style of rifle

Need some info. I posted this question on another page after making my introduction as a new memeber and was directed to ask it here. I have a T.C. 56 smoothbore hawken
in flintlock. Even tho it's a smoothbore I plan on keeping the rear sights (changed to primitive). My question is this; is a smooth rifle of this description something that would be found in the early 1800's. Would it be more correct in a full stock version? thanks, squint..

 

[Stumpkiller]

Well, I've tried hunting up anything and so far I'm dry. The caliber .56"/28 gauge is good, but the halfstock - especially in a Hawken style, is a problem. I have an out-of-print book at home I'll check that is titled "The New England Gun". It has several period pieces that kind of resemble T/C . . . if you squint real good and turn the lights down and have a few shots of whiskey. Whether any were carried off to places other than New England is debatable.

I found Henrys and Lemans of similar barrel length and caliber, but the trigger bow and barrel & stock profile are all wrong. I'll keep huntin.

Short answer: "No." Why bother with the weight of a barrel that size if you're not going to rifle it for long ranges and stout charges? A trade gun could be had for less $ and weigh several pounds less.

 

[roundball]

Squint, who converted it to a flint barrel...I also have a .56 SB but my understanding is that TC only made them in percussion...I even asked TC to swap the breechplugs on mine but they refused...

 

[tg]

"My question is this; is a smooth rifle of this description something that would be found in the early 1800's."

My understanding is that such a gun would be of the type found in the early 1800's in "spirit" but not resemble or be based upon any known gun from that time period... I have absolutely no idea what that means...but it seems to be a popular mindset.

 

[Stumpkiller]

OK. Here's a near miss. A gunsmith named Welcome Mathewson produced a half-stock "Buck and Ball" smoothbore in .55 caliber dated 1811 from a shop in Burrillville, RI. But, the barrel is 36". This particular gun is in the Alvin White Collection.

All that really proves is that such guns were available in America.

 

:imo:The TC Hawkin style (smooth or rifled, flint or not) is more like mid 1800s then early 1800s. If you really want early 1800s you need to find another gun. What situation are you wanting to emulate? A more typical gun of that period, in general, would be a "Kentucky rifle"--maybe a southern style or PA style or Ohio...? BY the early 1800s the rifle had taken over popular imagination. Schoolcraft, in his exploration of the Ozarks in the early 1800s, was admonished by a backwoods woman for carrying the "wrong" gun (he had a smoothbore)and was told to get a rifle! :nono:

 

Roundball, awhile back I had posted a question about a T.C. .56 flintlock. In your response you asked who converted it to flint. Well as it is I do not have said gun in my hands BUT it is in the making as we speak and I should have it in a couple of weeks. I had a friend order the flint breech plug from Track and his buddy who is a guy who runs a gun repair shop will install it. Track stocks two thread sizes for this barrel and the serial number of the gun tells you which plug you'll need. Then it's just a matter of inletting my L&R RPL lock and away we go. I hope!! Hope this answers your question.
squint

 

[roundball]

I appreciate the feedback...would also appreciate a PM from you with the contact info of the gunsmith who can swap the plugs...I'm assuming when you get it back, it'll look like a professionally done, blued factory looking barrel?
Is he going to 'jug choke' it also?

(Even I could probably swap the breech plugs, but then I'd have to throw it in the trash when I got done :