Rifles of this period usually show strong influence of their European ancestry. They may be smoothbore or rifled. Generally the barrels have a pronounced taper and flare. The stocks were wide and heavy at the butt. Butt plates were usually fairly flat. The wrist areas of these guns were frequently wider than high. They were adorned with incised or raised carving or a combination of both. These early guns show the evolution of the longrifle from it earliest to the fully evolved form.
