braSS tacks

[kingsax26]

I am having a .58 new england smooth rifle built for me and I was thinking about adding some tacks to it....my questions are ...would that be p/c ? I am going to use this for a Long Hunter persona from northern NY, also can some of you folks post any pics of your pieces with tacks...i would like to see them ( Nevr pass up a chance to show them off!)

 

[alex efremenko]

No. :nono: :td:

 

[Rod Lassey]

Brass tacks seem to be much more of a post-1800 western 'thing', especially among Indians. For what you want to do, I'd stay away from them.

Rod

 

[Carl Fowler III]

Can't comment on the P/C of using tacks...but if tacks were available during this time period why not use them...apparently you like the look of tacks as I do...so I say have at it...your gun so make it into what is pleasing to your eye! Some here to seem to forget that frontiersmen were independent free thinking men and may have done as they pleased when decorating their weapons! Some think that if it wasn't talked about or showed up in a drawing of the past that all followed the leader....now if you want to follow the narrow minded off that P/C cliff...well it be your choice! :stir:

 

[S.Kenton]

Can't comment on the P/C of using tacks...but if tacks were available during this time period why not use them...apparently you like the look of tacks as I do...so I say have at it...your gun so make it into what is pleasing to your eye! Some here to seem to forget that frontiersmen were independent free thinking men and may have done as they pleased when decorating their weapons! Some think that if it wasn't talked about or showed up in a drawing of the past that all followed the leader....now if you want to follow the narrow minded off that P/C cliff...well it be your choice! :stir:

I second that.. and would add that brass tacks were used alot on pipe tomahawks by the native americans and I would nor could hardly believe that they weren't being used on native american 18th century firearms. I've seen a few examples of original fusil de chase (s) and English trade guns having brass tacks used as decorations, but one could wonder at what time period these tacks were put in place, so I can't say wether or not it's P/C. HOWEVER, I don't mind a few well placed tacks.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

my questions are ...would that be p/c ? I am going to use this for a Long Hunter persona from northern NY

Some here to seem to forget that frontiersmen were independent free thinking men and may have done as they pleased when decorating their weapons! Some think that if it wasn't talked about or showed up in a drawing of the past that all followed the leader....

You seem to really have your linen in a wad over this, especially as the original poster asked specifically for educated input concerning the use of tacks specific to a persona, its location and the firearm used.

The educated answers he recieved are based on the fact that the firearms of the time in private/public collections, for the most part have no decrorative tacks whatsoever, the writings of the time as well as any drawings are then supported by this.

Todays views on firearms is nothing at all like it would have been in the 18th century, to the typical people of the time they were a simple tool of survival, nothing more.

 

[S.Kenton]

but... but... they DID decorate their powder horns.. :wink: :stir:

 

[Alden]

Bryon;
Why the capital "s"'s -- where you expecting Nazi-like answers or hoping to keep down maintenance with stainless steel perhaps?

Man would I be hard presssed to ever hammer tacks into wood except on my treasure chest and it CAME with them to hold decorative metalwork on!

 

[Shine]

Hows this POOKEY if you show up this spring with a brand new expensive custom smoothbore with tacks in it...well Ill stomp a moose wallow in your butt and then walk it dry. :shocked2: No Bryan no no no. :grin:

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

but... but... they DID decorate their powder horns.. :wink: :stir:

Yeah, seems as though it was a very narrow time frame that this occured as well, unlike the way we live our lives today, they did not have much spare time to doll up tools and such as that would have been wasted effort.

During times of war men have time on their hands, this is when you would have decorated your horn.

Either way it would be a narrow time frame for the engraved powder horn, as in F&I as well as AWI.

 

[Coot]

"Longhunters" - discussed in another thread on the Forum - is normally used to describe a small group of deerhide hunters/explorers coming from SW Virginia in the 1760s -1770s.
I am not aware of any evidence to support the use of decorative tacks on rifles used by this group at that time. Sometime we must choose between using what we think is "neat" or "practical" and what is known to be "historically correct". Either choice is fine but it is not always possible to have our cake & eat it too ...........

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'd recommend you research just when the dome topped type of tacks we're familiar with actually came into wide spread use so they would turn up as trade goods. Probably date back to the time but don't know when they first showed up as decorative items on Native gear. Don't recall seeing a single brass tack decorated gun that dates before the 1830's or 40's. The era you mentioned did have decorated guns but it usually came to life in stained/painted designs or inlay of press-fit trade beads. The O'Connor Gun, a "Wilson" trade gun illustrated in Hamilton's "Colonial Trade Guns", is one of a very few surviving guns of the late 18th century with such pressed in beads. The date "1777" and the large initials "GG6" may indicate an owner of mixed ancestry...just a guess. It still retains 83 of the original 147 beads. Whether you'd want to even try something like that is entirely up to you. I've only tried it once and this was on a replica tomahawk handle I got from Crazy Crow just to see "what it looked like"...we sold it in the shop as a such and the buyer thought it "neat". Whether "neat" is worth doing permanent changes to your gun is the question. Once on they don't come off without leaving a permanent mark. Good luck and do what you like. As an after-thought, if you intend to be part of a group to do re-enacting etc., you might want to check with them as some groups have set rules and regulations about gear and how it's done. Enjoy.

 

[Stumpkiller]

There is nothing "P/C" about a New Englander to begin with so have fun! :haha: I added tacks to mine because when bunny hunting in February with mittens the tacks add a LOT of grip.

Great little cap rifled carbine and an even better cap shotgun.


But you are talking about a New England gun/New York smooth rifle and that would not have tacks. Try a search under "Buck and Ball Gun" and see what the the antique auction sites show.

 

[tenngun]

We see the tacks ,like said, more on westren guns. Could some one have done it in the east...you betcha. But keep in mind that once you do it its done foever if you remove it you leave an ugly hole. Some one,or groups of someones who think thier ideas are the most hc may give you a ration of crap for tacking an eatren used gun. As you get deeper in to having hc equipment you may come to regret tacking an eastren gun. Think long and hard about it. Why would your perona tack his gun? Guns could and were decorated after the fact. While true people had less 'free time' they still had summer evenings without tv and winter days 'holed up'in the house. Women did fancy work ,men whittled and skimshawed and, based on surviving guns, crudly or elegantly marked thier rifles. If you do an 'after sale 'decoration think on what your person would have done at his time. Make sure this is what you want on your gun.

 

[54ball]

Either way it would be a narrow time frame for the engraved powder horn, as in F&I as well as AWI.

F&I to 1830 is about eight decades worth of decorated powder horns. Carved horns cab be found all through this period from the F&I to the Federal Era Fish Mouths to the scratched primitive scenes and autographs of the Texas Independence War. Most carved horns were made during times of conflict F&I, Rev War and War of 1812 ect.

Now horn decoration does offer a clue to Byron. Horns that are decorated heavily with brass tacks tend to be Post 1800 and more specifically Post 1820. IE the West, Plains Indian, Fur Trade, Gold Rush, Wagon Train or more specifically the Manifest Destiny era of Western Expansion.

So tacks on a Northwest Gun, Yes.
Tacks on an Indian owned Trade rifle like a Leman, Yes.
Tacks on a 1873 Trapdoor or Winchester Rifle, Yes.
Tacks on a 18th Century piece, NO.

 

[Many Klatch]

When I bought my Bess Carbine it had brass tacks on the stock. I thought it was pretty cool so I left them on. When I got to the range I found that with each shot my beard got caught in the tacks and a few hairs got pulled out. :shocked2: The tacks were removed after the third shot. Talk about a new way to get a flinch.

Just saying. :2

Many Klatch

 

[larryp]

When I bought my Bess Carbine it had brass tacks on the stock. I thought it was pretty cool so I left them on. When I got to the range I found that with each shot my beard got caught in the tacks and a few hairs got pulled out. :shocked2: The tacks were removed after the third shot. Talk about a new way to get a flinch.

Just saying. :2

Many Klatch

A little off topic but speaking of beard pulling I have the same problem with the collapsible stock on M4 carbine clones. They always snag a whisker or two n the mechanism.

 

[Shine]

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'd look into the style of brass tacks that were available as well as "IF" they were available, THEN I'd see if I could actually find 100% brass tacks... I've seen a couple of guns decorated with what turned out to be brass plated tacks... :barf:

LD

 

[Carl Fowler III]

I have 2 stocks decorated with solid brass tacks...but none are where face meets stock...that fella that put em there must have been :youcrazy: and besides I made sure all tacks were seated completely to the wood surface anyway...no hair pulling problems here! :wink:

I had no problem putting tacks on these 2 guns but then they were both T/C Renegades...don't think I would tack up an expensive custom made gun...besides I wouldn't want anything to detract from that BEAUTIFUL maple striped stock...then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder! :v