Poorboy or barn gun rifles

[desertpyrate]

From what I've always heard, a barn gun or poorboy wasn't a gun with most parts made yourself, or without frills. Instead, it was a gun cobbled together from several broken firearms. Lock from one, barrel from another, etc. One went up on ebay a while ago that had additionally been chopped down to pistol form... didn't save the picture and now it's off the site, unfortunately.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

**SNIP**
I'm also tempted (tempted only) to do an "aging" process much akin to what our friend and mentor Stumblin' Buffler did in the last article in Buckskinner.

The thought is seriously there.

I'd have a tough time taking a chain to a premium piece of wood like that. The piece turned out like he wanted to, but to beat it with a chain? I'd even have a hard time watching that.

 

[BLAHMAN]

**SNIP**
I'm also tempted (tempted only) to do an "aging" process much akin to what our friend and mentor Stumblin' Buffler did in the last article in Buckskinner.

The thought is seriously there.

I'd have a tough time taking a chain to a premium piece of wood like that. The piece turned out like he wanted to, but to beat it with a chain? I'd even have a hard time watching that.

The piece of wood I'll use isn't all that pretty, it's somewhat plain. I don't think I'll beat it wit a chain, I will, however, drop it on my gravel drive, drag it around the yard, things of that nature.

 

[dlemaster]

Stumpkiller: Here Here! Well said, loved your illustrations.
There are a couple of Long rifles in existence with good provenance associated with known Frontiersmen from the 18th century.
One example that comes to mind is the Adam Poe Rifle.
Adam and his brother Andrew lived at Wheeling Va. (now W. Va.) in the 1780's which was as far out on the frontier as you could get.
These men where consumate frontiersmen in the mould of men like David Duncan, Lewis Whetzel, and Simon Kenton.
In Henry Howe's "History of Ohio" he tells the story of how the Poe brothers discovered the camp of some indians on the West side of the Ohio who were raiding the settlements on the East side. They laid an ambush and had a tremendous fight with the indians, including some fierce hand to hand fighting.
This rifle was there, it is an early Lancaster style rifle, very wide flat butt plate, brass daisy finial patchbox, and good carving.
These men were not wealthy or elite, they were the type of men who built this country, poor and uneducated, and yet Adam owned and used a rifle that we would call a "fine rifle" today.
I believe this type of gun was more common on the frontier than not.
If anyone gets the chance check out the rifle and the story and let me know what you think.
I feel when you look at the Adam Poe Rifle you are looking at a typical rifle used on the frontier.

Regards, Dave

 

[loojack]

Track Of The Wolf has an interesting gun on their web site. Click on Flintlock Guns, then flintlock smoothbores,#AAA-661. It's called Antique Poor-boy .50 cal. smooth bore, restocked mid 1800. Looks like the type of gun we're discussing here. It looks later to me because the lock has a round tail, which I believe to be 19th century.(Correct me if I'm wrong). It has a octagon to round smooth barrel, plain maple stock, no butt plate,and a simple trigger guard...loojack

 

[rich pierce]

Very relevant as this seems to have been rebuilt from cobbled together parts, an old barrel, etc., at a much later period than the gun the original barrel came from.

We started this discussion talking about the prevalence or lack therof of early (Revolutionary War and earlier) guns of this "type"- lacking basic furniture elements. Those are still rare as hen's teeth.

I like the gun, though and wonder what it sold for, money-wise.

 

[BLAHMAN]

That looks very interesting, that smoothbore poorboy at TOTW. Tempting to build something like that and see if it could be passed off as an antique.....just for sh*ts and giggles.

 

[Okwaho]

I don't know what TOW was asking for that "poor boy" but the barrel if it's right is probably worth about $200-300.00 any way maybe $400.00. I would have to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself before I put more than $400.00 in it and then only because of the barrel.That's not a restock unless you call gathering up a sack of odd parts and building a gun around an old barrel a restock.It's surely not to me.It's exactly what I have always thought a "poor boy"was,a crude, plain, and very inexpensive gun.
Tom Patton
:m2c: