Why a smoothbore?

[Steven Goselin]

As a relative newcomer I have been trying to figure this out. Why a smoothbore? What is the rationale? I understand why the military in the 18th and early 19th century preferred a smoothbore. As a life long New Englander I understand that if you could only own one gun then a smoothbore had to be king in terms of putting meat on the table. Good for small game up to the largest and more then adequate for home defense. So I get why the poor or frugal farmer probably owned some type of fowler, but then I open up Rifles of Colonial America and I see many beautiful, elaborate and even ornate smoothbores. At that level why were they so popular? Again, I can understand that a more well heeled individual might want a fancier fowling piece. but if, as an example, I look at the Hermann Rupp rifle in Volume 1. It is not a fowler it is a rifle, with a smooth bore? Why was that? As usual I guess I don't know what I don't know. Maybe I should get a smoothbore and find out what I don't know.

[gunmaker]

Go with the last sentence....he-he...

[Stormrider51]

Hi Goose,
Ever seen a modern Perazzi shotgun?  They are works of art and way out of my price range but I had a customer who owned three.  Another customer owned a collection of upper-end Beretta O/U's.  The wealthy people of earlier times who could afford ornate muzzleloading rifles could also afford ornate smoothbores.

I've been shooting BP rifles for a long time.  Smoothbores never interested me until recently.  Now I'm wondering why I didn't pay attention sooner.  Rather than point out all the things a smoothie will do, let me simply point out the one thing a rifle does better.  It's more accurate a longer ranges.  If accuracy floats your boat like it did mine for so many years then you definitely need a rifle.  If you want a do-anything gun then a smoothbore might just be for you.

Storm

[Captchee]

First one has to understand that “smoothbore “ can mean many different things . What they all have in common though is that the barrel has no rifling .
 Case in point a Military musket is a smooth bore . But it wasn’t really designed to fire shot  other then possibly buck and ball loads
Then you have fowlers  which  basically are just what their name implies .  While they can shoot a RB , they were predominantly designed for  hunting birds  
 Then you have the trade guns which were kinda a balance between the two .

 Then you have  whats come to be known as the smooth rifle . Which basically is a rifle  type stock , with a smooth barrel . Sometimes these were  simply rifles whose  barrels had been shot out . RCA has a J Baum  which is a very good example of that .

 Most likely IMO the higher end smoothbores you see , were probably  ones used for fowling . The other possibility is that the owner  felt no real need for a rifled bore  as the range they normally took game  did not require the longer range accuracy of a rifle .
 The reality of it may in fact come down to much the same reasoning as those  who today own a shotgun , but don’t own a rifle or chose to own both  .

[Hanshi]

At normal woods ranges today, a smoothbore makes as good a deer shooter as a rifle.  Most of them can keep their shots on a milk jug at up to 50 yards and even farther.  If one hunts birds it's hard to beat shot loads in a smoothie.  Being a rifleman I own one smoothbore; a .62 (20ga) early American flintlock.  It works great on deer; but I still prefer my rifle.  And I like rifles for small game and turkey as well.  If you're a woods hunter and go for a variety of game, a smoothbore makes a lot of sense.  Mine wears a primitive rear notch like a rifle.

[Kermit]

Back "in the day," we're talking eastern woodlands, not open western prairie or mountains. There was Probably not a lot of need for many folks to own a rifle. I'm betting my Massachusets farming ancestors of the 17th and 18th centuries didn't hunt much, and when they did I'm betting birds. Where I lived (wet-stern Washington) during my hunting years, ranges were seldom even 50 yards. I took deer and elk as close as 15 yards--hardly rifle range. While I had rifles, my 20ga fowling piece and my .50cal smoothrifle became the hunting guns.

[Hanshi]

Gotta admit I've taken deer from ranges of about 7 feet to 100 yards some of these with a handgun.  But the average shot is more like 25 to 35 yards and well within the ability of a smoothbore.  If all I had to hunt with was a flint smoothbore, I wouldn't consider myself in any way handicapped.

[Stormrider51]

There's a number of things that came together when it came to me and a smoothbore.  The range at which I've taken deer here in Central Texas was never much over 75 yards even with a rifle.  Add to that the fact that my eyes aren't what they used to be so with open sights I'm going to limit my shots to not more than 50 yards now.  My Brown Bess is more than capable of putting that .75 cal ball in the chest cavity of a deer at that distance if I do my part.  And finally, just try shooting shot loads from a rifle!

Storm

[mario]

As a relative newcomer I have been trying to figure this out. Why a smoothbore? What is the rationale?

Versatility plays a huge part, as you mentioned. But even more-so, heritage. The 18th century  New Englander  is descended from Englishmen. England (to include Scotland, Wales, etc) was not rifle country.

In Europe, rifles came from a fairly small area of Germany/Switzerland. When immigrants from those areas came here (mostly to PA) they brought the rifle with them and it simply grew from there.

Then there is also the fact that colonial militia laws REQUIRED a smoothbore firelock. At least one (NJ) actually fined you for showing up with a rifle.

So I get why the poor or frugal farmer probably owned some type of fowler, but then I open up Rifles of Colonial America and I see many beautiful, elaborate and even ornate smoothbores. At that level why were they so popular? Again, I can understand that a more well heeled individual might want a fancier fowling piece. but if, as an example, I look at the Hermann Rupp rifle in Volume 1. It is not a fowler it is a rifle, with a smooth bore? Why was that? As usual I guess I don't know what I don't know. Maybe I should get a smoothbore and find out what I don't know.

I can be argued that many "smoothrifles" were originally rifles, as stated.

Although they did exist in some areas/times:

"The Smooth Bore Rifle you mention would not answer for our trade...When the Indians use a rifle, it must be a real one, and they will not carry a Smooth bore of such weight so long as they can get a North West Gun."

President of the American Fur Co. to James Henry, 1840.

Mario

[Steven Goselin]

A lot of great points. Thanks to all for the info.

[Feltwad]

Give me a sxs or a s/b percussion or flintlock shotgun any time for game either walking up or driven of course has a patriot it would have to be by a English maker or a top provincial maker.
Feltwad

A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door

A Stand of English Sporting Guns

[Kermit]

I'm living on the wrong side of the pond, apparently. Your photos are inspiring of covetousness.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

Several years ago I stumbled across this book;
"A Danvis Pioneer a story of one of Ethen Allen's
Green Mountain Boys" by Rowland E. Robinson
A Danvis pioneer; a story of one of Ethan Allen's Green mountain boys : Robinson, Rowland Evans, 1833-1900 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
It's free and can be downloaded as a PDF or for your kindle...
Chapter XII is titled "The Smoothbore. It describes the main
character's decision and why he made the choice he did.
The whole book is a good read.

hankaye

[Detached]

Excellent! I've been doing some reading of old as of late, this will go nicely in my favorites library!

[snake eyes]

Hankaye,
              [/color]