dixie gun works tennessee mountain rifle

[Tilefish]

Was wondering if anyone had any knowledge they could share on the dixie gun works tennessee mountain rifle. My son's birthday is coming up and he wanted a flintlock he's left handed.Found one of these for sale NIB are they a reliable flintlock. It is a 50cal says made in Japan. Thanks for any help you could provide.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... great gun,... buy it,... when they came out in the late '70's they introduced  the B/P shooting world to Tennessee & Southern Mountain style rifles,... get right powder, patch and ball combo and can be pretty darn accurate,... great style, too,.... regards,... CCF,...

[Dave R]

I have owned 3 back years ago and all shot very accurate for shallow rifling! They all needed to be unbreached and touchhole liner ground down to the contour of the bore in order
for a cleaning jag to go completely to the breach face as well as a little polishing on the lock internals make a pretty decent factory gun!!

[bob in the woods]

Straight barrel, so can be front heavy. I've seen only one and it was OK, shot well , but the rifling was shallow, and IMO it was over priced for what it was. Of course, landed cost is higher in Canada, but I'd still advise not paying too much for it.
I think my friend ended up paying around $800 for it.  I figured it was worth 1/2 that.

[Kevin Houlihan]

I bought one on here a few years ago for my son for about $500.  The rifle is accurate. The lock on mine was beat up so I replaced it with an L&R RPL and now it’s fine. I also shortened the barrel by 8” because it was too nose heavy for a young shooter. All in all it’s not a bad rifle. I’d buy another if I needed to.
Kevin

[Tilefish]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone going to go ahead and get it.

[varsity07840]

I bought one on here a few years ago for my son for about $500.  The rifle is accurate. The lock on mine was beat up so I replaced it with an L&R RPL and now it’s fine. I also shortened the barrel by 8” because it was too nose heavy for a young shooter. All in all it’s not a bad rifle. I’d buy another if I needed to.
Kevin

Definitely muzzle heavy. I had mine freshed out to .54 and shortened to 34".

[Bigmon]

I shot one for years.  Wish I would have kept it.
But it was front heavy.  If he can hold it it would be a fine way to get him started.

[Hungry Horse]

They aren’t a bad gun at all. Especially the early ones with the  cherry stocks. I was at a rendezvous once listening to a friend rave about how he killed a big bull elk with his .58 cal Hawken, with one shot. Our camp neighbor came over and congratulated him. The Hawken shooter asked the neighbor if he’d ever killed an elk. The guy said oh, sure. Hawken said how many? The neighbor went into his tent, and came out with an old Tennessee mountain rifle, and began to count the nicely gouged marks along the buttplate. After a moment he looked up, and said fourteen. We never had to hear about the one shot elk again.

  Hungry Horse

[Leatherbark]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but the first Dixie Tennessee mountain rifles had a 7/8ths in diameter straight barrel in 50 cal and later it was changed to 15/16ths inch.

Bob

[Bigmon]

Mine was a cherry stock and I believe 7/8", and a little front heavy at that.
But I was young and tuff then and I even won a rondy with it.  And plenty of deer roam no more because of it.
Then I hefted a swamped barrel and loved it.  Great for hunting but maybe too light for off hand shooting?  Some say so.
I can't tell cause that's about when the eyes started down hill.  HArd to say what the problem is?

[Mike Brooks]

One of the guys in our club had a lefty back in the 80's. On our range hammer falls counted as a shot. The rifle shot well, but you couldn't win with it due to too many non firing hammer falls. In other words, the lock wasn't as reliable as the competitions locks were.
 Handled like an iron fence post, I probably couldn't handle one these days.

[varsity07840]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but the first Dixie Tennessee mountain rifles had a 7/8ths in diameter straight barrel in 50 cal and later it was changed to 15/16ths inch.

Bob

I believe you're right.

[Lzymtlsmth]

Mine was a cherry stock and I believe 7/8", and a little front heavy at that.
But I was young and tuff then and I even won a rondy with it.  And plenty of deer roam no more because of it.
Then I hefted a swamped barrel and loved it.  Great for hunting but maybe too light for off hand shooting?  Some say so.
I can't tell cause that's about when the eyes started down hill.  HArd to say what the problem is?

My friend had one it had a 15/16ths, .50 and cherry with grease hole . I’m thinking late 70’s.

[Flint62Smoothie]

Tilefish - Check your PMs ...

[moleeyes36]

They aren’t a bad gun at all. Especially the early ones with the  cherry stocks. I was at a rendezvous once listening to a friend rave about how he killed a big bull elk with his .58 cal Hawken, with one shot. Our camp neighbor came over and congratulated him. The Hawken shooter asked the neighbor if he’d ever killed an elk. The guy said oh, sure. Hawken said how many? The neighbor went into his tent, and came out with an old Tennessee mountain rifle, and began to count the nicely gouged marks along the buttplate. After a moment he looked up, and said fourteen. We never had to hear about the one shot elk again.

  Hungry Horse

That's a funny story.

Mole Eyes