Another Southern Mountain Rifle ...

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... was just able to view another fine mountain rifle over the week-end,... Walnut stock (was once fullstock, shortened to about 3/4) ... 45 " forged bbl,.. (looks to be shot smooth or owner thinks bored smooth in Civil War) ... 50+cal ... Geo Golcher lock, nice iron mounts, no markings, no cheek-rest,... has been hiding out here in the North Carolina mountains and is in good shape,... Give me your thoughts and opinions,...

[Daryl]

Interesting rifle, CCF. The muzzle slows sign of having 7 grooves at one time. If those 7 flats rotate in a spiral, could still be considered rifled.

[Shopdog]

Thanks for finding and sharing these gems! Im curious what the two small circular marks either side of the first tang screw represent - are they part of some repair to the break at the screw hole or just plugged holes?

[Dennis Glazener]

CCF I vote it's probably East TN. Are the TG returns round on ends or Square? Triggers have an E TN look to me.
Dennis

[mountainman70]

Greetings bro. My thoughts are yall need to bring it up here for a free eee valuation, and some good drinkin too.
Nice ol gal. I have a build from vintage parts that looks similar.
Best regards Dave 

[heinz]

Interesting rifle.  That may not be the first gun that barrel has been in.  The tang appears to have been extended and seems to have a slight flare up to the break point.  Just guessing from the photos.  May be an artifact of the tang repair but the stock does not appear to have been broken.
And it has a proper ramrod ;-)

[Sequatchie Rifle]

I’d thinking Southeastern Tennessee or Northeastern Georgia. Maybe even Fannin County, Ga.

[Craig Wilcox]

Wayne, it looks like it was mostly owned by someone who knew how to care for a fine rifle - even if the true rifling was worn out.
The wood appears to be smooth, clean, free of defects.  What iron/steel we can see is really pretty good, even with that tang break.  Either that, or the metal parts were put into a newer stock.

Does definitely look to be a shooter, so have fun with it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The two circular spots on either side of the tang break are likely rivets for a sheet metal repair to joint the two pieces of the tang together.

[RobertS]

Thanks for sharing!  Looks like curl at the rear of the trigger guard is pinned in place?  Isn't that an unusual feature or have I just not been paying attention and haven't seen enough of them to know?  Thanks again! 

[AZshot]

Nice one Cades Cove, good to see you still hunting and finding them.  I'd say Eastern TN too. 

[DBoone]

I 'll go with Dennis and AZshot.........East Tennessee.

Nice rifle............Thanks!