Pete44ru said:
While I'm sure that may be true of trappers and better-off farmers, I would think that the vast majority of sodbusters with families, trying to scratch out a sustenance on a bit of acreage somewhere, would have a relatively inexpensive smoothbore/fowler or a pistol than a fancy rifle.
However, the poor man's rifle came to be known (at least in the South) as a "Poor Boy" - a basic rifle, sans any extras like other than the furniture ( triggerguard, RR thimble, etc) essential to keeping it in one piece when fired.
I'm reasonable sure that there were many local/itinerant iron workers spread around the existing country at that time, who made barrels very inexpensively to cater to just that market.
.
What you say has some truth but a lot of the sentiment is of a later time period... early 19th Century and post Civil War up to the Depression. In that later period, much of the South and Southwest suffered abject poverty until the Second World War. I do believe a lot of the "poor farmer" sentiment comes from those times as we are just a couple of generations removed.
So grand paw with his Stevens Single Barrel in 1935 is a lot different than his Great great grand father in 1780.
Appalachia
You have to be carefull with Appalachia. A lot of things are specific to that region and evolved though time there. Many think that region is a time capsule but it is not.
For instance, a plain mountain rifle from 1810 is not the same as a rifle from 1780. Many have tried to make that connection. You can't backdate A 1810 EasternTn/ Western NC style rifle to 1780...I have tried. What you find is the early 1780 Rifles of that area show influeance from PA (Lancaster) Virginia and the Carolinas....Maryland too.
A good example is the Old Holston Rifle attributed to William Bean. It's iron with a lot of Virginia influence. Now the Bean family became known for the classic Tennessee Rifle. A 1830s Bean is the basis for most of the Tennessee kits on the market. It's nothing like the William Bean Rifle. Related to the Bean Family are the Bulls. Bull rifles show a lot of Va infleance amd have a stock shape close to the Cumberland rifles of Thomas Simpson, Jacob Young even the Humble Brothers of Kentucky. Simpson was from NC. The Humbles Va. There appears to be a link from The PA maker Shroyer to the Humbles. John Phillip Beck to the Lauks and John Bull.
Just trace the Great Wagon Road. Lancaster, though to Emmitsburg, Winchester down the Shenandoah Valley to SW Virginia to NC and Tennessee. From Knoxville down the Tennessee to the Cumberland (Nashville). From Watauga through the gap to Kentucky.
In Appalachia you have what I call the farmer gunsmith. These men were primarily farmers who made rifles. Many have family ties to the old Colonial Smiths. Others may have picked up the trade... still others may have worked in iron (barrel makers) and started building rifles.
Lastly is a culture thing and may seem to contradict some of my statements but...Think about it.
There are period writings of the Overthemountainmen or SW VA people. They were described as poor.. living in poor sorry dwellings, children naked women nearly so... but they had a fine horse and a fine rifle many withe (Dreppards)
Dickerts.
To this very day in Appalachia, some of these folks live in a crosstie and tarpaper shack... their many children, nearly naked, women nearly so. They will have a fine 4x4...the best, and the best hunting rifle and scope money can buy. :hmm: