Colonial militia rifles

[rt6425]

I have finished my first flintlock kit and enjoyed the process of it. I want to make a flintlock rifle that is period correct for the New England town and state militias. I know that they probably had different makers make rifles, but I know that they were all pretty similar. What kits are out there? I would like to have something other than pedersoli as I want a bit more of a challenge.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Brown Bess or a fowling piece of some sort

 

[tenngun]

Rifles were not popular in the New England area. John Adams’s describe them to Abigail and greatly impressed when he saw Virginia militia men with them.
Track of the wolf offers a colonial and an English style fowler both the type of arms . A French fusil de chase may have made its way in to New England but would be especially rare.
Many French muskets were captured and did make it in to armories so a militia man may have had one from the French and Indian war, but again would be rare. Old besses were likewise found in armories and may be put in a militia man’s hands.

 

[Tumbledown]

If you are looking for Revolutionary War era, rifles were virtually unknown in New England at that time.

Now, in the early 1800s, the militia system was still in effect and there were quite a few rifles made for militia use, particularly in Massachusetts.

 

[tenngun]

Track of the wolf and sitting fox

 

[ronaldrothb49]

In Rifles of Colonial America Shumway points out that the predominant gun in the New England area was the fowler. He goes on to stat he had seen a few guns made in the style of a fowler but they had a rifled barrel.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have finished my first flintlock kit and enjoyed the process of it. I want to make a flintlock rifle that is period correct for the New England town and state militias. I know that they probably had different makers make rifles, but I know that they were all pretty similar. What kits are out there? I would like to have something other than pedersoli as I want a bit more of a challenge.

To be correct for a New England militia firearm, that firearm would be a smoothbore. Track's English or the similar Pecatonica version would be the correct militia piece.

 

[rich pierce]

A lot of rifles were made in New England post 1800.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I have finished my first flintlock kit and enjoyed the process of it. I want to make a flintlock rifle that is period correct for the New England town and state militias. I know that they probably had different makers make rifles, but I know that they were all pretty similar. What kits are out there? I would like to have something other than pedersoli as I want a bit more of a challenge.

What period are you looking into? That’s the first question.

 

[rt6425]

What period are you looking into? That’s the first question.

I’m looking into 1770s

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I’m looking into 1770s

No rifles in NE in that time period. Fowling gun culture.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
As Mike and others wrote, rifles were not well known in colonial New England. However, there is the "Thomas Tileston" rifle dated 1771(?) that looks like a Pennsylvania long rifle but stocked in cherry. It is iron mounted. However, I do not believe there is consensus about where and by whom that rifle was made. Regardless, the operative question in the OP's original post is what was carried by colonial militias. Colonial NE militias would not know what to do with a rifleman in their ranks. Likely, if a militiaman showed up carrying a rifle, an officer would take it away and hand him a musket.

An old French or British musket, a musket locally made from old French, Dutch, or British parts, or some sort of locally made or imported fowler would be the likely options.

dave

 

[rich pierce]

If you want something New England specific, Grinslade’s book on colonial fowlers is the best value resource.