Last summer in a small estate sale 30 miles south of Nashville, I acquired what I thought was an Alfred Bearden half-stocked rifle from Lincoln County, Tennessee. Its stock architecture, guard, triggers, and four pipes were all Bearden, but it had several non-standard details, 1) horn nose cap, and 2) double-keyed forestock, 3) modified cheekpiece, 4) different style tang. I posted the gun earlier on this forum to get opinions on Bearden vs. who??? as the probable maker... since it wasn't signed. Probably worth mentioning... the converted lock plate had "Kirkman Nashville TN" stamped on it.
Before Christmas, I picked up another very similar half-stocked rifle up here in Indiana; it was made a few years later by the same maker with more conventional guard style and triggers. But... it still had the same architecture, strong comb, double-keyed forestock, horn nose cap, strong Bearden stock architecture, four pipes, rearward placement of rear sight, and identical "odd" shaped tang as the first rifle. It also had the same geometrically shaped bolster with matching cut-out in the lock plate... which is rare, but the same on both guns. Its cheekpiece is the same size with the same sharp edge lines running out into the butt... but its two widely spaced incised lines across the base of the cheek open up more toward the rear, while the earlier rifle's lines are almost parallel.
The first gun that looks so much like Alfred Bearden's work was originally a late flintlock, probably ca. 1835, as indicated by a vent pick hole in toe, cock clearance cut in the stock wood above lock, and the lock plate was originally a late flint style with the scars of being converted. The second gun has always been percussion and have single lock bolts. The reasons I am positive both guns were made by the same gunsmith are: 1) the unexpected similar horn nose caps, 2) the similar oddly shaped tangs, 3) both double-keyed which is rare for TN rifles, 4) the very similar "geometric" cut-outs for the percussion bolsters on both gun.
I'd like to get viewers' opinions on who the most likely maker of the two rifles was, and if anyone has seen a similar TN rifle with the double-keyed forestock, etc.
Shelby Gallien
