This Southern Mountain, or Tennessee style longrifle is stocked in maple and trimmed in hand forged iron furniture. Antique Southern Mountain rifles are often trimmed in iron furniture, with hardware store locks. This rifle is fitted with a Chambers Classic Ketland flintlock and 42" long .45 caliber Rice barrel with a bright clean bore that is ready to shoot. Hand made by contemporary builder Randall Buchanan this rifle is offered as new. This rifle is stocked with a 13-3/4" trigger reach, for an average size shooter. This trim longrifle weighs only 7.4 pounds, and will be a pleasure to carry afield.
The .45 caliber straight octagon barrel is 42" long. The bore is rifled with seven lands and grooves with a slow twist for a tightly patched round ball. The bore is mirror bright in as new condition. Rice Muzzle Loading Rifle Barrels are set between centers and milled octagonal, insuring a centered bore, concentric with the exterior, with no "run-out". Each barrel is stress relieved in an atmosphere controlled electric furnace, to eliminate work hardening or barrel warp, and to dampen harmonic vibrations or barrel whip. After the rifling has been cut, each bore is "ball burnished". A carbide bore-sizing die is pulled through the barrel, to insure bore dimension uniformity, eliminating any tight or loose spots inside the barrel. This critical procedure leaves the top of the lands smooth and polished, equaling the traditional lead lapping procedure. Rice barrels are Match grade quality, with bench rest capability. Rice barrels do not require lapping or extensive shooting to break-in. A flat top rear sight is dovetailed to the barrel 9-3/4" ahead of the breech. A brass blade front sight with brass base is dovetailed behind the muzzle. The barrel is finished to a smooth chocolate brown and the top flat is signed Randall Buchanan near the breech.
The maple stock is finished to a medium brown with a golden undertone. Not a "poor boy" this is a full dress Southern rifle with a crescent buttplate with a modest curve, ramrod entry pipe, and patchbox. All of the iron furniture is finished browned to match the barrel. A long iron banana patchbox is fitted to the right side of the buttstock. The patchbox is easily opened revealing a nicely sized cavity below, perfect for storing your extra shooting accessories. The hand forged two piece buttplate has a long comb secured with two screws when view from above. We note a repaired chip on the left side of the long lollipop tang. The forward bolt passes through the tang and stock to engage the trigger plate below, while the rear is a wood screw. Four small pins retain the barrel to the forearm.
The bottom view shows hand forged toeplate, and we note the tip of the toe was broken off during the build and repaired. The hand forged and brazed three piece triggerguard is shaped with a wide bow, narrow grip rail, and curled spoon. It is mounted with screws, and shows many forge marks. The wooden ramrod passes through two rounded iron pipes and matching entry pipe. The ramrod is fitted with a steel tip threaded to accept 10-32 cleaning and loading accessories. There is a repaired chip around the pin that retains the forward ramrod pipe on the left side of the forearm. No muzzle cap is used to protect the end grain of the forearm. The buttstock is shaped with a square cheek piece that provides a comfortable rest for the shooter. A single bolt passes through a classic Tennessee style sideplate to retain the lock on the opposite side.
Ignition is provided by a Jim Chambers' Classic Ketland flint lock. The frizzen glides over a roller bearing on the frizzen spring, which is retained by a hidden mounting screw. The Ketland family of lock makers were quick to incorporate the best new features in their rifles, fowlers, and flint locks. The lock is browned to match the barrel. Order our best 3/4" flints, #Flint-ENG-6, for best performance in flint lock. We note two filler pieces of wood added around the tail of the lock panel to fix inletting gaps. The direct drilled touch hole is properly positioned on the pan, centered on the heat of the flash. If your flint longrifle suffers from that infamous slow whoosh-bang ignition delay, study the work of today's best gun makers, and position your vent well centered on the pan, high above the bottom, to serve as a window on the center of the flash. The single trigger provides a smooth release of the lock.
This Southern rifle has a bright bore that is ready to shoot. The hand forge furniture gives this rifle a primitive look. It will serve you well. 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.
