Crockett's rifle

[hhughh]

Was in Knoxville over the weekend, and got some pics of this gun in the museum. They're not the greatest, but thought there might be some details that would be good to have here.

Enjoy

Tang: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1034.jpg

Toeplate: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1031.jpg

Patchbox: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1029.jpg

Lock/triggerguard: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1028.jpg

nosecap: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1027.jpg

sideplate: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1025.jpg

cheekpiece (could not get much of the carving to come out very well): http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1024.jpg

full length (again, not that good due to glare): http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/hughh99/Crockett rifle/101_1021.jpg

 

[Swtodd]

Thanks for the pictures, had never seen before and most likely never would have. :thumbsup:

steve

 

[Robby]

Thanks hhughh, did you get the barrel length and caliber?

 

[larry wv]

Thanks. :thumbsup: Larry

 

[hhughh]

Robby, it wasn't listed in the information, and I didn't ask the curator. My father was with me on the trip, and he asked about caliber. "Eyeballing" it, I said looked like a 45 to 50. Some will know, Caywoods is offering a gun that they say is built from the original. They list this rifle as being 48 cal with a 46" bbl. I would say that would be spot on. Again, eyeballing, but has to be very close.

Glad y'all like.

 

[Robby]

Thanks hhughh! I'll do a little checking, but I have a good start now! :thumbsup:
Robby

 

[Randall Slemp]

The pictures are great! Recently finished reading my copy of:

David Crockett
His
Life and Adventures

By John S.C. Abbott

Dodd & Mead, 1874

Good book with many direct quotes from Crockett's own writing.

Thanks for sharing these photos. :thumbsup:

 

[Number19]

This was Crockett's first rifle, purchased when he was 17. As young teen of 13, Crockett skipped school to avoid some trouble. When he father learned of this he started in to give David (he wasn't called Davy) a thrashing, young Crockett turned tail and lit out. He found employment working with a wagonmaster/shipper, hauling goods between communities. About the age of 16,
Crockett returned home and after working off some debt his father owed, started in working for himself again. This is when he earned and saved enough to buy this rifle. This would have been in 1803.

The rifle has an unknown maker and is indeed a .48 caliber, weighing 10.1 pounds and exceeds 60" in length. The gun has the year 1792 scratched into one of its plates but it's not known what this represents.

David only had this rifle for a couple of years. In 1806 he sold it to get a stake allowing him the finances to marry Polly Finley in August of that year.

After a Joe Swann got the gun in 1978, he got Hershel House to do some needed reconstruction.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

Thank you for sharing. That is a piece of American history that many of us would never have seen. Dang it though...now I am going to have to watch The Alamo tonight.

 

[Squire1]

Thanks for the pictures. I had the same chance to view and photograph this rifle about twelve years ago when it was on display in a museum in Austin as a part of a traveling exhibit on David Crockett.

This is the rifle used by young David to establish himself as a hunter and would have been considered a fancy piece for the time. There was no additional history available but the gun had seen considerable use and the wear patterns on the wrist indicated a right handed owner.

 

[Squire1]

Forgot, spent some time squinting at the muzzle to determine the caliber and guessed about .50.

 

[hounddog]

Gents , Danny Caywood is making the crockett copy, He examined the gun in detail and is making it exactly as the original the cal is 48 and length of bbl is 46. go to caywoods site and view caywoods pics of the copy he makes, it is identical to the original crockett rifle. If you want to buy one you need deep pocketts, they are a little over 15 thousand dollars. yours hounddog

 

[Squire1]

At that price I think I will just continue to admire it from a distance.

 

[CrossXstix]

The Lock sure looks like a Siler

x

David

 

[hhughh]

Cross....That was exactly what I thought while viewing it. The Caywood lock is somewhat different. But, a Siler lock would definitely pass for that lock.

Hugh

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Good Morning All,

Nice photos HUGHH,

I posted this information in another place on the forum. The Crockett rifle was in San Antonio last March, 2011.

I was one of a few to be able to hold and examine the rifle. To be able to look through the same sigkts that a very young David sighted through was indeed a special thrill and treat.

Detailed drawings and dimensions are available to those who wish to undertake this project

With respect to all,

John L. Hinnant

"God and Texas"

 

[Dphar]

This rifle is a poster child for refuting the "people could not afford a decorated rifle".
Apparently Crockett liked nice rifles.
If a runaway boy of 17 could own a rifle of this quality the "people had plain rifles" arguement is hard to align with the reality. Yes there were plain rifles. Some people may have owned austere rifles and other things for various, even religious reasons. Depressed times and areas with little income could also effect this. But the idea that the engraved, relief carved rifle was only the province of the rich and were wall hangers is not borne out by the facts.
But this rifle puts a lot of things in perspective.
It is a dandy rifle. Full fledged Kentucky with all the bells and whistles and was likely older than Crocket was when he bought it. But good rifles do not depreciate much so I doubt it was cheap.
This is the difference between people who are gun owners and people who appreciate a good rifle not just for how it shoots but as a work of art. I think Crockett was obviously in the latter group.

Dan

 

[hanshi]

Carving and inlays were much cheaper back then so were rather common even on rifles owned by working chumps. Today it's the labor that is costly and is the reason (my reason, anyway) most rifles are rather plain. Upgrading the wood is now cheaper than work and is a less expensive way to "fancy up" a gun.

 

[wulf]

You got my vote....Pride in self and workmenship
was dominant in those days. It was just the way
to do things...Competition demanded it...
Wulf

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Thank you for sharing pictures of this fine rifle. Looking at that gun makes me realize why I love these guns so much. Too bad it can't talk. To me this rifle looks like it has some characteristics of Lancaster guns of the last quarter of the 18th century. I'm sure it has a few stories to tell even before Mr. Crockett became it's proud owner. It's hard to tell from the pictures but it appears to have some engraving and carving both nicely done but not overly embellished. Dan I'd have to agree, I'd say a rifle built like this was the standard for the time period. I'm sure being that it was 10 or 11 years old Davey bought it for a little better price that he could purchase a new one and without the wait.