AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: coopersdad on July 20, 2025, 01:59:40 AM
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I've seen a lot of beautiful southern mountain rifles here and thought I'd give one a shot. Lots of folks here know far more than I about these, so please let me know what I should do better. The wood came from Tom Fornicola, the barrel is a Rice A weight Dickert in .32, lock is Chambers Late Ketland. Triggers are Davis, with the front trigger replaced with one I made. I got the buttplate from Tip Curtis some years ago. The triggerguard is made from two different guards - I liked the bow of one and the grip rail of the other, so cut em apart and joined them. Everything else was shop made. I didn't copy any one rifle, but took inspiration from Randal Pierce's book, southern rifle drawings by Ron Borron, and lots of photos from this site. Thanks for looking!
(https://i.ibb.co/67F2HHcP/IMG-8489.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Q3MZPP7N)
(https://i.ibb.co/ksBMC2Nx/IMG-8477.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Vc934Yft)
(https://i.ibb.co/B2j8HqpZ/IMG-8478.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Qvns7rgN)
(https://i.ibb.co/XkJ0z1S5/IMG-8480.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Cs0Cngh9)
(https://i.ibb.co/9kn711G0/IMG-8485.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4nWHXXJL)
(https://i.ibb.co/6dxmXs0/IMG-8486.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zkYr6fV)
(https://i.ibb.co/rfxmbKJx/IMG-8481.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QjPf87GP)
(https://i.ibb.co/fz6kYCrd/IMG-8484.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0R4CjfYy)
(https://i.ibb.co/zTfpXfL2/IMG-8483.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8L8qr8Rx)
(https://i.ibb.co/G4kNN3Ld/IMG-8487.jpg) (https://ibb.co/pBZ55r81)
(https://i.ibb.co/5h3y5xqm/IMG-8482.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4RLGjgBz)
(https://i.ibb.co/T5jDwVP/IMG-8479.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qwqLDtm)
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I’m no expert, but to me… “BAM”; outa the park!!! Beautiful 😍
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Gotta be happy with that one! So nicely executed. Fit, finish, architecture.
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I like it. Nice work
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You do very nice work. Al
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I say Well done also.
I like Mr Randals book for reference when I build these sweet southern gals.
Great work, bro
Best regards
Dave F 8) 8)
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Very nice, neat job and represents the style of rifle perfectly. I like the copper front sight. How's it shoot?
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Wow!! That's nice. I'm no expert on Southern guns either, not even a novice, but I know great fit & finish when I see it. Wonderful job!
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Very nicely done, all of it, good eye!
Robby
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Thanks guys. It shoots well. I've only had a couple short sessions, my eyes are the limiting factor! The copper sight was an experiment. The silver and brass ones glow so bright in the sunlight I miss a lot, and always misplace my black marker. It. works well in the light and the shade on lighter targets, but wouldn't be very good on darker ones, for example a squirrel in a dense tree. But we don't have any here and my shooting is paper or trail walk type. Jury is still out I guess.
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That's a nice looking rifle and very nice workmanship!
John
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Good job & well done.
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Nice Job Mike!!! Can't find your splice on the trigger guard so GREAT WORK on that! Beautiful rifle good sir! In my limited experience, Tom Fornicola has some of the Very Best wood.
Curtis
P.S Nice eye concerning your engraving, BTW!!!
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Thanks Curtis! The splice is where the bow meets the grip rail, riveted and brass brazed. I thought that was how it would've originally been put together and it worked out OK.
(https://i.ibb.co/jZ4ytqC4/IMG-7936.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qF1N6hH1)
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I like the southern guns too. Very good workmanship and architecture! Planning and execution, planning and execution!
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Beautiful work. I really appreciate that long tang. Very appealing finishes as well. Nicely done.
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I really like this one! Love the finishes
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Very nice. Clean and tidy work.
David
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Thanks! Stain was iron nitrate with some Laurel Mt Lancaster stain after blushing. This was my first try with Tried and True oil varnish, and I will use it again. I did just a bit of shading with bone black. I originally intended to brown the metal, but like the contrast of the gray so went with that. Just Super Blue rubbed back.
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Excellent job. Can you elaborate on the metal finishing? Super Blue rubbed back.
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Way better workmanship than anything that came out of any pre 1900 shop.The Chambers Late Ketland was one of my favorites for a custom mechanism when I was working.
Bob Roller
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Good looking rifle. I like how you modified the trigger guard.
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Beautifle Mike. Well done. Really like your colour and finish.
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Sevenhi, I degreased with acetone, then wiped on the blue with a patch. Once I had an even coat, rinsed with water and wiped it down with some gun oil, which darkens it some. Then use a gray Scotchbrite or oooo steel wool, maroon works but it's more aggressive, and remove bluing until you like it. If you leave some around non-wear areas it looks nice. If you take too much, just degrease and add more. As you handle it the bluing will wear, it isn't real robust.
This is the first Late Ketland I've used - it is FAST!
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Really nice!
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Sevenhi, I degreased with acetone, then wiped on the blue with a patch. Once I had an even coat, rinsed with water and wiped it down with some gun oil, which darkens it some. Then use a gray Scotchbrite or oooo steel wool, maroon works but it's more aggressive, and remove bluing until you like it. If you leave some around non-wear areas it looks nice. If you take too much, just degrease and add more. As you handle it the bluing will wear, it isn't real robust.
This is the first Late Ketland I've used - it is FAST!
Thank You very much that will help me with finishing my SMR
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Beautifully executed! Graceful and slim, you can try taking a black sharpie on the post of the sight, it’ll help define it against a target, at least it helps me considerably. In the woods the shadows and light fluctuating can be tricky. Old eyes are hard to accommodate, that’s for sure.
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A dry-erase "sharpie" is very much better for dulling front sights than the permanent sharpie markers. The Dry-erase versions wipe off very easily, are jet black and non-shiny, like the
normal sharpies tend to be.
I used to use a standard sharpie/magic markers etc, and switched to the very much superior dry-erase type. The flat-black result is very much appreciated by those who use them.
Just trying to help.
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Daryl, I appreciate all the help I can get! I've been using black dry erase on my silver and brass sights, and my muzzles get the abrasive paper/thumb treatment for easy loading of my tight patch/ball combos - all have improved my shooting, so thanks!
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Fantastic work. I don't know much about stylistic accuracy for southern guns, but I think I've got a bit of an eye for aesthetics and it sure is a beauty. I love it.
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Daryl, I appreciate all the help I can get! I've been using black dry erase on my silver and brass sights, and my muzzles get the abrasive paper/thumb treatment for easy loading of my tight patch/ball combos - all have improved my shooting, so thanks!
You are most welcome, Mike. Glad to help - is why I'm here for the most part.
I pick up hints and techniques as well. I'm merely stating what has worked for me, many of the 'tricks' like the muzzle treatment
have been working for me in a VERY positive way since the mid 1970's.