Date my rifle

[TNtrapper]

Howdy all! Just got in from shooting a while. Man I love this southern rifle as it is my best shooter.My other virginia just dont group as good as this poorboy. Id love to carry this rifle to renactments....but Im not quite sure it fits into my time period of the mid to late 1770s.Can yall give me an approx dateline of this rifles build and do ya reckon it could possibly be fit into my personna? Thanks a lot yall.....TN :hatsoff:

 

[tg]

I would think late flint period, 1810-1830?

 

[jlynn]

TG hit it pretty muchright on the button as to dates-but it could go some later since it appears southern. Do not know when flint type BUILDING died out down here. My grandfather was born in1874 and he told me that a few very elderly men still had them when he was a child. Whether from choice or poverty I do not know. I do not think personally that the style would go earlier than what TG said. Nice looking-who built it if I may ask?

 

[TNtrapper]

She was built by Jack Garner.42 in. swamped colrain barrel,iron mounted with a large siler flint. Like I said...shes a real shooter. I sure do wish I could carry her to juried events! Oh well....I still have a lot of fun with it anyway.I might try to trade her for a early rifle that fits my personna better some day. :hatsoff:

 

[jlynn]

Jack is one of the finest people that I have ever met. I go to Corinth twice a yr for supplies. Enjoy your rifle-shoot it and do not fret whether it fits into a time slot. If you wish a rifle that fits into a particular time slot, you now have an excuse for another rifle! You might wish to buy the two volumes of Shumways RIFLES OF COLONIAL AM or Johnsons KY RIFLES AND PISTOLS 1750-1850 for some photos of Southern firearms. Apparently anything from the South in the time frame you mentioned will most likely be brass and not too terribly different in overall shape from PA. styles-maybe heftier. Not an expert but I am trying to read all that I can find. As I understand what I have read, your Garner rifle would be from the first quarter of the 1800s. and would have an English, not German, style lock. I personally have not cared about exactness as only one of my 11 m-loaders is as correct as could be made. I do not re-enact-just shoot and hunt with my buddies. You sir have an extremely fine looking firearm. Enjoy

 

[Swampman]

David Wright told me the square triggerguard is a late 19th c. thing.

 

[TNtrapper]

Yep...Jack is a good feller.Heck while were on the subject now.....heres a pic of my carry rifle,Gabriel.Everythings handforged on this one except the lock and barrel.Cant really tell ya what general style this one is....but it almost shoots as good as the southern rifle.I know the steel mountings probally date this one late too...but what do you think? Ive been gettin by with it in my time frame anyway! :thumbsup:

[url] http://i119.photobucket.com/albums.b158/TNtrapper/IMG_1803.jpg[/img][/url]

 

[jlynn]

Nice-looks hefty-like Virginia. Not sure but b-plate looks early as on some Lehigh's. Overall shape looks Virginia-ish. Not qualified to speak on tbe brass vs iron matter but personally I would have gotton iron as you did. All that really matters is that YOU like it. Nice chatting with you---

 

[Stony]

You know TN, you could always do what I did. I have a similar rifle but mounted in brass and asking the experts ( :thumbsup: ) the time period, found that the general time period was 1810-1820. So instead of being an early scout (F&I era), I've become a market hunter in the Illinois-Wisconsin area prior to heading out for Texas. Now I'm on a three day trek from the main camp checking out the area. Of course if I really get the hankering to be a scout, I can always get another flinter. :rotf:

 

[8905c]

TNtrapper -
The rifle looks great, but so does the log building! What is the story on the log building?
I love log cabins, especially old originals. I have always wanted to dismantle an old original and move it to my property. Don't know if I will ever get to do it, but it will be my forever dream.
8905c

 

[rabjr]

:thumbsup: Nice TNTrapper, so thats what the bear oil is keepin lubed up. :grin:

 

[Old Charlie]

When I look at this sort of discussion, weather a gun was made five years sooner or later. I think what the hell is wrong here. What difference dose it make? I think some people have to much time on their hands.
Old Charlie

 

[Stophel]

Believe me, it makes an IMMENSE difference! :winking:

 

[CrackStock]

Charlie,

Well, the difference is that the man asked a question and seems to have received good information in the answers. He can now make decisions regarding future choices with these or other guns. He can avoid being embarassed by having errors pointed out at juried events. I have made some similar mistakes and understand.

Some people are primarily shooters and I was in this category. I put together a few guns which were intended to please me or accomplish specific uses. I then moved on towards some re-enacting and my new interest drove me to change some details.

If the goal is to have a fine rifle for hunting, shooting or hanging over the mantle, then build what ever is desired and enjoy it to your heart's content, but do not attempt to pass the gun(s) off as correct.

If the point is to represent a particular time and place in history, then one should take pains to be correct in details. Some people have taken their ML interests to the next level by researching the details of the original guns and some have taken the trouble to accurately recreate them. I am not there yet in that I have made several mistakes through ignorance, but I am working towards more accurate representations.

CS

 

[Stophel]

Now, the second gun, if only it had more ordinary brass mounts, would be a 1770's-1780's Lancaster, PA gun.

 

[halfstock]

Charlie: Me thinks perhaps it means more to the self appointed experts than it does to the general users, and I'm doubting if anyone in this day and time can prove the exact dates within 10 yrs any way. :thumbsup:

 

[TNtrapper]

Hey thanks a lot yall for such great replies. Ill tell ya though...being accurate as I can means a lot to me.Im not the smartest feller in the world and definitely not an expert on the 18th century..but I think we owe it to those who dont have any idea of this time period to portrait an accurate as possible personna with accurate accoutrements. I know a lot of smaller things have trouble being documanted for certain time periods...but firearms in general have LOTS of stone hard proof in the examples that are left, for us to make our decisions about correctness of a peticular build.That why Ive asked for help on this subject...and have been given LOTS of great opinions and several books that Im looking[url] into.Again[/url], thanks a lot yall.....youve pionted me in the right direction. :hatsoff: Have a good un!!!!!!!TN

 

[TN.Frank]

I don't care what period it's from, it's a fine looking rifle and if you like it and it shoots well then why worry about when it would have been made. Just match your persona to the gun, don't try and match the gun to your persona. I recently got a nice Lancaster style rifle, don't know if it'd be early or late, don't really care, I like it and I'm happy with it and that's all that really matters to me. :thumbsup:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I don't care if a gun is made in Spain, Italy or
Japan, as long as the owner is happy with it and it is safe to use. The people that you term "self appointed experts" care deeply about history and authenticity and, happily, are willing to share their knowledge on this forum. The poster wanted his guns dated and folks responded to his desire. In my experience, people who respond in the negative when this sort of thread appears seem to have missed the first poster's point.
I think that inside every anti-authenticity poster is a person who dearly would like to be the owner of period correct equipment. And, given how thin their skin is, I have no that they will break out....someday.

 

[tg]

" I think some people have to much time on their hands.'

Undoubtedly!, if you can find time to trash a post on a subject that you have absolutely no interest in then you must have a great deal of idle time to burn.