thinking of purchasing a Virginia smooth rifle. I’m wondering about the historical context of these guns. By that I mean what era were they used? Mid 18th century, late 18th century, or early 19th century. Any info or help is greatly appreciated.
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Virginia smooth rifle
- Thread starter sf180a
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I’ve seen so many conflicting opinions about the origins of the smooth rifle. Some say they were a thing along with the rifled versions originating about the same time. Some say there were originally rifles that were freshed out smooth when larger game became less common in settled areas. Some say around 1800 because the term starts showing up in correspondence around then. I don’t know which is which.
By the 1770s they were saying both smooth rifles and rifle mounted fusils. Examinations seems to suggest about 10% were made smooth.
Every ‘Virgina style I’ve seen was an iron mounted Lancaster. But as far as I know there were no iron mounted rifles north of the Carolinas until the ‘Virgina’ style fell out.
Now with any luck someone else will pop up and tell me about a well known historic peice because I sure like them
Every ‘Virgina style I’ve seen was an iron mounted Lancaster. But as far as I know there were no iron mounted rifles north of the Carolinas until the ‘Virgina’ style fell out.
Now with any luck someone else will pop up and tell me about a well known historic peice because I sure like them
Mine
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
A couple of observations, prior to the Revolution, very few barrels or locks were made in Colonial America...Barrels came from both the Germanic areas as well as England, we know this from the records that the Moravians kept...If the gunsmith wanted a rifled barrel, they were rifled here, in America...So, if you had a customer that wanted a smooth rifle, it would be easily made from the barrels in stock also...Were they ordered smooth because the gunsmith knew not all customers would want rifles?? 
Another observation...After 2-250 years, how do we know that barrel that is now smooth was originally rifled?? Remember, they were made from iron, not steel and those that were used quite a bit may indeed have been rifled, bored out, refreshed, etc...
Were there smooth rifles made in the Colonies, sure, how many? What percentage would have been smooth originally? Nobody really knows...
Another observation...After 2-250 years, how do we know that barrel that is now smooth was originally rifled?? Remember, they were made from iron, not steel and those that were used quite a bit may indeed have been rifled, bored out, refreshed, etc...
Were there smooth rifles made in the Colonies, sure, how many? What percentage would have been smooth originally? Nobody really knows...
Smooth rifles were more prevalent in some areas than others. If concerned about historical accuracy, re-create an existing original rifle or smooth rifle. Smooth rifles were common in Bucks County and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania, on into Berks County. Try to find an original Bucks County “rifle” with a rifled barrel. I haven’t seen an original Virginia 1700s rifle-built gun with no rifling. I’ve seen 4 actual Virginia-attributed, 1700s rifles that are iron-mounted.
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