What makes a Southern rifle?

[Homesteader]

I have a .45 Southern flintlock (maybe a "poor boy") rifle that I dearly love, but I do find myself wondering what exactly makes a southern rifle, a southern mountain rifle, and the like. Simplicity seems to be part of it, but other than that..?

 

[david w]

Usually all iron furniture and a browned barrel. I believe most Southern rifles are 45 caliber, or less.

 

[tenngun]

No true definition, as we can say for most gun types.
An adaption of American long rifles made in the South Carolina’s first of all. Somewhat French styling to stock, often iron mounted some silver. Often plain wood and ‘poor boy’, sometimes special details.
Slim but may have Diamond shaped forearm, egg shaped wrist.
Seen low drop and some times extreme drop. Dainty or massive ‘chuck guns’.
Ship- boat, art-craft, red-crimson-scarlet. You know it when you see it.

 

[Homesteader]

Ours is not a simple or well defined hobby, is it?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have several southern mountain rifles…2 made by TVM and 2 that are the old Dixie Gunworks Tennessee Mountain rifles.

I completely get it, these are my favorite guns. I appreciate the simplicity of their architecture and design…they are a “no frills“functional tool. They serve a specific purpose, and considering their technological level…they perform that purpose very well.

They represent a period in history and are a working man’s gun. What’s not to love?

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Iron mounted, often somewhat crude. Simple rifles.

 

[david w]

Iron mounted, often somewhat crude. Simple rifles for simple southern folks.

Yes, but there are examples of embellishments on some Southern rifles. Not all of us hillbillies were poor. Guess there was money in them thar corn squeezzins!

 

[1BadDart]

Yes, but there are examples of embellishments on some Southern rifles. Not all of us hillbillies were poor. Guess there was money in them thar corn squeezzins!

Or simple.

 

[SDSmlf]

Well if they’re made or used south of the Mason Dixon line, they likely qualify, not that it matters much, at least based on the printed rules and regulations.

 

[SDSmlf]

Iron mounted, often somewhat crude. Simple rifles for simple southern folks.

Interesting observation. Based on? Always interested in learning from those in the know. Which of the nine different schools of North Carolina long rifles do you find the simplest? Personally like the Mechlenburg School and the Catawba Valley School (similar to late Lancaster rifles), though I wouldn’t call them simple.

 

[M. De Land]

When I was looking for a flint rifle to build I first thought the late Lancaster's were what I wanted but the more I looked at the the design and architecture of the butt stock and forearm I just couldn't pull the trigger on the purchase. The examples I looked over also were far to Gawdy for my taste. I looked at the Bucks county guns and poor Boys but I just couldn't find what I really wanted until I came across several SMR designs with the iron furniture, Butt stock and forearm shape I wanted. They were slim, trim and the beauty was in the wood , architecture and fitting of components.
I think the iron trigger guard shape on SMR's is probably they're biggest signature trait.
I knew this design was what I wanted right away and have been very happy with my TOTW kit build.
I stained my Tiger striped Maple with Winchester "French Red" from Brownell's and it brought out the modest striping as well as it could be which is also quite pleasing in a subtle way . Never did care for the Aqua- Fortuce dark look.
I do like a bit of relief carving accented with modest amounts of silver wire but this rifle was left plain. I absolutely do not care for all the charms , escutchens and other assorted decorative inlays. Here are a few shots of mine in .45 cal with a 36 inch GM barrel.
Click on picture to enlarge.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Interesting observation. Based on? Always interested in learning from those in the know. Which of the nine different schools of North Carolina long rifles do you find the simplest? Personally like the Mechlenburg School and the Catawba Valley School (similar to late Lancaster rifles), though I wouldn’t call them simple.

Those are not Southronor’s rifles in my book.

In modern parlance, Southern rifle just means a simple often plain iron mounted style gun popular in my South. That’s what it means to people these days, not the 18 different “schools” or whatever pedantic minutia you are so proud of knowing.

No need to get your blood pressure raised.

 

[SDSmlf]

Those are not Southronor’s rifles in my book.

In modern parlance, Southern rifle just means a simple often plain iron mounted style gun popular in my South. That’s what it means to people these days, not the 18 different “schools” or whatever pedantic minutia you are so proud of knowing.

No need to get your blood pressure raised.

Ok. Blood pressure is great, appreciate the concern.

Always considered the Carolinas part of the south and did not realize rifles made their are not ‘Southronor’. Only simple rifles are southern. Now I know better, even though folks like Kibler claim to base their modern reproduction SMR off of George Whitson from Western North Carolina (I know it doesn’t matter to you, but Whitson was considered to be part of the Appalachian School, so I guess not a true SMR). I am not as well educated on southern rifles and stand down to you and your book.

 

[0for]

When I was looking for a flint rifle to build I first thought the late Lancaster's were what I wanted but the more I looked at the the design and architecture of the butt stock and forearm I just couldn't pull the trigger on the purchase. The examples I looked over also were far to Gawdy for my taste. I looked at the Bucks county guns and poor Boys but I just couldn't find what I really wanted until I came across several SMR designs with the iron furniture, Butt stock and forearm shape I wanted. They were slim, trim and the beauty was in the wood , architecture and fitting of components.
I think the iron trigger guard shape on SMR's is probably they're biggest signature trait.
I knew this design was what I wanted right away and have been very happy with my TOTW kit build.
I stained my Tiger striped Maple with Winchester "French Red" from Brownell's and it brought out the modest striping as well as it could be which is also quite pleasing in a subtle way . Never did care for the Aqua- Fortuce dark look.
I do like a bit of relief carving accented with modest amounts of silver wire but this rifle was left plain. I absolutely do not care for all the charms , escutchens and other assorted decorative inlays. Here are a few shots of mine in .45 cal with a 36 inch GM barrel.
Click on picture to enlarge.

 

[0for]

Beautiful in its simplicity. you have a fine weapon.

 

[Mr. Flintlock]

I love Southern poor boy rifles. I call it subtle elegance!

 

[Pilgrim]

As my SMR project comes to a close and I only offer what I learned during the study of my build. The SMR has it's roots in the Southern Applachian mountains. Including but not limited too the mountains and foothills of West Virginia south to Georgia. Styles of the rifle build seem to vary according to the geography and resources available to the builder. All styles were practical, durable, dependable and had no frills. SMR’s were carried daily by most Appalachians, enduring a lot of rough handling and exposure to the elements. I recommend the Foxfire books. These books describe from first-person accounts what life was like during the 19th and early 20th centuries. An SMR illustrates the previous culture and accurate history recorded in that culture allowed me to visualize what my ancestors would have carried and how it would have been utilized. I was raised and live my life to date in the foothills of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. Here are my two cents on the question.

 

[david w]

I love Southern poor boy rifles. I call it subtle elegance!

I prefer plain, too. I had a very ornate Bedford County percussion rifle I paid over $3,500 back in the eighties. That was a good chunk of change at the time. Now, it did shoot exceptionally well, but it was because of the Hoppy Hopkin match grade barrel. None of the silver inlays made it shoot any better than if it were a plain stock. She sure was pretty to look at though. I now have a Kibler SMR I really like. I guess I could have adorned it with carvings and inlays, but it wouldn't make it more accurate, only more expensive.

 

[Coinneach]

Yes, but there are examples of embellishments on some Southern rifles. Not all of us hillbillies were poor. Guess there was money in them thar corn squeezzins!

They inletted Corn into the Southern Mountain Rifle Stocks ?

 

[david w]

They inletted Corn into the Southern Mountain Rifle Stocks ?

They could have hollowed the stocks to have a hidden flask.