used that gun at Kings Mountain.If this is all true then it shows that some of the guns used there were just plain every day firearms.

I have some pictures that I took of through the display case and they are not that good,but would be glad to share them if some one would post them.I can`t get Photobucket to get along with my computers Java Script,at least that is what they tell me.

There are a lot of "gun used at King's Mountain" displays out there in museums, some of which post date the event by decades. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a working life restock or earlier fowler parts that were used there.

[Tacksman45]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=20650.5;wap2

Mike Gahagan:
There is a gun in the Smith-McDowell House Museum in Asheville,NC that belonged to Daniel Smith that fought at Kings Mountain as a Captain in the North Carolina Militia.It is believed that he used it not only there but also to fight the Cherokee.It is a plain "Poor Boy" with a smooth bore appox.16 ga. and about 56" long,no butt plate or entry thimble,English style trigger guard and walnut stock.It had at one time been converted to percussion but the Museum had someone put back to flint with a Siler replacement.The whole gun is 6 feet long.The guy that contacted me about building a copy of it for him said that Daniel Smith was his 6 th or 7th great grandfather and that he had researched all of his history,and is very convinced that he used that gun at Kings Mountain.If this is all true then it shows that some of the guns used there were just plain every day firearms.

I have some pictures that I took of through the display case and they are not that good,but would be glad to share them if some one would post them.I can`t get Photobucket to get along with my computers Java Script,at least that is what they tell me.

There are a lot of "gun used at King's Mountain" displays out there in museums, some of which post date the event by decades. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a working life restock or earlier fowler parts that were used there.

The restock theory is likely, I am not sure that it was ever converted to percussion just based on the look of the vent. Will need to do more research... As always!