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I’ve searched the forum with no success, can someone guide me to an appropriate rifle that a civilian (mainly down south) would have possessed. A plains model?
thanks
 
I once held and drooled over an original .32 caliber half stock in cherry wood with brass mounts and poured pewter fore end cap: single trigger and buckhorn rear sight blade front barrel about 7/8" X 28-30", curved butt plate. It had belonged to my friends ancestor, and was handed down in Missouri (I saw it in S.E. Texas). I want to say he said it dated to the mid 1830's. A beautiful, handy civilian rifle for all kinds of small game, inexpensive to feed and care for. It was plain, no carvings, but well made and remarkably well preserved. I wish I had a picture of it to share; it's been many, many moons ago. It was a typical plains style rifle with an iron under rib and hickory ramrod. Good luck in your search, I hope you can find a beauty like that! George.


'
 
I once held and drooled over an original .32 caliber half stock in cherry wood with brass mounts and poured pewter fore end cap: single trigger and buckhorn rear sight blade front barrel about 7/8" X 28-30", curved butt plate. It had belonged to my friends ancestor, and was handed down in Missouri (I saw it in S.E. Texas). I want to say he said it dated to the mid 1830's. A beautiful, handy civilian rifle for all kinds of small game, inexpensive to feed and care for. It was plain, no carvings, but well made and remarkably well preserved. I wish I had a picture of it to share; it's been many, many moons ago. It was a typical plains style rifle with an iron under rib and hickory ramrod. Good luck in your search, I hope you can find a beauty like that! George.


'
Cool! I should be more specific. Something that maybe I can buy as a kit, or preassembled. It’s not just for sport shooting or even really hunting with it, but also to use in early EARLY CW re-enacting. Impression of an early southerner answering Call To Arms. Most of my impressions are Texas/Arkansas.
 
I would think a Lyman Great Plains rifle, flint or caplock, as percussion caps were seeing widespread use by the mid 1820s. They are good serviceable rifles and come in kit form, as well as fully finished, should you want to add your own touches.

Another choice might be the CVA mountain rifle. They are no longer in production, but nice examples show up on the used market fairly regularly.

I think either of those would be a good starting point. For something a little more elaborate and unique perhaps a "Tennessee" mountain style rifle. Many also answered the call to arms with the ubiquitous shotgun as well, and it served throughout the war, shorter versions being popular with cavalry units.
 
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TNGhost, yes you’re right, about the shotguns! Lol!! I continued research after I posted my question and found some good info, rather quickly. For example a lot of caplock PA and KY rifles were in use in TX. There was also a Linn(?) Rifle mentioned but a quick search only kept bring one example up, in a museum in San Antonio. Looks like I’d be safe with just about any rifle. I’d probably go with a percussion, as you said TNGhost, percussions were being seen.
 
The Southern Mountain Rifle is called that for good reason. They were common in the south. Calibers will generally be less than 45. There were some rifles of plains rifle architecture made, but of 45 or less caliber. Most were simple rifles. Many would be smoothbore of 24 to 12 gauge being most common.

I believe that most would be of the Southern Mountain Rifle configuration.
 
A halved-stock rifle of 50 to 150 balls to the pound would not look out of place in the late Antabellum:
57685BED-37E1-408B-9C5D-9CE64E280692.jpeg

Some are recommending the Lyman Great Plains. Sorry, but no. A plains style rifle of large caliber wouldn’t be popular down in the south for civilian hunting needs. They are heavy by nature and the caliber, at least for the thinking of the time, was unnecessary for the types of game and hunting done in the South, and would be wasteful of powder and lead. Contrary to misinformation, not all halved-stock rifles are “plains rifles”, and not even all plains rifles are halved stock rifles either. A “plains rifle” describes a large-caliber, short, stout rifle (typically percussion) that became popular on the Great Plains and out west when larger caliber and more durable guns that could be carried on horseback in rough terrain and could be used on large game such as bisons, bears, mooses, etc. was desired. They came about because customers weren’t super thrilled about carrying around their lithe small caliber Eastern and Southern style rifles in grizzly country through treacherous terrain and similar reasons such as that.

What you are looking for would be called by most these days as a “squirrel rifle”, or also an “Ohio-style” rifle (as shown in my picture). Or, a “Southern Mountain” rifle. By the time period you are interested in the percussion rifles would have dominated but that doesn’t mean some flintlocks weren’t in use in the South during that time by and means.

So really, any halved stock or full stock percussion rifle of small to moderate caliber should fit the bill. One great gun factory would be the Traditions Crockett .32.
 
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The Southern Mountain Rifle is called that for good reason. They were common in the south. Calibers will generally be less than 45. There were some rifles of plains rifle architecture made, but of 45 or less caliber. Most were simple rifles. Many would be smoothbore of 24 to 12 gauge being most common.

I believe that most would be of the Southern Mountain Rifle configuration.
Thanks Grenadier, Lol a little outside my price range!!!
 
Dixie Gun Works had their Tennessee (Squirrel) Rifle in 32 caliber. Used guns can be found within your price range too. It takes a bit of searching and patience in waiting for one to show up in the used gun market.
 
There is a lot of good information presented here. However, I would strongly recommend that you check out Chris Hirsch's websites. Chris is a gunsmith (and banjo player, but we won't hold that against him...) in Sugar Land, Texas. The website, Texas Sporting Rifles, has an eye-popping display of muzzle-loading firearms with solid Texas provenance. Most of them are in fact half stocked "plains rifles," from about .44 caliber to .56 caliber. His companion website, The Texas Gun Trade, has some more information but is mostly to promote his book, The Texas Gun Trade, 1780-1899. The book will cost you $50, but if you are a Texan and interested in early Texas guns, I would recommend it to you. I'm not even a Texan, but I have a copy and enjoy reading through it and especially looking at the pictures.

However, if you are a reenactor, you will probably need to be part of an established "unit" or reenactment group in order to participate in any events, and they may have some guidelines or even requirements with regard to your choice of gun. You may want to check with groups in your area before buying the wrong kind of weapon.

Someone above recommended a southern mountain rifle. I would not argue with this, and might suggest, more specifically, a Tennessee rifle. A lot of immigrants coming to Texas just prior to its independence were from Tennessee. In fact, Elmer Kelton based his wonderful Sons of Texas trilogy on this phenomenon. These are the very books that got me back into muzzleloading some years ago, after a long hiatus.

Noah Smithwick, an early Texas pioneer who was also a blacksmith, gunsmith, and author of The Evolution of a State, wrote that the early Texans carried "... long single-barreled muzzle loading flintlock rifles, the same that our fathers won their independence with, and that the famous Kentucky brigade used with such telling effect in the battle of New Orleans..." (p.72). As a gunsmith, he said "I fixed up many an old gun that I wouldn't have picked up in the road, knowing that it was all that stood between a family and the gaunt wolf at the door, as well as the Indians." (p.8). Smithwick's recollections spanned the period from the Texas revolution to the opening days of the War Between the States, and I think that last quote may well apply to firearms of the period that interests you. The point being that many of the guns on the Texas frontier were probably not in very good shape, many of them probably served more than one generation of pioneers, and if you want to present an authentic impression, you might consider getting a shootable "beater." It would not be inconceivable for you to carry a flintlock.

Someone suggested a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. I would respectfully disagree. These are great rifles, and a real bargain whether new or used. However, they are not really very authentic, under close scrutiny. If you are hanging around with Civil War reenactors and you carry one of these, you'll probably never hear the end of it. Those guys can be very picky.

You might consider a military rifle. I doubt an Enfield would have made it to Texas during the period that interests you, but lots of the M1841 "Mississippi Rifles" found their way into civilian hands after the end of the Mexican War. Good quality reproductions are abundant, especially on the used gun market. These rifles are sturdy, easy to maintain, and eminently shootable. I believe the Mississippi rifle was the last rifle issued by the US government that was intended to be used with a patched round ball. When you are not reenacting, it would be more than "enough gun" for deer or even a jumbo "barr hog," like Howie reported shooting recently (his threads on that topic, on this board, are well worth reading). The M1841 was originally issued in .54 caliber, with a fixed "Kentucky style" rear sight. As the War of '61 really got going, many of them were fitted with long-range rear sights and bored out and re-rifled in .58 caliber by the US government arsenals to take the standard issue ammunition of the time. Reproductions are available in .54 and .58, but in portraying a Southerner before the war, the .54 with the early rear sight would be the obvious choice.

The M1842 .69 caliber smoothbore would also be a possible choice, if you are not determined to get a rifle. As with the Mississippi rifle, many of these ended up in civilian hands, and a lot of them were used by both sides in the early days of the War Between the States. You could even go back earlier... Many old and/or foreign muskets were converted to percussion and used in the war. We have a relic 1763 Brown Bess in the family, converted to percussion and bearing Confederate markings.

I don't know what your budget is, but you have a lot to consider. Whether you pick a small-bore squirrel rifle, a plains rifle, a Tennessee longrifle, or some sort of military firearm, it sounds to me as if a used gun might serve you well, and would likely be considerably cheaper than a new one. The Gun Works, out in Oregon, always has a good selection of used guns and they have an excellent reputation as a dealer. Track of the Wolf also maintains a good inventory of used guns worth browsing. I would also recommend Lodgewood Manufacturing, especially if you might consider a military type rifle or musket of the Civil War era. The proprietor is himself a gunsmith. I have dealt with Lodgewood and can recommend them. They have a lot of interesting used guns for sale right now, some with a lot of character.

Good luck in your quest! I'm sure we would all be interested in whatever you decide to get, so by all means keep us posted.

Notchy Bob
 
Thanks Grenadier, Lol a little outside my price range!!!
I understand the great Sam Houston owned a harmonica rifle which has a moveable breech block with several chambers to facilitate repeat shots.. The great Johnathan Browning made some in his shop at Nauvoo, Illinois. Specimens of them may be seen in the gunsmith shop museum there now. That would be a cool rifle to own, but buying one would be an expensive proposition.
 
Someone above recommended a southern mountain rifle. I would not argue with this, and might suggest, more specifically, a Tennessee rifle. A lot of immigrants coming to Texas just prior to its independence were from Tennessee. In fact, Elmer Kelton based his wonderful Sons of Texas trilogy on this phenomenon. These are the very books that got me back into muzzleloading some years ago, after a long hiatus.

Someone suggested a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. I would respectfully disagree. These are great rifles, and a real bargain whether new or used. However, they are not really very authentic, under close scrutiny. If you are hanging around with Civil War reenactors and you carry one of these, you'll probably never hear the end of it. Those guys can be very picky.


Notchy Bob

Having never been a reenactor myself I wasn't aware that the Lyman was that far off historically beyond the rear sight and perhaps the coil spring in the lock. Are their other features that are not authentic? I figure if not the sights would be an easy replacement, but would the lock be that much of an issue with those fellows?

Along the same lines, I had mentioned the Tennessee style mountain rifle as well, and was thinking a used DGW TN Mt. Rifle might be a good choice, as they can be found relatively reasonably priced at times. Would there be anything on that particular rifle that would present as non authentic?
 
I understand the great Sam Houston owned a harmonica rifle which has a moveable breech block with several chambers to facilitate repeat shots.. The great Johnathan Browning made some in his shop at Nauvoo, Illinois. Specimens of them may be seen in the gunsmith shop museum there now. That would be a cool rifle to own, but buying one would be an expensive proposition.

Those are very neat guns. Wonder if anyone makes them nowadays?
 
I once held and drooled over an original .32 caliber half stock in cherry wood with brass mounts and poured pewter fore end cap: single trigger and buckhorn rear sight blade front barrel about 7/8" X 28-30", curved butt plate. It had belonged to my friends ancestor, and was handed down in Missouri (I saw it in S.E. Texas). I want to say he said it dated to the mid 1830's. A beautiful, handy civilian rifle for all kinds of small game, inexpensive to feed and care for. It was plain, no carvings, but well made and remarkably well preserved. I wish I had a picture of it to share; it's been many, many moons ago. It was a typical plains style rifle with an iron under rib and hickory ramrod. Good luck in your search, I hope you can find a beauty like that! George.


'
I’d second an 1841 pattern rifle. Nice rifles and quite likely imo to have been in civilian hands down in Texas, before the civil war.
 
Having never been a reenactor myself I wasn't aware that the Lyman was that far off historically beyond the rear sight and perhaps the coil spring in the lock. Are their other features that are not authentic? I figure if not the sights would be an easy replacement, but would the lock be that much of an issue with those fellows?

Along the same lines, I had mentioned the Tennessee style mountain rifle as well, and was thinking a used DGW TN Mt. Rifle might be a good choice, as they can be found relatively reasonably priced at times. Would there be anything on that particular rifle that would present as non authentic?

TNGhost,

Thanks for your comments. First of all, I would like to say that the Lyman GPR is a nice rifle, and a proven game-getter. For the money, I don't think you can beat it. Its general lines and appearance make it look like what it is... a "great" Plains Rifle! However, the devil really is in the details.

Hard-core reenactors are a breed apart... Bless their hearts! The coil spring in the lock is not visible, so that should not be an issue, but it can be for some people. The factory sights, as you suggested, can be replaced with more authentic ones. Probably the most glaring inauthentic detail is in the area of the snail (photo from Track of the Wolf):

GPR Lock & Snail.jpg

It is not well fitted to the lock plate, it looks unlike any historical snail I know of, and I don't think there is much you can do about it. I don't think old-time sporting rifles customarily had a clean-out screw like that, either.

The lock bolt on the GPR, as on the T/C rifles, screws into a boss in the center of the lock plate, which puts the (incorrect) round lock bolt escutcheon in the center of its panel (again, photo is from Track):

GPR Off Side.jpg


This makes sense from an engineering standpoint, as it distributes the tension equally around the lock plate in its mortise. Traditionally, however, the lock bolt would have screwed into a boss near the upper edge of the lock plate, which would put the lock bolt higher up.

Compared to original plains rifles, the GPR is a lightweight. Track says a .50 caliber GPR as in these photos averages 9.2 pounds, which is "a lot of gun," but original plains rifles frequently weighed eleven or twelve pounds. Francis Parkman's Hoffman & Campbell rifle, which he carried while horseback through all of his travels on the plains, weighed nearly 15 pounds!

The triggerguard on the GPR, I'm sure, was meant to look like a Hawken guard, but it attaches differently. Then there's the "graffiti" on the barrel. I'm sure experts on the subject could elaborate much further on these nit-picking details, but these are enough to drive people to spend $2,000.00+ for a historically accurate rifle from Brant Selb or John Bergmann when they could get a perfectly shootable GPR for a third of that, or less.

Regarding the Dixie Tennessee Mountain rifle, I have seen some of these but I've never shot one and don't own one. Like the GPR, these are relatively light weight and a little shorter than originals I have handled, but to my eye they make a nice looking and reasonably authentic appearing rifle. The triggers look a little clunky to me, but the originals were hand made and thus showed some variability, and this really is nit-picking. I don't remember what the tang looks like on the Dixie Mountain rifle. Some of the original Tennessee rifles I have seen had the classic "lollipop" tangs that extend almost to the comb, while others had a relatively shorter, pointed, "rat-tail" tang. Dixie did take the trouble to develop a proper British-looking lock for their mountain rifle... So many of the "southern" rifles you see nowadays have Siler locks, which are great for function, but their Germanic appearance is inappropriate for a southern mountain rifle. I missed the opportunity to buy one of these when they were in production, and I keep my eyes peeled for the right used one to come along. I would not mind having one of them. The length of pull (LOP) can be an issue for me, because I'm short by today's standards (probably about overage height for late 18th-early 19th centuries) and most production muzzleloaders have at least a 14" LOP. Around 13" fits me better, and I don't know the LOP on the Dixie Mountain Rifle. I would want to know before I bought one. It would be a deal-breaker.

Anyway, despite my best efforts, I have probably offended somebody. That was not my intention, nor do I want to come across as an "elitist." The original poster (OP) asked for opinions, and I offered mine, for what they are worth. I would just hate to see a younger fellow with limited funds, like the OP, invest in a rifle that might not, after all, really meet his needs.

You guys be safe!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob
 
Lol Notchy Bob, no offense here! Just confused!!! Lol
I’ve narrowed down my options! Thanks to all of you. It will definitely be a larger caliber.
 
There is a lot of good information presented here. However, I would strongly recommend that you check out Chris Hirsch's websites. Chris is a gunsmith (and banjo player, but we won't hold that against him...) in Sugar Land, Texas. The website, Texas Sporting Rifles, has an eye-popping display of muzzle-loading firearms with solid Texas provenance. Most of them are in fact half stocked "plains rifles," from about .44 caliber to .56 caliber. His companion website, The Texas Gun Trade, has some more information but is mostly to promote his book, The Texas Gun Trade, 1780-1899. The book will cost you $50, but if you are a Texan and interested in early Texas guns, I would recommend it to you. I'm not even a Texan, but I have a copy and enjoy reading through it and especially looking at the pictures.

However, if you are a reenactor, you will probably need to be part of an established "unit" or reenactment group in order to participate in any events, and they may have some guidelines or even requirements with regard to your choice of gun. You may want to check with groups in your area before buying the wrong kind of weapon.

Someone above recommended a southern mountain rifle. I would not argue with this, and might suggest, more specifically, a Tennessee rifle. A lot of immigrants coming to Texas just prior to its independence were from Tennessee. In fact, Elmer Kelton based his wonderful Sons of Texas trilogy on this phenomenon. These are the very books that got me back into muzzleloading some years ago, after a long hiatus.

Noah Smithwick, an early Texas pioneer who was also a blacksmith, gunsmith, and author of The Evolution of a State, wrote that the early Texans carried "... long single-barreled muzzle loading flintlock rifles, the same that our fathers won their independence with, and that the famous Kentucky brigade used with such telling effect in the battle of New Orleans..." (p.72). As a gunsmith, he said "I fixed up many an old gun that I wouldn't have picked up in the road, knowing that it was all that stood between a family and the gaunt wolf at the door, as well as the Indians." (p.8). Smithwick's recollections spanned the period from the Texas revolution to the opening days of the War Between the States, and I think that last quote may well apply to firearms of the period that interests you. The point being that many of the guns on the Texas frontier were probably not in very good shape, many of them probably served more than one generation of pioneers, and if you want to present an authentic impression, you might consider getting a shootable "beater." It would not be inconceivable for you to carry a flintlock.

Someone suggested a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. I would respectfully disagree. These are great rifles, and a real bargain whether new or used. However, they are not really very authentic, under close scrutiny. If you are hanging around with Civil War reenactors and you carry one of these, you'll probably never hear the end of it. Those guys can be very picky.

You might consider a military rifle. I doubt an Enfield would have made it to Texas during the period that interests you, but lots of the M1841 "Mississippi Rifles" found their way into civilian hands after the end of the Mexican War. Good quality reproductions are abundant, especially on the used gun market. These rifles are sturdy, easy to maintain, and eminently shootable. I believe the Mississippi rifle was the last rifle issued by the US government that was intended to be used with a patched round ball. When you are not reenacting, it would be more than "enough gun" for deer or even a jumbo "barr hog," like Howie reported shooting recently (his threads on that topic, on this board, are well worth reading). The M1841 was originally issued in .54 caliber, with a fixed "Kentucky style" rear sight. As the War of '61 really got going, many of them were fitted with long-range rear sights and bored out and re-rifled in .58 caliber by the US government arsenals to take the standard issue ammunition of the time. Reproductions are available in .54 and .58, but in portraying a Southerner before the war, the .54 with the early rear sight would be the obvious choice.

The M1842 .69 caliber smoothbore would also be a possible choice, if you are not determined to get a rifle. As with the Mississippi rifle, many of these ended up in civilian hands, and a lot of them were used by both sides in the early days of the War Between the States. You could even go back earlier... Many old and/or foreign muskets were converted to percussion and used in the war. We have a relic 1763 Brown Bess in the family, converted to percussion and bearing Confederate markings.

I don't know what your budget is, but you have a lot to consider. Whether you pick a small-bore squirrel rifle, a plains rifle, a Tennessee longrifle, or some sort of military firearm, it sounds to me as if a used gun might serve you well, and would likely be considerably cheaper than a new one. The Gun Works, out in Oregon, always has a good selection of used guns and they have an excellent reputation as a dealer. Track of the Wolf also maintains a good inventory of used guns worth browsing. I would also recommend Lodgewood Manufacturing, especially if you might consider a military type rifle or musket of the Civil War era. The proprietor is himself a gunsmith. I have dealt with Lodgewood and can recommend them. They have a lot of interesting used guns for sale right now, some with a lot of character.

Good luck in your quest! I'm sure we would all be interested in whatever you decide to get, so by all means keep us posted.

Notchy Bob
Thanks much! I was considering a MS or 1842, since the impression “character” is a MW vet and TX frontiersman. In E TX there’s a few “Call To Arms” events where it’s based on “enlistment” and “mustering up”, so a hodgepodge of attire and weaponry.
 
As a 6th generation Texan I would suggest a Mississippi rifle also.

My direct descendant grandfathers (same surname as mine all the way back) got to Texas in 1832. Among many things we have a record of him using a Mississippi rifle in a ranging company in the 1850s and he likely carried it early in the war.

There were two types of folks that emigrated to Texas, the dirt poor and the planter class that sold out their farms and moved lock, stock and barrel to Texas. So guns could run the gambit from barely serviceable barn guns to very nice bespoke rifles or smoothbores.

The grandfather I mentioned above served Texas from beginning to end in K Co, 28th Texas Cav. When he was mustered out in Anderson, Texas (the first military governor of Texas moved his HQ there from Houston for obvious reasons in the summer of 1865) he signed his oath to the United States. We have the original in the family. It is counter signed by the senior union officer present. The signature reads “G.A.C. Maj Gen, USA, Comdt.”

Small world back then.

I hunt with the rifle below. Barrel is an original, lock is dated 1852. Some furniture is original. The barrel was one of a couple thousand upgraded at Harpers Ferry with the 1855 sight so it has the proper site mounted, but it’s still a .54 and it will put a .535 ball into the palm of my hand all day long at 100 yards. I smile every time I shoot it.

887083B1-EE65-4262-B344-D72A64CCB234.jpeg
 
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One of the few, maybe only, rifles with Alamo provenance was a Dickert. There are lots of options for the OP. Texas in the 1850s must have been an amazing combination of Wild West Frontier and early Industrial Revolution.

One of the things that makes Texas unique to this day is the cultural impact of having been in a “frontier” state for almost 50 years from the 1830s to the 1880s. And with two frontiers at that, one with the hostile Indians and the second an almost open state of war with Mexico for nearly the same amount of time. Good horses and the latest in weapon tech were not luxuries...they were needed to survive.

One of my favorite quotes from an early Texas visitor was that it was “a Heaven for men and dogs, and a Hell for women and horses.”

With regards to caliber, heavier calibers were favored by Indian fighters and rangers. Heavily constructed guns that could survive falls from horseback and rough use, the same thoughts given to Plains rifles, were valued also. Which leads back to the 1841 again.

The primary design requirements for the Walker Colt as requested by experienced Texas Indian fighters was a heavier caliber to kill horses, a Comanche afoot is much less of a problem than mounted, and a sturdy pistol that could be used in hand to hand combat as a club.

Capt McCray demonstrates this nicely by correcting a “surly” bartender.
 
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TNGhost,

Thanks for your comments. First of all, I would like to say that the Lyman GPR is a nice rifle, and a proven game-getter. For the money, I don't think you can beat it. Its general lines and appearance make it look like what it is... a "great" Plains Rifle! However, the devil really is in the details.

Hard-core reenactors are a breed apart... Bless their hearts! The coil spring in the lock is not visible, so that should not be an issue, but it can be for some people. The factory sights, as you suggested, can be replaced with more authentic ones. Probably the most glaring inauthentic detail is in the area of the snail (photo from Track of the Wolf):

View attachment 28425
It is not well fitted to the lock plate, it looks unlike any historical snail I know of, and I don't think there is much you can do about it. I don't think old-time sporting rifles customarily had a clean-out screw like that, either.

The lock bolt on the GPR, as on the T/C rifles, screws into a boss in the center of the lock plate, which puts the (incorrect) round lock bolt escutcheon in the center of its panel (again, photo is from Track):

View attachment 28426

This makes sense from an engineering standpoint, as it distributes the tension equally around the lock plate in its mortise. Traditionally, however, the lock bolt would have screwed into a boss near the upper edge of the lock plate, which would put the lock bolt higher up.

Compared to original plains rifles, the GPR is a lightweight. Track says a .50 caliber GPR as in these photos averages 9.2 pounds, which is "a lot of gun," but original plains rifles frequently weighed eleven or twelve pounds. Francis Parkman's Hoffman & Campbell rifle, which he carried while horseback through all of his travels on the plains, weighed nearly 15 pounds!

The triggerguard on the GPR, I'm sure, was meant to look like a Hawken guard, but it attaches differently. Then there's the "graffiti" on the barrel. I'm sure experts on the subject could elaborate much further on these nit-picking details, but these are enough to drive people to spend $2,000.00+ for a historically accurate rifle from Brant Selb or John Bergmann when they could get a perfectly shootable GPR for a third of that, or less.

Regarding the Dixie Tennessee Mountain rifle, I have seen some of these but I've never shot one and don't own one. Like the GPR, these are relatively light weight and a little shorter than originals I have handled, but to my eye they make a nice looking and reasonably authentic appearing rifle. The triggers look a little clunky to me, but the originals were hand made and thus showed some variability, and this really is nit-picking. I don't remember what the tang looks like on the Dixie Mountain rifle. Some of the original Tennessee rifles I have seen had the classic "lollipop" tangs that extend almost to the comb, while others had a relatively shorter, pointed, "rat-tail" tang. Dixie did take the trouble to develop a proper British-looking lock for their mountain rifle... So many of the "southern" rifles you see nowadays have Siler locks, which are great for function, but their Germanic appearance is inappropriate for a southern mountain rifle. I missed the opportunity to buy one of these when they were in production, and I keep my eyes peeled for the right used one to come along. I would not mind having one of them. The length of pull (LOP) can be an issue for me, because I'm short by today's standards (probably about overage height for late 18th-early 19th centuries) and most production muzzleloaders have at least a 14" LOP. Around 13" fits me better, and I don't know the LOP on the Dixie Mountain Rifle. I would want to know before I bought one. It would be a deal-breaker.

Anyway, despite my best efforts, I have probably offended somebody. That was not my intention, nor do I want to come across as an "elitist." The original poster (OP) asked for opinions, and I offered mine, for what they are worth. I would just hate to see a younger fellow with limited funds, like the OP, invest in a rifle that might not, after all, really meet his needs.

You guys be safe!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob


Thanks for the response. No offense taken here, any time I can learn something it is a plus. I had heard about the pickiness of some reenactors, but didn't realize the extant of their exactness. It is well though that there are some who strive to keep history alive in a relatively accurate fashion.

It does beg another question though, in that it would seem that almost all, if not all production guns would have features that preclude their use. I am familiar with the "defarb" concept, but many replica firearms have built in obvious differences in weight and in dimension (some intentional to preclude fakery of originals). So it would seem that the only alternatives would be a completely scratch built custom gun, or an authentic original (which these days, given the price of even production guns, would seem viable, price wise). Would that be true?
 
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