Looking for advice

[TeutonJohn]

I'm building a Lancaster Rifle with components from Pecatonica Long Rifles. I'm using a percussion lock, but I'd like this to be as historically accurate as I can. My question is the shape of the tang. Does anyone have any historical information about Lancaster rifles from the period 1830-1850? In that period was the tang squared in a dovetail shape or was it rounded as the inletting the stock shown in the photo? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rchas]

Flared tangs like you presently have tend to be earlier. Golden age (1790 - 1810 more or less...) tangs often had scalloped tangs, looking a little like a tulip shape. Later were often straight sided with a rounded end.

But, there were always exceptions. Fainot, for example, was a Lancaster smith who made at least one rifle with a tang shape best described as oval.

My suggestion, for what it's worth, would be to remove the flare and round the end. That would be pretty common for the time period you are thinking about.

 

[TeutonJohn]

Flared tangs like you presently have tend to be earlier. Golden age (1790 - 1810 more or less...) tangs often had scalloped tangs, looking a little like a tulip shape. Later were often straight sided with a rounded end.

But, there were always exceptions. Fainot, for example, was a Lancaster smith who made at least one rifle with a tang shape best described as oval.

My suggestion, for what it's worth, would be to remove the flare and round the end. That would be pretty common for the time period you are thinking about.

Thanks for your comment. I think that's the way I'll go