Would it be a "stretch" to have a Tulle styled smooth rifle?
I am interested in the Rev. War period and into the early 1800's as a reenactor. Portraying a common hunter or farmer on the frontier.
I like the Tulle but would prefer having made a smooth rifle to a smooth bore. Thinking that any working firearm would be, could be, converted to fit the need of the owner with consideration given to cost.
Any thoughts, opinions etc. appreciated.
Thank you.

A smooth rifle is a rifle-built gun without a rifled barrel--that is it looks like a rifle in architecture and has a rear sight, often a patchbox, etc. A "Tulle" [really a town/manufacturer in France, not a gun] fusil is a musket-like smoothbore gun with a different architecture. I have seen some made with rear sights and even a rifled barrel. The French stock design certainly influenced early American rifles and cetainly influenced New England fowlers. But I am not sure how this relates to your question, because I am not sure what you are really asking? A Tulle fusil de chasse, for example is already a smoothbore and will fire a round ball or shot. If you are asking can you add sights and a patchbox, I have not seen such a gun. If you are asking about a rifle with no rifling and similar butt style--look at Allentown/Bethlehem/Lehigh region rifles...

Hey Scout welcome to the campfire . getting to your question i have a wilson model indian chief grade musket made by



Hey Scout welcome to the campfire. Getting to your question i have a 62cal swmoothbore musket made by Cawood it's the wilson indian trade gun chiefs model it has a rear sight it also documented to the 1750's is this what you are looking for because a Tulle is a smoothbore as Mike has stated and it isn't in the same class as mine mine looks like a rifle and not a fowler ' What will you be using it for hunting renacting or just shooting



caywood

Frontier life and modification of any firearm to that life should be acceptable for any re-enactment society. However you might get the occasional, "what's that rear sight doin on that smoothbore, that ain't historically accurate" Well, the frontiersmen adapted his firearm anyway he wanted to and if he wanted a rear sight well they generally had the means to do it or a neighbor could have done it for him whether or not it was correctly or incorrectly fitted to the top of the barrel.
I don't know how receptive some of these re-enactor societies are to these home spun remedies that probably took place up and down the frontier for centuries.

Scout,
There are photos of NW trade guns that have rear sights made by cutting a slit across the barrel, disrupting the metal upwards, and filing a notch. I can't swear to anything on other guns, but I'd be surprised if a few rear sights weren't created on smoothbores.
In any case, people can shoot a patched round ball from a smooth-bore quite effectively out to 50 yars and beyond. Military target practice even with the Brown Bess was done, and soldiers could hit the mark once in a while out to 100 yards.

Dick

...rear sights have been put on both french fusils and on fowlers and that makes neither of them "smoothrifles' which were architecturally different--it does however make them easier to sight for rd ball shooting. To repeat, a smoothrifle is built like a rifle except for the smoothbore, and is not fowler/fusil-like. the former is typically heavier/more substantial and thicker barreled.

quote:

Originally posted by Crawdad:
Frontier life and modification of any firearm to that life should be acceptable for any re-enactment society. However you might get the occasional, "what's that rear sight doin on that smoothbore, that ain't historically accurate" Well, the frontiersmen adapted his firearm anyway he wanted to and if he wanted a rear sight well they generally had the means to do it or a neighbor could have done it for him whether or not it was correctly or incorrectly fitted to the top of the barrel.
I don't know how receptive some of these re-enactor societies are to these home spun remedies that probably took place up and down the frontier for centuries.

While your comments are on mark, I'm sure the reason for the 'no rear sight' rule for smoothie matches is to level the playing field for all competitiors. To say rear sights are 'not authentic' is, of course, not correct.

I see and yes I would definitely agree with that concerning the competitions. A rear sight on a smoothbore would give the competitor an added advantage.

I was at a shoot this summer and they had separate smoothbore matches for those with rear sights, and those without rear sights.
Sparks

You might try a smoothbore of your liking you may find it does very well, you can always add a rear sight later to aid in accuracy,as mentioned it would not be a smoothrifle,I find the Pied De Vache stock shoots very well for me some do not like that style.

Thank you all for your information and opinions.
I hope that others will add to this inquiry of mine.
I am still considering what direction to take and hopefully make a decision that is right for me and still be considered a period representation.
More replies are encouraged and welcomed.
Thank you.

Scout53,

If you're looking for a period correct smooth rifle, you might want to give Jim Chambers' Flintlocks web-site a look. The Chambers "Smooth Rifle" is an excellent example of a pre-revolution smooth rifle that has documentation in Shumway's "Rifles of Colonial America." This gun was attributed to John Newcomber of Lancaster, PA Ca. 1760-1770. The rifle can be given a slightly more riflelike appearance by ordering this kit with the Lancaster style triggerguard from Chamber's Lancaster kit. Whenever I carried mine to an event it got plenty of attention and praise from some of the strictest authenticity critics back east. It's very slender and that appearance is enhanced by the long 46", octagon to round, 20 Ga. barrel that is standard. I found this rifle to be quite accurate and was able to regularly keep a patched RB in a three inch circle @ 50 yds. I also built mine with a sliding wood patchbox. If you have reasonable skill using hand tools and access to a drill press you should be able to construct this project without undue problems. If this style meets your needs it's well worth the time and expense.

Best Regards,
Rod Shields (Tenthumbs)

Crawdad,
"Well, the frontiersmen adapted his firearm anyway he wanted to..."

Maybe...certainly not the norm.


"...I don't know how receptive some of these re-enactor societies are to these home spun remedies that probably took place up and down the frontier for centuries."

If they'da had it, they'da used it!"

There are certain things that are not historically correct no matter what. Speculation can only take us so far towards authenticity.