Rifles of the early Texas Rangers

What would've been the most deployed early Texas Ranger long arm, 1821-1830 ? This is the earliest picture I could find, maybe Civil War era ? Am seeing three half-stock percussion rifles (Hawkens, Deringer ?), a dbl bbl shotgun and something that might be a Henry Rifle ? Interestingly, it's relatively easy to find listings of Rangers pistols but I couldn't find any such as it relates to long arms. Could it be they weren't issued long arms at all, using anything they chose ?

Chris Hirsch would be the one to ask. I don't think he posts on this forum, but he is sometimes on the ALR website.

If you Google "the Texas Gun Trade 1780-1899" you should find his website and contact information. His book, The Texas Gun Trade 1780-1899 is probably the definitive work on guns of the early Texas frontier.

I did some reading on the Texas Rangers a while back, and I'm inclined to believe they furnished their own arms in the early days. I'll need to double-check that. The long arms in the photo look like sporting arms to me, rather than military issue.

Regarding dates, it is generally accepted that Stephen F. Austin organized the first informal ranger companies in 1823, with an official founding date in 1835.

You've probably already seen the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum website at www.texasranger.org They have a nice section on Historic Firearms, but, as you said, the focus is mostly on handguns for the early period of the Rangers' history.

This may turn into an interesting discussion. Thanks for introducing the topic!

Notchy Bob

Thanks Notchy Bob, great info as always. I hope you’re right that those knowledgeable souls will weigh in. As I mentioned in my original post I think it’s possible the Rangers weren’t issued military long arms, or any long arms at all. This would effectively mean that when you joined you brought your rifle, sporting or otherwise with you. Plus I’m not sure there was a distinction between military and sporting arms when it came to practicality on the early Tex/ Mex border.

Notchy Bob said:

Chris Hirsch would be the one to ask. I don't think he posts on this forum, but he is sometimes on the ALR website.

If you Google "the Texas Gun Trade 1780-1899" you should find his website and contact information. His book, The Texas Gun Trade 1780-1899 is probably the definitive work on guns of the early Texas frontier.

I did some reading on the Texas Rangers a while back, and I'm inclined to believe they furnished their own arms in the early days. I'll need to double-check that. The long arms in the photo look like sporting arms to me, rather than military issue.

Regarding dates, it is generally accepted that Stephen F. Austin organized the first informal ranger companies in 1823, with an official founding date in 1835.

You've probably already seen the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum website at www.texasranger.org They have a nice section on Historic Firearms, but, as you said, the focus is mostly on handguns for the early period of the Rangers' history.

This may turn into an interesting discussion. Thanks for introducing the topic!

Notchy Bob

Click to expand...

Here is a link to Mr. Hirsch's website: Texas Gun Trade: Sporting Rifles

I don't find anything to answer the question regarding long arms for the early Texas Rangers, but there is a lot of information there about the guns that were available on the early Texas frontier. If we can find transcripts of the actual papers issued by Stephen Austin for formation of the ranging companies, he might have specified how they were to be armed.

I think in that early, 1821-1830 period that was mentioned, the rangers and frontiersmen would have most likely been carrying flintlocks. Here is a quote from Noah Smithwick's Evolution of a State, concerning arms carried during the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836:


"...long, single-barreled muzzle-loading flintlock rifles..." This .51 caliber rifle, marked G. ERICHSON HOUSTON, TEXAS may be similar to what Smithwick was describing:



Interestingly, it is a half-stocked flinter. Questions come up now and then about these, and whether or not they existed. This one is thought to have been restocked, which has been described in several period accounts of life on the frontier, but it was not converted to percussion. These half-stocked flintlocks might not have been common, but they surely existed.

The next one shown is a .50 caliber plains rifle made by Jacob Linn of San Antonio. One is actually dated 1851, so it is of a style later than the 1821-1830 period, but it looks like the type carried by the fellows in the image.



The .56 caliber Texas-made rifle below is marked E. KRAUSKOPF A FRIEDRICHSBERG. Based on accounts I have read of the western frontier, rifles of around 40 [0.488"] to 60 [0.427"] balls to the pound were considered adequate for big game. This .56 caliber rifle would have used balls of around 28 to the pound, or 0.550", I'm guessing. The early Texans liked big bores! I think this was probably not just for hunting, but for fighting. In those days, when everybody was mounted, guns had to be big enough to take out a horse. If you kill the horse, which is a bigger target, you have effectively taken out its rider. It sounds brutal, and it was, but that was the reality of life on the frontier. I believe the early Texas Rangers were actually employed more as Indian fighters than law enforcement officers, and the Comanches with whom they did battle were famous horsemen. I will say most of this is "informed speculation" on my part. I'm not saying any of the guns above actually did service in the hands of early Texas Rangers, but I believe they could have.



Note the scrolled triggerguard. The Hawken brothers were not the only ones to use this, and Mr. Hirsch shows several rifles with Texas affiliations that have this feature.

I know we have a few Texans on this board, ardent students of Texas history. I hope they will contribute to the discussion, maybe add some thoughts and correct my errors.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

Bob,
As always, stellar info. I wonder if I should post this over at American Longrifles ? See the list below I found at TexasRanger.org. This for me confirms the idea that long arms weren't issued at all until possibly 1860 ( Henry rifle), unless you count the Colts Revolving rifle.
Long arms of the period were so prolific ( every farmer, every hunter, every sportsman) had their own as a matter of living on any frontier. It makes sense then that when the Texas Rangers were formed every man would've had the long arm as a matter of course.
Handguns were definitely not prolific , a farmer for instance may not ever have owned a handgun over the course of his life. But he for sure had a rifle, a smoothbore or a shotgun. One of the opening scenes of the Clint Eastwood movie Josie Wales shows the character retrieving a revolver and holster from the burning wreckage of his farm, set ablaze by the 'Red Legs'. What was this poor dirt farmer doing with a handgun and holster, versus a shotgun ?

Early Texas Rangers (1823-1871)
Handguns

• 1846 Colt Walker
• 1851 Colt Navy
• 1860 Colt Army
• 1861 Colt Navy
• Colt Dragoon Revolvers

Longarms

• 1860 Henry Rifle
• Edwin Wesson Rifle, Capt. Jack Hays
• Colt revolvers with detachable shoulder stocks

Colt Revolving Rifle