Poor boy rifle

[Gaeckle]

Was there any sort of whimsical additions added to poor boy rifles? By 'poor boy' I am referring to those without a butplate, entry thimble and cheek piece. Any inlays of sorts?

[Cory Joe Stewart]

In the book on North Carolina longrifles there are poor boys with very fancy pieces of curly maple. 

Cory Joe

[Dwshotwell]

I’ve seen one contemporary poor boy (on this forum no doubt) where the lines of the butt plate were actually carved into the wood as though it was there but not really. I thought it was pretty cool and could sort of envision someone who couldn’t afford a real butt plate taking his carving knife to fake it.

[Stoner creek]

Meet “Scrubby”. A little something my buddy Allen Martin did.

[Wingshot]

Scrubby really trips my trigger! That’s a beautiful rifle.

[oldtravler61]

    Scrubby is even better up close.... A classic...!

[Dwshotwell]

That’s the one I remember seeing. Still super cool.

[John Cotterall]

Scrubby looks amazing! Correct me if I am wrong but to answer the original question I think cheek pieces were included on poor boy and schimmel flintlocks.

[Stoner creek]

From my experience, yes they were on them as a majority but not always. There are no rules on these homespun guns. I have found that the cheek piece is little more than an architectural feature and can be done without.

[Gaeckle]

The version I am working on does not have a cheek piece on it, it doesn't have a butplate either. I'm thinking in terms of folkart to liven up the rifle, maybe use a piece of copper in some way. I don't need to add anything, the architecture will speak for itself, but I'm contemplating on doing something that makes it stand apart from the herd so to speak

[galudwig]

I vividly remember a Lehigh Valley rifle that Eric Kettenberg built back around 2000. It was decorated with folk art painted on the stock. I was so impressed by it that I saved pictures of it for reference. I saw it first advertised on the TOW website.

[bob in the woods]

My 20 g smoothbore

[Gaeckle]

Thinking in terms of something like this

I have that little bird somewhere

[alacran]

Wayne, Scrubby is not really a poor boy. After all Allen Martin made it. I like it.

[Bob Roller]

Scrubby really trips my trigger! That’s a beautiful rifle.

Wingshot nailed it and that is one NICE rifle.

Bob Roller

[Collector]

I recall Don Getz making PA rifles with incised and shaped butt plates. It was virtually a trademark in his later work. Perhaps someone has a photo of one in their personal photo files?

I'm pretty sure Eric Kettenburg's 'painted' longrifle found a home in Sweden. The color pigments weren't 'on' the wood surface, but actually 'in' the wood.

It's a gift...

Inlays have a place. That small bird inlay is well done and not distracting. Ultimately, it's your rifle.