Latest Southern Mountain rifle from my bench

[mgbruch]

Here is the latest from my bench.  She has gone to live and work somewhere else.  Some guns are harder to let go than others, and this was one of them.

She was built from a blank of nice Sugar Maple.  The swamped barrel is Rice's Southern Classic, 44" long, and .50 caliber.

I made the butt plate, toe plate, trigger guard, lock bolt washer, ramrod pipes, and sights.  I also make my own double set triggers... plate, triggers, and springs.

I grey the metal, not to try and make the gun look old, but the light grey really brings out the beauty of the wood.

The stock is not stained, but is scraped and burnished.  Staining began with two coats of Tannic Acid, one coat of Iron Nitrate.  The stock was then blushed, and rubbed back with purple Scotchbrite.  Next came a coat of Homer Danglers reddish brown.  The final finish was Chambers oil finish... with some cherry stain added to the oil for coats 2 and 3.  I applied five coats of oil in all.

Length of pull is 13 3/4". Drop to heel is 3 1/2", and cast off is 3/8".  She comes up and points beautifully.

She turned out nice.  Now I get to build another one!

[Jeff Murray]

I hope its new owner takes it for walks on a regular basis.  Too sweet a rifle to just hang on the wall.

[parve]

Very nice, I really like your triggers. What do you use for your springs? I've only tried 1075 and tempering them in a lead bath so far.

[Spalding]

Have always liked your work. She’s a beauty.
Bob

[wattlebuster]

I like it

[Brian Jordan]

Beautiful Rifle!!

[bama]

Sweet as they come, great job.

[mgbruch]

parve,

For the main spring I use concrete spikes, they make a good, tough spring.  I anneal them before working, then temper them when everything has been fit.  For the front trigger return springs, I use hacksaw blades (the cheap ones make the best springs, while the expensive ones seem to have too much carbon), as well as some spring steel I got from Brownells (I think it's 1075).

The triggers are cut from 1075, and they are tempered as well.

For tempering, I heat to a cherry red, and quench in mineral oil.  To get the spring temper, I use the motor oil method outlined by Kit Ravenshear in his booklet, Simplified V-Springs.  Put the parts in a tin, and cover them with motor oil.  Light the oil by heating the tin with a propane torch.  When the oil is all used up, you have springs in the messy sludge left behind.  Clean them up, and they are good to go.

[RobertS]

I love everything about it, and thank you for sharing it with us!

[mesabi]

Lovely!

[Daryl]

Sweet.

[RobertS]

And what lock did you use? 

[alacran]

Really like the finish on this rifle. Nice job.

[rich pierce]

Just great all around. Architecture and style plus eye popping color and figure. It’s a real winner.

[scottmc]

Now that's what a southern rifle should look like.  Excellent job!

[mgbruch]

RobertS

I use a Chambers Late Ketland lock.  Give it whatever attention it needs (not much) on the inside, and finish the outside nice.

[Paul from KY]

very nice rifle.  Did you make the buttplate?