tennesee rifle

[trapper704]

:thumbsup: I'm building from scratch a 40 cal tennesee style fullstock squirrl gun, I bought all the metal from Ray Franks and a curly maple blank, some parts from Track. I'm now down to the finishing, and was wondering how do most do the forend of the stock? I want to leave it wood, with no metal tip. Thanks It has been several months of an experience.

 

[54ball]

I have studied Southern rifles for a number of years. Barring rifles that have been shortened or chopped off, just about all the originals I have seen had some type of fore stock reinforcement.

I would say that poured pewter or lead is the most common nose cap on a Southern rifle followed by iron, brass and even bone and horn. The bone or horn nose caps seem to be more contemporary.

The NC Gillespie Rifles are sometimes found with a simple band like on this trade gun.