This attractive Southern Mountain rifle is stocked in curly maple with a warm brown town and darker brown iron furniture. Often referred to as a Tennessee style, antique Tennessee flint rifles were often equipped with imported English locks, this Southern rifle is fitted with a L&R Durs Egg percussion lock, shaped to look like a flint conversion with a Germanic style bolster. The double lever double set triggers are tuned to fire set, or unset. This rifle does have one feature that is not often encountered today. The drum is vented with a angled drilled hole away from the shooter. This handsome rifle weighs 8.6 pounds and a has a 13-3/4" trigger reach to fit today's average size shooter.
The 40" long .50 caliber barrel is just under 1" at the breech tapering to 7/8" at the muzzle. The bore is cut rifled with seven lands and grooves with square bottom rifling with a slow twist ideal for a tightly patched round ball. The bore is mirror bright and has been well maintained. The notes included with the rifle indicate this is Green River Rifle Works barrel, but it does not have any visible markings on the exposed surfaces. The barrel is dovetailed with a semi buck horn rear sight 11" ahead of the breech. Shooters with "older" eyes or corrective lenses will generally benefit from the extra distance. A nickel silver blade front sight is dovetailed behind the muzzle. The top flat is signed D. Herman between the breech and rear sight.
This curly maple stock is stained to a warm brown to best display the figure over the length of the stock. Curly maple is a very correct choice for stock wood, often found on original Tennessee rifles. The stock is fitted with a crescent buttplate with a modest curve to engage the shooter's shoulder. The buttplate is neatly made with a brazed joint at the heel, just like many antique rifles. The brown finish on the buttplate has some normal wear at the heel and toe from shouldering. The figured maple stock is fitted with a steel patchbox. The box is very neatly inlet and all the mounting screws are aligned. The breech plug extends down the wrist with a long lollipop tang secured with a tang bolts that engage the triggerplate below, and a wood screw to secure the end of the tang. The bolts are neatly finished flush and the slots aligned with the barrel. The stock finish does have some wear from water with black powder residue wetting it on the lock panel and the comb of the stock. The slender iron triggerguard is shaped with rounded ends and has been pinned into position. The barrel is retained with four wedge keys without escutcheon plates, all the keys are beautifully inlet in the stock. The forearm ends with a shoulder at the ramrod entry pipe, in typical fashion for rifles of this region. The muzzle end is fitted with a muzzle cap and the stock is shaped to provide easy access to the ramrod. Three 3/8" diameter ramrod pipes secure the ramrod to the rifle. The ramrod is fitted with a brass tip with 8-32 threads for loading and cleaning accessories. The lock is secured with two lock bolts through individual sideplates. The forward sideplate is a tear drop style, while the rear is a weeping tear drop. The square cheek piece is shaped with a molded edge and gives the shooter a comfortable place to align the sights.
This rifle is fitted with a L&R Durs Egg percussion lock, which is neatly fitted to a Germanic style drum/bolster that gives the appearance of a percussion conversion from a earlier flint rifle. The bolster/drum has one feature not often encountered today, a vent hole. This vent is a angled hole positioned away from the shooter. You encounter vent holes on some early percussion guns where the idea was to release the pressure from the cap so the flame could reach the powder. This idea was also discussed in some publications from the late 1960's and early 1970's. The venting gases have removed the browning around the vent hole and barrel flat, which appears as a silvery halo. The 1/4-28 threaded nipple has a flash cup to direct cap spray away from the wood at the breech. The double lever double set trigger is correctly adjusted, to allow the lock to be cocked, or the trigger set, in any sequence. You may fire the lock with the triggers set, or unset, for target, or hunting. Adjust the screw between the two triggers, inboard to reduce set trigger release pressure, our outboard to require a stronger pressure. The set trigger can provide very light release, perhaps an ounce or two, for accurate aimed shooting during pleasant weather. The trigger is set very light in the set position currently.
This is a very fine hand made percussion longrifle with attractive curly maple and dark browned lock, barrel, and furniture. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.
