Historical Smooth Rifles

[Raindog1799]

I’ve made note of a great number of guns in Smumway’s RCA books and Pennsylvania Longrifles of Note being smoothbore rifles. I’m curious as to if these continued to be popular into the 19th century. Are there any examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains?

I ask because I have a Pedersoli Frontier that I’ve had bored to .45 smooth and I’ve grown quite fond of it. It is more accurate with PRB than my 60 year old eyes can appreciate and with #6 shot it’s more than enough for NC squirrels within 30 yards. I understand why they were popular. It is easy to load and to clean, on top of the ball or shot versatility. I would love to try a smoothbore .50 SMR.

Are there any documented examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains with “SMR” type architecture?

Thanks in advance for all informed replies.

 

[2 shots]

i wonder if most were originally rifled and just worn out or rebored smooth after wearing out the rifling..??

 

[Raindog1799]

i wonder if most were originally rifled and just worn out or rebored smooth after wearing out the rifling..??

That’s a great question. My thoughts are that that may have been the case for a few but most smooth rifles in RCA I & II are in otherwise fine shape. I can’t imagine them being shot out without occurring outside wear and tear as well.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I think the number listed as smoothbore are a combination of reasons. Some of those listed as smoothbores he goes on to state that further down the bore there was evidence that they had originally been rifled. In Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in the Golden Age Kindig lists info from Leonard Reedy's Journals. He shows making a smooth rifle in 1835, He also has listed in the repairs for boring a rifle barrel. The number one repair he made was to freshen a barrel so the soft wrought iron barrels apparently did get shot out. So it seems to me that some were originally smoothbores, some were bored out and some just wore out

 

[Gtrubicon]

I’ve been dreaming of a a 45 or 50 smooth bore rifle for my next build. I think it would be a really fun, versatile rifle. I’ve been thinking of using an SMR stock in poor boy style.

 

[springfield art]

I’ve made note of a great number of guns in Smumway’s RCA books and Pennsylvania Longrifles of Note being smoothbore rifles. I’m curious as to if these continued to be popular into the 19th century. Are there any examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains?

I ask because I have a Pedersoli Frontier that I’ve had bored to .45 smooth and I’ve grown quite fond of it. It is more accurate with PRB than my 60 year old eyes can appreciate and with #6 shot it’s more than enough for NC squirrels within 30 yards. I understand why they were popular. It is easy to load and to clean, on top of the ball or shot versatility. I would love to try a smoothbore .50 SMR.

Are there any documented examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains with “SMR” type architecture?

Thanks in advance for all informed replies.

Your experience was interesting to read. I don't have a 'smoothie' but if I got the bug for another muzzle loader, that would be my next choice. Cool to read of your satisfaction and usage of it! Thanks.

 

[WALT53]

I’ve made note of a great number of guns in Smumway’s RCA books and Pennsylvania Longrifles of Note being smoothbore rifles. I’m curious as to if these continued to be popular into the 19th century. Are there any examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains?

I ask because I have a Pedersoli Frontier that I’ve had bored to .45 smooth and I’ve grown quite fond of it. It is more accurate with PRB than my 60 year old eyes can appreciate and with #6 shot it’s more than enough for NC squirrels within 30 yards. I understand why they were popular. It is easy to load and to clean, on top of the ball or shot versatility. I would love to try a smoothbore .50 SMR.

Are there any documented examples of smooth rifles in the southern mountains with “SMR” type architecture?

Thanks in advance for all informed replies.

There’s an English gentleman on here goes by Britsmoothy who has a 45 smoothbore that he likes and uses lots for hunting which is all he uses his for ( hunting) .He also speaks quite highly of it as well as his other smoothbore guns .

 

[Raindog1799]

Your experience was interesting to read. I don't have a 'smoothie' but if I got the bug for another muzzle loader, that would be my next choice. Cool to read of your satisfaction and usage of it!

There’s an English gentleman on here goes by Britsmoothy who has a 45 smoothbore that he likes and uses lots for hunting which is all he uses his for ( hunting) .He also speaks quite highly of it as well as his other smoothbore guns .

I blame Britsmoothy for sending me down this path….

 

[WALT53]

I blame him for sending me down this path….

Yes I know I have a friend in Ohio that has the same influence on me but it’s fun .

 

[Mike Payne]

I built my son a 50 smooth bore Virginia he hits 8” gongs at 60 yds regularly. He hasn’t done anything with shot yet.

 

[Brokennock]

i wonder if most were originally rifled and just worn out or rebored smooth after wearing out the rifling..??

This has been bandied about for a long time. If it were true we would not have period advertisements for new guns that differentiate between, "rifle guns," and "smooth rifle guns."

Was it done? Maybe. We do know that rifling was "freshened," which would seem to take less work than boring out the existing lands then polishing the bore smooth, so I'm not sure it would have been worth it to do at any great or common scale.

 

[Raindog1799]

This has been bandied about for a long time. If it were true we would not have period advertisements for new guns that differentiate between, "rifle guns," and "smooth rifle guns."

Was it done? Maybe. We do know that rifling was "freshened," which would seem to take less work than boring out the existing lands then polishing the bore smooth, so I'm not sure it would have been worth it to do at any great or common scale.

This is my thought as well. There is a John Newcomer smooth rifle in RCA that Jim Chambers offers a version of.

I’m curious if they were ever intentionally made in the more Southern states with that distinctly Appalachian architecture. I’ve never heard of one in my very limited knowledge on the subject.

 

[tenngun]

i wonder if most were originally rifled and just worn out or rebored smooth after wearing out the rifling..??

‘Rifle mounted fusil’ were advertised and sold in the old days. Some guns may have been changed from rifle to smoothie, but smooth rifles were a thing back in the day.

 

[loflyr55]

Jim Chambers has a smooth rifle kit

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I have the Chambers smoothrifle in .54/28 gauge. Mine has the 46 inch longhammock barrel. I didn't build my kit, I bought the gun finished. It is a pleasure to carry as the weight and balance is perfect for me.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Nuthatch]

I’ve been toying around with the idea of a .40 smoothie for a while. It meets the legal definition of a shotgun but, being a ML, there are no shot size restrictions for hunting. So it’s the only legal way to hunt turkey with a “rifle,” other than an air rifle. I like air rifles. But a flinter or even percussion would just be far cooler to me.

 

[Raindog1799]

One of the thoughts in the back of my head is to buy a spare Kibler SMR .36 barrel and have Mr. Hoyt bore it to .40 smooth.

However, before I do that I would get a new Woodsrunner kit in .45 and turn it into a smooth .50.

So many ideas!

 

[ronaldrothb49]

This has been bandied about for a long time. If it were true we would not have period advertisements for new guns that differentiate between, "rifle guns," and "smooth rifle guns."

Was it done? Maybe. We do know that rifling was "freshened," which would seem to take less work than boring out the existing lands then polishing the bore smooth, so I'm not sure it would have been worth it to do at any great or common scale.

In Leonard Reedy's journals the number one repair he made was to freshen a rifle, 112 times for which he charged $0.50. He also lists boring out a couple of rifles which he charged $0.25.

 

[Brokennock]

In Leonard Reedy's journals the number one repair he made was to freshen a rifle, 112 times for which he charged $0.50. He also lists boring out a couple of rifles which he charged $0.25.

Odd that boring out cost less. I would imagine it to be more work. Less precise work, but more work nonetheless.

 

[rich pierce]

Odd that boring out cost less. I would imagine it to be more work. Less precise work, but more work nonetheless.

Not harder, but it is boring. One pass each of 2-3 drills of increasing size till the rifling is gone. Then an hour of reaming. All done in a morning, I’d think.