Use of "tacks" on a stock???

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks Bill, but I saw that one too and that's not it.
Although I do think, for whatever reason, that tacks likely look better on a Tradegun than any other gun.
I suspect that thought comes from seeing my very first tack gun, it was on a Tradegun, and it didn't have any fleas on it.

If I'm not real badly mistaken the gun I'm referring to that the tacks were on, was either a New Englander, or heck, it might have even been a Renegade, I just can't remember.
I do remember the gun itself was very plain, very plain, and the tacks were small, and not a whole lot of 'em...enough to catch the eye but nothing sensational otherwise.
Really hard to explain. That's why I was trying to cheat a little bit in hopes that I could see it again.

After reading what everyone has had to say about this, I am once again in doubt......
I have never seen myself as a really creative person, I have a total lack of imagination on something like this, something that I could call my very own design...sooo, lacking all the necessary ingredients, I will likely just leave well enough alone and move on to something else.

I should be putting the finishing touches on my bamboo backed Osage Bow, or packing that stock for shipping, but instead, here I am cluttering my mind with a thought that has come and gone no less than a dozen times over the past fifty or so years. Old age is not for sissies, but I have always heard that if you don't keep the ol' mind busy, she'll leave ya for sure.
Never really heard if you can wear one out or not, but I would imagine one could.

Thanks fellas!  

Uncle Russ...

[cb]

There are real brass tacks of two different heads - those with a solid brass head and steel shank that date to the 1870's as the earliest usage of this type, and the earlier real McCoy for pre-1870 have  solid brass head & solid brass square shank.
For earlier periods the low dome tacks are also the most common type and the most common sizes were 1/4-5/16" and the slightly larger 3/8-7/16" sizes. These are still available from Londonderry Brasses, Ltd but be forewarned they are very expensive at $1.00-1.15 a piece.
Also they are soft and want to flatten out so you need to set with a domed tool or if you really want to get correct fill the inside of the head with lead.
The steel shank solid brass head (don't use plated it wears off really quick)are much less expensive (I get mine from Crazy Crow and mostly use the low dome - high dome and the cone head tacks are again post 1870 or so) and while not an exact match to the square shanks the common solid brass head with steel  are close enough for all, but the most discriminating user and or for use on restoration or museum quality reproductions.

here's a pic of original trade gun tack patterns:


One thing I like to do is mix sizes in a pattern - IMO it gives more "3D effect" to my eye:
This is my tacked smoothbore and you can see the mixed design I used - 7/16", 5/16", along with 18 ga and 14 ga brass brads (again from CC)


Now I like the look of tacks and since my heritage is mixed blood I use them which is very HC, but as Capt Chee noted it's what YOU like in this case that matters (a note: the heavy use of tacks on guns and other gear came post 1840, prior to that most tacking was minimalistic in comparison to some of the later pieces - only caveat if you have a beard it is generally best not to put them on the cheek piece side although I set them so the edge of the head is slightly inletted in the wood so no beard pull even if I wind up shooting from the off side.

BTW - when looking at original gear or the artifakes seen so often on EBay etc, it's usually quite easy to tell when they've used steel shank tacks - if they are hammered on too hard the steel shank will push up on the brass head enough to form a teat that is quite obvious if you know what to look for - I've seen a lot of the artifakes claiming to be from the pre-1870's era with steel shank tacks.

Here's some pics of a cheap re-stocked Dixie Lancaster that I "Indianized" with not only tacks but rawhide repairs - typical of many 19th Century Indian guns which have seen heavy use.

[Bigsmoke]

Russ,
By all means use solid brass tacks.  When the brass finish starts to wear off, nothing says "tacky" like rusty tacks.
Used to know where to get the darn things, but its been a long, long while.

[Uncle Russ]

Now we're getting somewhere!
It's going to be real brass tacks if it happens.

What do you guys think about the 4th one down in the drawings....on a short stocked plains type rifle, ie Renegade?

Uncle Russ...

[gunmaker]

That's close to what I had in mind Russ, 4-6 on fore arm & a cross on butt stock, maybe a line of 4-6 on top of stock from plate forward.  Get solid brass for sure. are you right handed  NO tacks under your cheek.   ....Tom

[2 Locks]

I agree Russ, too many tacks can push a gun over the top for my liking.

About 20 posts down in this thread are some examples I posted a while back, that I think fall into that "just right" category:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=12954

[sgjames]

just want to let you all know, that the last post (prior to this) is over 2 years old. It is still providing the newbies and less experienced. Thanks for the pics, and info, as I benefit greatly from the insight. Just goes to show that even though what was typed and shared was seemingly short lived and a while ago, knowledge lives on.

[Eric Krewson]

Here is an old Gustomsky trade gun a friend gave me that has a tastefully done tack job.

[Roaddog]

I like that Eric! Just the right amount to make it classy not gody.

[ridjrunr]

This photo ,although not in detail,shows a couple of long guns I thought were tastefully done. Even if they are " backwards"  

[sse]

Here is an old Gustomsky trade gun a friend gave me that has a tastefully done tack job.

That looks great...