A classic iron mounted Southern rifle signed W. D.. Prehaps William
Douglas from northeastern Tenna.
The buttplate is 1 3/8 in. wide and 4 7/8 in. high. The barrel is 43 7/8
in. long, 7/8 in. wide, .38 cal.. Note the forging marks left on the
barrel.
The pipes, sideplate, and nosecap are brass.
The square steel toeplate is held with 4 iron nails.
All parts are original to the rifle.
Comments:
Another good Mountain Rifle. Where are all of these guns coming from? I like them all and this one is no exception as to likeability. This is piece is nice and crisp and looks like it is in better than average condition. The architecture and smaller details are well done and the overall effect is quite pleasing. The initials are interesting and could point to Douglas, but then who else, if not him? This gun seems to fit into Walter Cline's description of mountain gun making in the last half of the 1800s, up to the first third of the 1900s. The builders made parts out of anything and everything they could get their hands on (even Model T axles, etc).
