southern transition

[wadedog]

what is a southern transition rifle.

[jbullard1]

what is a southern transition rifle.

Good Question
I have no idea

[SAWMA]

I think its the change to a truly american made longrifle in style. Transitional might have more of a German influence in stock shape for example, but i'm just guess'in!

[rich pierce]

Most folks mean "early" (1750-1770) when they say "transitional" regarding rifles made in America.  "Transitional" is based on the notion that the 1780's-1800 longrifle evolved smoothly from a "jaeger" rifle of short barrel, stout architecture and big bore.  The old tale goes that American colonists had inferior powder,  a shortage of lead, and noticed how sweet handling those long English fowlers were.  So, when they built rifles they lengthened the barrels, reduced the powder charges, reduced bore size, and leaned the guns down and "voila" we have the American longrifle.  We now know that is a nice fairy tale.  There were long "jaegers" made in the Germanic countries in the early to late 1700's and Germanic fowlers have always been long.  We don't know why the longrifle sprung forth; we're just glad it did.  And there are paltry few original rifles that nicely fit the "transitional" definition, unless you consider that the architecture of the "Marshall rifle" and a few others would fit in well enough in Europe.  I prefer "mid 18th century" or "third quarter 18th century" to "transitional".  Ok, done with sermonizing- you just wanted to know what "transitional" means in this context.

Most "transitional" rifles built today will be of .50 caliber or greater, and will have barrels 42" or shorter.  The barrels will be substantial in diameter at the breech and be swamped.  The locks will be of mid 18th century styling, and the furniture will be of "early" styling.  Often the guard will stand high off the wrist and the buttpiece will have little curvature and be broad and tall.  Patchboxes will be sliding wooden patchboxes or early simple brass boxes which may have non-standard catches and release mechanisms.

A Virginia "transitional" rifle may have an early English lock and some English styling elements such as fan or shell-shaped carving at the tang.  Many are based on the "Faber" rifle.

Go to http://www.flintlocks.com , Jim Chambers' site, and look up the Mark Silver rifle  http://www.flintlocks.com/RK-08.htm  and this will get your juices flowing.

[wadedog]

wow those do get the juice flowing, thanks for the link.

I'm taking the advice from several of you wise men on here and it looks like i will need a bigger book case soon,lol.
I own a traditions penn percussion rifle that i bought years ago without thinking of re enacting but now i wish i had waited ,so i'm trying to not think about buying another gun right away till i know what i want or need. ( unless someone offers me a deal on my gun ) I don't even know how to go about selling my gun really.

[rich pierce]

Every black powder gun, whether mass-produced or custom, has the ability to act as a time machine for many of us.  Enjoy your gun and shooting and don't regret a minute; that's my advice.  If you get to the place where you "need" something different and everything comes together to make that possible, there are some good options out there, from buying a kit and assembling that, to an unfinished or finished gun by some of the good outfits out there, to a full on, custom rifle.  Whatever you choose, it's the man behind the rifle, not the rifle, who decides whether he's enjoying himself.

[tg]

The transitional thin is an odd duck, the Shruet gun is supposed to,be one of the earlier full blown ASmerican long rilfes, if you put the short Jaegar out of  your mind and consider the long rifle guns and a couple of hundered yeats of long barreled smootbore guns, there is a valid theory that the main thing that created the longrifle was to start with a long fowler/hunting gun smoothbore, adding the rifing and a cheekpiece and gaurd rail and rear sight for easier aimimg, it was likely something that started here abd there and grew the "developed from the short German guns"
is lioke something out of a 4th grade history book, way oversimplified.

[IronDawg]

Every black powder gun, whether mass-produced or custom, has the ability to act as a time machine for many of us.  Enjoy your gun and shooting and don't regret a minute; that's my advice.  If you get to the place where you "need" something different and everything comes together to make that possible, there are some good options out there, from buying a kit and assembling that, to an unfinished or finished gun by some of the good outfits out there, to a full on, custom rifle.  Whatever you choose, it's the man behind the rifle, not the rifle, who decides whether he's enjoying himself.

Thats a great piece of advice.

My flinter is a southern mountain rifle Built by a local fella in Union County. It is a remake of an original rifle built by John Gillespie in Union county circa 1850. My butt plate and hand hook (I think thats whatcha call it) came off of a salvaged original Gillespie built around 1850. So there's 2 pieces of metal on my rifle that are over 159 yrs old. I catch myself looking and wondering alot about just where that butt plate has been.

[wadedog]

sounds cool dawg, can you post a pic.

[IronDawg]

Pic of what Dog?? The butt plate or the whole rifle?/ whole rifle is ALMOST on the "I have regressed" thread. It's too long to get the whole thing in one pic.

[wadedog]

lol, Yes the rifle.
maybe you could turn the pic long ways and we could scroll down the links and see the whole thing,lol.
good one.