Rifle style question

[Pilgrim]

I just bought a traditions 50 cal. Kentucky kit, I'm wanting to make it period correct. As I research it I also found Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina long rifles that look very similar to the Kentucky rifle. What is the difference between them? I realize my question is very broad but like I said I want to be as close as possible to the period-correct with the kit but since I live in North Carolina if I can correctly make it fit this area for the correct period I would really like to do that. Any help or suggestions appreciated.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
What sources of information have you been looking at? I urge you to visit the site below and purchase the CDs for Rifles of the Great Smokey Mountains.
https://kentuckyriflefoundation.org/krf-store/There are other CDs also containing southern and Kentucky-made rifles.
dave

 

[Flintandsteel]

Dave is being kind. You’ll find nothing “original” resembling that Traditions rifle.
Shoot it, and enjoy it for what it is, but it will NEVER resemble an original Southern gun.

 

[Pilgrim]

Dave is being kind. You’ll find nothing “original” resembling that Traditions rifle.
Shoot it, and enjoy it for what it is, but it will NEVER resemble an original Southern gun.

Thank you I will work on making it my own. Take this experience and move forward with it.

 

[Pilgrim]

Hi,
What sources of information have you been looking at? I urge you to visit the site below and purchase the CDs for Rifles of the Great Smokey Mountains.
https://kentuckyriflefoundation.org/krf-store/There are other CDs also containing southern and Kentucky-made rifles.
dave

Thank you, Dave, I appreciate your kindness and candor. I have visited the website and will probably purchase the CD. I really enjoy history and I see living history in the muzzleloader build.

 

[Pete G]

You can also visit the "Virtual museum " on the ALR website.

 

[user 49399]

I’ve spent a lot of time comparing my Traditions Kentucky rifle (my favorite) to pictures of original Tennessee and Kentucky rifles. It has features that resemble features of different ones but it is not a close copy of any. What it is though is an affordable and accurate fun rifle. I put together a kit that I think looks good. Shoot It and enjoy

 

[Pilgrim]

I’ve spent a lot of time comparing my Traditions Kentucky rifle (my favorite) to pictures of original Tennessee and Kentucky rifles. It has features that resemble features of different ones but it is not a close copy of any. What it is though is an affordable and accurate fun rifle. I put together a kit that I think looks good. Shoot It and enjoy

I agree and never believed I could make a replica out of it. I wanted to see features I could use to make it mine. I do appreciate everyone, y’all are so respectful with your comments, experience and guidance.
Thanks
Terry

 

[tenngun]

You can alter the stock a bit, maybe fit some changers to look better. But as said above shoot and enjoy my it.
Put together your outfit, learn your gun, replace it when your ready. There might be a juried event that won’t let you in, but 99.9 % of events will welcome you. We all started some place, and no one has a gun that’s truely more correct then yours.

 

[user 49399]

Here’s a picture of my rifle and kit. There’s several reasons I bought it. First it was affordable. Secondly, I liked the way it looked. I have other Traditions guns and all are very accurate. The kit has a look I like, and not based on historical accuracy.

 

[user 49399]

Also, I just noticed you said you have a rifle kit. When I mentioned kit, I was referring to my accouterments. I bought the rifle already built. If you look at the rifles in the ALR virtual museum you will see that most of the Tennessee and Kentucky rifles have iron hardware rather than brass. Most have a carved cheek piece (square on the Kentuckys) rather than flat. The wood, usually maple, is better grade. Also, most have very fine, low front sights. These are just a few of the differences between our Traditions rifles and the originals. But I enjoy mine immensly.

 

[Col. Batguano]

If you want to make it a little more PC looking, you could blacken the butt plate and brass spacer with Brass Black