Last night I was reading an article about the Cades Cove community in East Tennessee. There was a photo of one of the prominent families in the cove, dated 1930. The two older sons, as was the custom back then, were posing with their handguns prominently displayed, and one of these gentlemen was holding what appeared to be a K-frame S&W with a 5-inch barrel. Just above the web of his hand was what appeared to be the top "horn" of a Magna grip. Seems to me that 1930 was a bit early for Magna stocks. Anyone have an idea how this could be, or was the author mistaken in his dating of the photo?
EARLY Magnas?
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Correct, no Magna stocks in 1930, so they may have been custom or homemade larger-than-service stocks, or the photo's date is wrong.
Absalom
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Was it this photo by any chance? The guy and gun on the right matches your description.
The NPS archive calls it "around 1930". But according to the narrative the Tipton family was active in Cades Cove into the 1940s/50s, so that would reach into the magna timeframe. Could indeed be misdated.
The NPS archive calls it "around 1930". But according to the narrative the Tipton family was active in Cades Cove into the 1940s/50s, so that would reach into the magna timeframe. Could indeed be misdated.
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I can't tell about the grips but that is a pile of youngins.
I hope the guy on the right wasn't shot by either of his other two brothers pointing their guns at him with a finger on the trigger.
Quite a variety of handguns; the one in the middle looks like a Colt open top cartridge conversion from the early 1870's.
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Green Frog
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I have to wonder whether those guns were props provided by the photographer since their ages span nearly a century. Th lad on our right sure seems to be holding a post WW II revolver, while the one in the middle does indeed to seem to have a vintage 1870 or so Colt. I can't manipulate the image well enough on my iPad to comment on the revolver held by the gent on our left… it's just too dark and dim. He does have a nice mustache though. 
Froggie
Froggie
Froggie
Froggie
Future forum moderator there in the middle!
"Where's my gun dagnabit!!?" Lee?
Early Magnas
Yep. A different photo but of the same Tipton family. There weren't as many kids in the one I saw. There were traveling photographers in those days who would get the whole family out in the front yard and they would usually pose holding treasured possessions. Over in the mountains the men were almost always displaying their firearms, and the women often bibles or other books.
I suspect that the photos were actually taken later than described. The Great Smokies National Park was created in the early 1930s and most of the residents moved out of the cove. The Tipton homeplace is still there.
OP, didn't mean to hijack your thread! Us ol' mountain boys are still mighty proud of our S&Ws.....
Yep. A different photo but of the same Tipton family. There weren't as many kids in the one I saw. There were traveling photographers in those days who would get the whole family out in the front yard and they would usually pose holding treasured possessions. Over in the mountains the men were almost always displaying their firearms, and the women often bibles or other books.
I suspect that the photos were actually taken later than described. The Great Smokies National Park was created in the early 1930s and most of the residents moved out of the cove. The Tipton homeplace is still there.
OP, didn't mean to hijack your thread! Us ol' mountain boys are still mighty proud of our S&Ws.....
handejector
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StrawHat
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I have to wonder whether those guns were props provided by the photographer since their ages span nearly a century. Th lad on our right sure seems to be holding a post WW II revolver, while the one in the middle does indeed to seem to have a vintage 1870 or so Colt. I can't manipulate the image well enough on my iPad to comment on the revolver held by the gent on our left… it's just too dark and dim. He does have a nice mustache though.
Froggie
Froggie
Froggie,
I have S&W revolvers that easily span a century. Throw in my Colts and we go back even more. But, I am a collector.
The hill folks rarely disposed of anything that was still useful. As long as they had shells for the conversion, it would be useful and treasured. Besides, it may have been Gramps Civil War revolver that Pap had worked over!
Kevin
I can't see enough of the grips to make a call. The gun in the middle doesn't look like an open top to me, but it's hard to tell.
I will say, it's seems like the goomer in the back row on the right was a problem child. Looks like his folks dragged him around by the ears regularly!
I will say, it's seems like the goomer in the back row on the right was a problem child. Looks like his folks dragged him around by the ears regularly!
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