DGW Tennessee Mountain Rifle .32 "Japanese Cherry".... wood finish??

[Hunterdude]

I have owned 2 of these rifles, one in 50 cal and now I have a NIB .32 cal(new old stock).
   I like the rifle(known for accuracy) but the stock wood has a "blotchy" look to it, I am told the wood is "Japanese Cherry"
  I am trying to decide if I should sell the rifle...or try to refinish it? The only other issue(for me) is it is a percussion rifle, and I am a Flintlock man. I know I can convert it to Flintlock, but the cost of conversation plus refinishing could be put to better use on a Kibler kit...If anyone knows how to put a nice finish on Japanese Cherry wood, It would be great to hear from you.
    The fact that it's percussion bothers me more than the wood finish, but I am just trying to weigh out my options.

[Tim Ault]

I have a early 7/8” barreled rifle  with that wood on it and it does not follow the same rules as American cherry .I tried to use the oven cleaner trick to age it didn’t work at all . Tried setting in the sun for a few months and again nothing .

[varsity07840]

A washcoat  sealer prior to staining should prevent the blotching in the softer areas of the stock. Compatibility with the stain you want to use can be as issue. Google washcoat sealer for details.

[DavidC]

I believe someone here created grain contrast in American cherry by painting the stock black and then sanding back the paint and finishing the stock in that state. The only paint left was in the lower portions of the grain so it created a nice contrast without turning the stock near black like the oven cleaner method can.

Sounds to me like you're just trying to talk yourself into a Kibler SMR if you're looking for a smaller caliber rifle. It will probably be almost the same amount of work to go either path.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

I was told when they first came out they we offered in American Walnut and Cherry. I have owned two of them. I’d recommend selling it and buying a better shooting rifle with more original features. I refinished one of the ones I had and gave it to one of my sons because it had sentimental value to our family. For the 23 years I was in the service, it always hung o. The wall in our dining room/kitchen in our quarters to remind us of our Tennessee roots. Back to refinishing it. I removed the made in Japan marking off the barrel and refinished the barrel to give it an original worn look. I restrained the stock with a walnut stain and hand rubbed it. Looks good, shoots ok, but not a great lock.

[martin9]

I'd sell it and get the kibler. Any lock offered as a replacement isn't near as good as a kibler or chambers...add the refinish on top of that...easy decision, for me anyway.

[Hunterdude]

Thanks for the input guys. Any idea's what the current market value might be on the DGW rifle in "as new" condition with box? I would love to upgrade to the Kibler, but not real keen on shipping the DWG rifle, the factory box is not adequate as a shipping container IMO.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

In the $400-550 range. I’ve seen several sell on gunbroker in the last couple of years.

[JEH]

I have one of these in 32 cal that I bought in kit form when Dixie first listed them. Put it together way back then and took many a squirrel with it. On a whim, and I know alot more about how they should look 35 or so years later I started a face lift and big excess wood diet. Found myself that lye doesn't have much effect on the mystery cherry. Has anyone tried Auqafortis on this wood? Think I may try it.

[Hunterdude]

I am considering aqua fortis And tannic acid as well. If it's value is really just $550 or less, than I would likely keep it as a loaner spare rifle and to teach newbies how to load and shoot black powder.

[Top Jaw]

I sold a 50 cal for 500 about 3 or 4 years ago. 

[Leatherbark]

Not much information on finishing here but I had a Dixie TMR in .50 and percussion with the 15/16ths inch barrel.  It was a brute to get through a couple of 20 shot matches.  I just sanded the original finish off the cherry and Tru-oiled the sucker with about 6 or 7 coats as I am hard on a rifle. I cut the rear of the barrel off to 35 inches since there was some pitting back there and replaced the breech plug. I used a White lighten touchhole liner and an RPL flint lock from L&R.

Went ahead and accraglassed the breech and the first 10 inches or so of barrel channel.  For some reason the Japanese floated the barrel from the breech to near the first pin on this rifle.  More work than it was worth but it worked out okay. If i ever sell this rifle for the labor involved I'll go in the hole.

 This is now my favorite flintlock for general shooting.  Holds much easier without wobble and is super accurate with Swiss 2f, .495 balls, Mink oil lube and .018 ticking.  Super-fast ignition and easy on flints. Like night and day now.  With this rifle I won first place in the marksman class in the offhand flint hunting rifle category this past fall. The conversion to flint was not difficult at all.  Of course I have won it before with my Kibler SMR too.

Bob

[Hunterdude]

Hello Bob, sounds like you made some big improvements on your rifle. I do not mind the straight barrel for squirrel hunting as I often brace against a tree for head shots, but I can see why it would be heavy for offhand target work.
     I sold my .50 to guy that wanted it really bad, I got a lot more $ for it than the numbers quoted in this thread, but I did have 2 locks for the .50, 1 each in percussion and Flintlock.
     I do have a Kibler SMR coming in a couple weeks, and I am sure I will enjoy the swamped barrel on the Kibler SMR, it will be my first swamped barrel muzzleloader.
    I appreciate your sharing about the bedding issue, if I end up keeping the DGW .32 then when I refinished The stock is a great time to bed the barrel. I read somewhere these rifles are desirable for how well the Japanese did on the bore and rifling, I can not remember the details, but some folks seek them out for the barrel quality. I agree that the wood and lock and architecture are not at the top....but not at the bottom as well, specifically for a "production" gun.