History of the SMR / TN rifle

[Nameless Hunter]

Just trying to get a handle on it. As I understand (and that is questionable) the Moravian gun makers were a big part of the American gun making history. They immigrated, initially started in the PA area, and subsequently migrated down the Shenandoah valley, ending up in SW VA, western NC, and even into what is now NE TN. People were apprenticed and moved on to new territories. The "VA" rifles looked very similar to the PA rifles. Yet somehow, in the space of a few years, the people who apprenticed under builders in VA and PA, started building a rifle that had a very different look when the moved to western NC and northeast TN. How did this happen?

 

[1950DAVE]

Do a search for " Tennessee Rifles" by Robin Hale on the American Society of Arms Collectors site
Dave

 

[JamesT]

The abundance of iron and lack of brass in southern Appalachia combined with a need for a utilitarian rifle as the area was still unsettled. It was an evolution in its own right. It really didnt happen overnight but it did create a style all its own. The more you delve into this subject the more you will see how general your statement is. There are many differences in VA rifles per county and many vast architectural differences in PA itself. Lancaster vs. York vs. Berks are all totally different animals as realized the more you study it. But at tje end of the day they are all beautiful. Only matters if you prefer a blonde or brunette or redhead.
James

 

[LawrenceA]

The abundance of iron and lack of brass in southern Appalachia combined with a need for a utilitarian rifle as the area was still unsettled. It was an evolution in its own right. It really didnt happen overnight but it did create a style all its own. The more you delve into this subject the more you will see how general your statement is. There are many differences in VA rifles per county and many vast architectural differences in PA itself. Lancaster vs. York vs. Berks are all totally different animals as realized the more you study it. But at tje end of the day they are all beautiful. Only matters if you prefer a blonde or brunette or redhead.
James

I can easily discern a blonde from a redhead, but struggle with a Lancaster from a York.

But Lancaster/York to Southern Mountain then no worries!

 

[Nameless Hunter]

The abundance of iron and lack of brass in southern Appalachia combined with a need for a utilitarian rifle as the area was still unsettled. It was an evolution in its own right. It really didnt happen overnight but it did create a style all its own. The more you delve into this subject the more you will see how general your statement is. There are many differences in VA rifles per county and many vast architectural differences in PA itself. Lancaster vs. York vs. Berks are all totally different animals as realized the more you study it. But at tje end of the day they are all beautiful. Only matters if you prefer a blonde or brunette or redhead.
James

Oh, I get the iron being used instead of brass. But the stock of a SMR has a very distinctive shape. There were iron mounted VA rifles as well, but the stock shape was still somewhat similar to brass VA rifles, and you could see a similarity to PA made rifles. The point I guess is these builders were trained/apprenticed to builders who made a certain style, yet in a relatively short period, they were producing rifles with a very unique shape/style. I'm just curious how this happened. You start seeing rifles with a very different butt plate and a lot more "drop" in the stock.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

Do a search for " Tennessee Rifles" by Robin Hale on the American Society of Arms Collectors site
Dave

Good stuff. I've read this before and was impressed with the amount of information. Some of it didn't make since though, such as the comment about rifles of the region holding on to older design concepts until "forced to change" such as wider butt plates. My understanding is that one of the features of Southern Mountain Rifles was the narrower (and strongly curved) butt plate, something you didn't see on rifles from previous years that were made in VA or PA. That would indicate to me that the SMR stock shape and butt plate were a newer design, not one holding on to older design concepts.

 

[hanshi]

Good stuff. I've read this before and was impressed with the amount of information. Some of it didn't make since though, such as the comment about rifles of the region holding on to older design concepts until "forced to change" such as wider butt plates. My understanding is that one of the features of Southern Mountain Rifles was the narrower (and strongly curved) butt plate, something you didn't see on rifles from previous years that were made in VA or PA. That would indicate to me that the SMR stock shape and butt plate were a newer design, not one holding on to older design concepts.

True. Builders who apprenticed with Pa. builders and then moved to other areas to start their own shops evolved the rifles into styles that represented a personal preference all their own. This is true of most any trade where apprentice training is conducted. State and even county influences are the usual. Think of painters who learned from mentors and then went on to develop and evolve completely different art. SMR, Reading, Lancaster, etc are easily differentiated with a casual inspection. I'm hard pressed to pick an early Va. from a Lancaster.

 

[tenngun]

As a side run I would look at Hawkens.
The brothers were the sons of a rifle maker, I don’t know if I ever saw any of his guns. Jake moved to Maryland and early guns of his fitted the Maryland style, later he moved to Ohio at last Saint Louis.
He went form classic Maryland to the big plains guns.
Guns evolved to fit taste. I think it was a two way street. A gun was made to look individual but at that same time people told makers what they would like to seethe makers altered the gun the buyers wanted changes. Positive feed back loops, and so regional variations. And so on and so on.
So styles evolved locally until people expected a gun to look thus in their area.

 

[Spikebuck]

For some reason I didn't find the article on Tennessee rifles on that site, but found another talking about rifles from various areas of the country. Now...take away all the ornate decoration and don't these Maryland rifles have a lot in common with an SMR's architecture? The one in the bottom right by Nathaniel Rowe especially!

 

[Nameless Hunter]

For some reason I didn't find the article on Tennessee rifles on that site, but found another talking about rifles from various areas of the country. Now...take away all the ornate decoration and don't these Maryland rifles have a lot in common with an SMR's architecture? The one in the bottom right by Nathaniel Rowe especially!

View attachment 53797

A strong resemblance indeed.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well John Armstrong (1770-1841) was 51 when Nathaniel Rowe began apprenticeship in Emmitsburg MD in 1821. Neither man moved out of Emmitsburg, so I'm not sure if their work resembles SMR's, or if SMR's are the products that are resembling their work? Since neither migrated down the Shenandoah Valley.

LD

 

[rich pierce]

I’m not sure that the makers or iron mounted Tennessee and western NC rifles apprenticed with Pennsylvania makers. Can you name examples?
There is no evidence of scarcity of brass or that an abundance of iron led to the iron mounted rifle style. I cannot imagine a scenario where they could get locks but not brass hardware. And they did get locks.
It’s more likely that all-round blacksmiths extended their wares into gunmaking.

 

[M. De Land]

True. Builders who apprenticed with Pa. builders and then moved to other areas to start their own shops evolved the rifles into styles that represented a personal preference all their own. This is true of most any trade where apprentice training is conducted. State and even county influences are the usual. Think of painters who learned from mentors and then went on to develop and evolve completely different art. SMR, Reading, Lancaster, etc are easily differentiated with a casual inspection. I'm hard pressed to pick an early Va. from a Lancaster.

I wonder if shooting style change was the impetus for butt hook/plate evolution. The flat plate is held to the shoulder where as the butt hook is held to the upper arm outside the shoulder joint. My guess is this is the main reason for more stock drop and cast as the butt moved out side the shoulder joint to the upper arm.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

Found this rifle made by Jacob Young for William Waid Woodfork of Jackson County, TN (dated around 1800-1805).
https://mesda.org/item/collections/long-rifle/21783/Doesn't have the look normally associated with SMR's or the "typical" TN rifle.

In this period most gunsmiths used pre-made barrels and mass-produced imported locks, both of which were readily available in the trans-Appalachian west. However, this rifle was made “lock, stock, and barrel” by Young. That is to say, he crafted the gunlock—the heart of the weapon—from its raw materials; shaped the gunstock from a solid block of tightly grained wood; and forged and rifled the gun barrel from a solid bar of iron. He then further embellished the weapon with rococo carving and brass and silver inlays.

 

[plmeek]

Found this rifle made by Jacob Young for William Waid Woodfork of Jackson County, TN (dated around 1800-1805).
https://mesda.org/item/collections/long-rifle/21783/Doesn't have the look normally associated with SMR's or the "typical" TN rifle.

In this period most gunsmiths used pre-made barrels and mass-produced imported locks, both of which were readily available in the trans-Appalachian west. However, this rifle was made “lock, stock, and barrel” by Young. That is to say, he crafted the gunlock—the heart of the weapon—from its raw materials; shaped the gunstock from a solid block of tightly grained wood; and forged and rifled the gun barrel from a solid bar of iron. He then further embellished the weapon with rococo carving and brass and silver inlays.

I think you make a valid point with this rifle not following the "look" of an SMR or TN rifle.

I do have some reservations about the museum's description and date for this rifle, though.

I don't see any carving in the pictures they post on their website, much less "rococo carving". I wouldn't even call the meager engraving on the patch box "rococo".

I'm not sure how they know that Jacob Young made the lock. If he did and if he made it in the 1800-1805 period, he was way ahead of his time. That style of lock with round tail and reinforced **** didn't become popular until the 1820's to 1830s.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

I think you make a valid point with this rifle not following the "look" of an SMR or TN rifle.

I do have some reservations about the museum's description and date for this rifle, though.

I don't see any carving in the pictures they post on their website, much less "rococo carving". I wouldn't even call the meager engraving on the patch box "rococo".

I'm not sure how they know that Jacob Young made the lock. If he did and if he made it in the 1800-1805 period, he was way ahead of his time. That style of lock with round tail and reinforced **** didn't become popular until the 1820's to 1830s.

You are spot on about the lack of carving on this rifle, basically zip. The rifle he supposedly made for William Whitley does have a bit of carving...
Good comment about the lock. That sort of detail is above my pay grade.

 

[JamesT]

I’m not sure that the makers or iron mounted Tennessee and western NC rifles apprenticed with Pennsylvania makers. Can you name examples?
There is no evidence of scarcity of brass or that an abundance of iron led to the iron mounted rifle style. I cannot imagine a scenario where they could get locks but not brass hardware. And they did get locks.
It’s more likely that all-round blacksmiths extended their wares into gunmaking.

What is interesting is there is at least one PA trained gunsmith who started his trade building in the PA style and when he eventually migrated into Tennessee he completely changed his style to emulate that of the local smiths and started building iron mounted "Bean" style rifles. This intrigues me. Did people want a style of rifle that was familiar to them? I will search through my books and find his name at least. Might take me a bit.

I could be totally wrong about the lack of brass in southern Appalachia to be used for mountings but I think there is something to it. Also there was much iron manufacturing up and down the rivers in the area that mountings could easily be provided by blacksmiths or made by the gunsmiths themselves.

I am not an authority on Kentuckys but I do know the few original Lancaster area rifles I have handled were in my opinion more balanced than the Tennessee rifles I have shouldered. The southern mountain rifles ive handled have all had long heavy barrels and were nose heavy. Hence why I think the crescent buttplate designed to hook in out on the bicep evolved. It really makes it quite manageable to shoot offhand. Anyhow, all very good comments.

James

 

[JamesT]

Found this rifle made by Jacob Young for William Waid Woodfork of Jackson County, TN (dated around 1800-1805).
https://mesda.org/item/collections/long-rifle/21783/Doesn't have the look normally associated with SMR's or the "typical" TN rifle.

In this period most gunsmiths used pre-made barrels and mass-produced imported locks, both of which were readily available in the trans-Appalachian west. However, this rifle was made “lock, stock, and barrel” by Young. That is to say, he crafted the gunlock—the heart of the weapon—from its raw materials; shaped the gunstock from a solid block of tightly grained wood; and forged and rifled the gun barrel from a solid bar of iron. He then further embellished the weapon with rococo carving and brass and silver inlays.

View attachment 53838

Interesting rifle for sure. I have seen that patch box finial on other NC rifles. The almond inlays on the barrel pins remind me of Virginia rifles as does the trigger guard. Just my amateur opinion. That would be in my opinion a very early TN rifle. Perhaps brought into the area. Considering Russel Bean of the famous gunsmithing family was the first white child born in TN. Around 1795 if my memory is correct. Still doesnt answer how the rifles evolved into what we call a SMR. I'd like to know also.

James

 

[plmeek]

Just trying to get a handle on it. As I understand (and that is questionable) the Moravian gun makers were a big part of the American gun making history. They immigrated, initially started in the PA area, and subsequently migrated down the Shenandoah valley, ending up in SW VA, western NC, and even into what is now NE TN. People were apprenticed and moved on to new territories. The "VA" rifles looked very similar to the PA rifles. Yet somehow, in the space of a few years, the people who apprenticed under builders in VA and PA, started building a rifle that had a very different look when the moved to western NC and northeast TN. How did this happen?

Your introductory sentences cover a lot of territory and time. Roughly from the middle of the 18th century to the third or fourth decade of the 19th century or 70 to 80 years. There were a lot of changes that occurred in American rifles during this period. And several different generations of gun makers and customers that didn't necessarily want a rifle just like Dad's and certainly not like Grandpa's.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a SMR or TN rifle in classic form that dates to the 1820s. Some date to the 1830s, but most are likely from the 40s and 50s. By that time, the trend in longrifles in a number of regions were slim, light rifles. If you compare an SMR to a Leman rifle or a Western PA rifle or an Ohio rifle of the same period, you will see very similar stock architecture with narrow butt plates and significant curvature to the crescent of the plate. The SMR stands out in its mounts of forged iron, but not much else.

The idea that the American Longrifle "evolved" is not a helpful concept. It's not a living organism so it doesn't follow Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It's probably better to think of it in terms of technical and artistic advancement. I know of no examples that one can point to that shows a gradual, linear progression from one type to another. Technology, and to some extent art and fashion trends, follow fits and starts and leaps and bounds. Looking for evidence of the evolution of the SMR is akin to looking for a unicorn. You aren't going to find it.

The butt stock on the rifle above, which is attributed to Baxter Bean, has the classic triangular shape of a Lancaster rifle. Compare it to the lines of the two Leman rifles below from about the same period. Again, the biggest difference between the rifle above and the rifles below are the mounts.

There is no evidence of scarcity of brass or that an abundance of iron led to the iron mounted rifle style. I cannot imagine a scenario where they could get locks but not brass hardware. And they did get locks.

I agree with Rich. If the Southern Mountain gun makers wanted brass, they could have gotten brass. As he says, they imported almost all the locks they used from England.

Pennsylvania produced more iron than the Southern colonies and states and began producing it as early as 1716. Between 1810 and 1840, Pennsylvania consistently produced half of the national total. If it were purely a matter of economics and availability, why weren't Pennsylvania longrifles mounted in iron instead of brass.

The iron mounts of SMR's and TN rifles developed not out of necessity or economics but from artistic expression and as fashion statements.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

THAT is interesting. Now that you mention it, I recall seeing a Lehman in the past and thinking how it looked very similar to a TN rifle. Your comment about iron production makes sense as well. I never thought that designs would evolve in a linear fashion, but was wondering if there was some sort of transition design, and/or what drove builders at the time to change the butt plate and drop the stock.