South Carolina Flintlock

[Bill Bryan]

I've built several Kentucky flintlock pistol kits over the years and I'm ready to do a rifle. I grew up along the coast of South Carolina and now live in southern Georgia. I wonder what type/style/caliber of a rifle my Revolutionary War forefathers would have carried in the back woods and who sells a kit for it?

 

[Trot]

By kit, do you mean one of the factory built guns that just needs assembly and wood and metal finishing, or one of the parts sets that require major inletting, drilling, tapping, stock shaping, cutting dovetails, breaching barrel, etc.? If it is one of the factory kits, I don't think you will find anything appropriate. If you want the parts set, I would think one of the earlier styles of Virginia rifle might be appropriate.

 

[rich pierce]

Trot gave good advice. There are few Southern Revolutionary War era longrifles that can be linked to anywhere but Virginia. For best authenticity look to the Chambers Mark Silver rifle which is based on an early Virginia-attributed rifle. Many/most other "Early Virginia" kits offered are very generic and not closely patterned after any particular originals. Don't trust the seller to say it's right w/o providing some documentation.

On the other hand an English smoothbore trade gun or English fowling piece would be common in your area.

 

[Robby]

Bill, There is a book, "North Carolina Schools Of Longrifles 1765-1865" by William Ivey that should give you the flavor of the type of guns were made around there in that era and later, mostly later. It's jam packed with beautiful photographs and historical information, a very high quality book.
Not exactly what your looking for but close.
Robby

 

[Stophel]

Only one I know of that COULD be from South Carolina, and that is the spectacular "John Thomas" rifle... or rather, what's left of it, having been seriously messed up....er, I mean, "improved"... It's "Rifles of Colonial America Gun No. 121". Made right at the outbreak of war, no doubt, and then captured and sent to dreary olde England.