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Author Topic: Poor old derelict southern rifle  (Read 6306 times)

Offline Roger B

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Poor old derelict southern rifle
« on: January 24, 2011, 04:44:35 AM »
Some pictures of what is left of a southern rifle I also bought from the Good estate.  Unfortunately, all of the good Good  ::) stuff was gone by the time I got there.  At any rate the barrel channel is about 15/16th X about 42".  Don't know where the barrel or lock is.  The barrel had been set back at least once judging from the pin holes.  A new lock had been added at some time judging from the neatly bradded filler at the end of the lock inlet.  Two holes have been drilled for a lock bolt, one of the escutcheons having been an elongated rectangle.  No entry thimble, the upper ferrules are hand formed & pinned. No nose cap.  Simple two line forestock molding on either side of the ramrod hole.  The tang inlet is really a hogged out affair that I don't think was original.  Two grease holes are drilled, but look really clean & I doubt that they were OEM.  There is a small hole drilled all by itself about half way between the rear trigger guard & toe plate.  "feather hole?"  Obviously made for set triggers which I may have if I look long enough.  I think what I will do is restock this rifle using the original as a pattern & leaving the parts in unaltered condition.  I know this is like looking at a toe bone & trying to decipher the race, gender, etc of a human skeleton, but do you guys have any idea of the general area it came from?  Would you restock it flint or percussion?
Roger B.




 
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Offline Roger B

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2011, 04:53:05 AM »
More images:




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Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2011, 04:57:58 AM »
Neat old gun, what remains of it. I would go flint and if anyone wanted to know why I would point to the feather hole. (if it wasn't an original flint it should have been ;D)
Dennis
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Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2011, 06:16:23 AM »
What a great piece!  Long tang, two grease holes, a beautiful iron guard- $#*! I like it just the way it sits!
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Offline wvmtnman

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2011, 07:26:05 AM »
In my opinion, many originally southern mountian rifles are not that nice.  However, I feel that this one was a very nice rifle at one time.  I only wonder if it was originaly a late flint or percussion.  If I were a betting man, I would say very late flint and set triggers.
                                                                            Brian
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Offline mr. no gold

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2011, 07:36:17 AM »
Just my thoughts, but I think that this pretty face needs a new lease on life. Find a barrel, triggers and lock that fit, and put it back right. Good chance that it never had a signature on the barrel so you don't have to put anything on it. You can most likely find a lock and perhaps even triggers that are of the period. If you have to make them yourself, so much the better.
Two holers are pretty rare, even in loos. It will display real well and make you proud, and besides, putting it into shape will lift it from being a study piece to a real gun again. Thanks for sharing the piece with the brethren, here. Cheek rest suggests Soddy/Daisy to my eye.
Dick
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Offline B Shipman

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2011, 08:25:46 AM »
A fine old piece that's been around the block in it's usefull life.  Do it well or leave it be. Anything in between will destroy it. There are no bargains.
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Offline G-Man

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2011, 04:55:52 PM »
Great guard and architecture.  There are some mixed features on it.  The proportions and shape of the guard look like something out of southwest Virginia.  But the architecture and cheekpiece look east Tennesse to me.  The double grease hole was used by the Rice family a lot, but they worked over closer to Knoxville, I believe.  Can't tell on the tang - looks like it might have had a lollipop or spade-shaped finial?

Although it does not look like it from the photos, I can't see the forward part of the side panel - was there a second lockbolt?

Also - it is hard to tell from just the barrel channel, but I would think that gun might have had a slightly swamped barrel originally.


Beautiful lines - would be a great buttstock pattern to follow.

Guy
« Last Edit: January 24, 2011, 05:31:40 PM by Guy Montfort »
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Offline Ben I. Voss

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2011, 06:26:10 PM »
Great lines. I would either hang it on the wall as is and use it as a pattern or have a barrel, lock and triggers made to fit and get her back in business. Either way, I wouldn't take the hardware off the stock, but keep them together for posterity. Nice find - thanks fer sharin'!
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Offline Roger B

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2011, 08:08:07 PM »
There was no forward lockbolt, & I can get out the vernier & see if it was swamped or not.  There are some well hidden repairs in the wrist area & wood missing on the top edge of the fore end.  Tell you what I'm going to do guys; I don't have the skills to restore this rifle, if it can be restored, & I don't want it to deteriorate.  I'm going to put it up for sale, cheap, down below, & if I can find the barrel or triggers I will let whoever buys the thing have them cheap or gratis.   I will make a stock pattern off of it & take detailed pictures for myself as a reference..  It needs a good home.  As it was, the stock was headed to the trash can when I got it.
Roger B.
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Offline G-Man

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Re: Poor old derelict southern rifle
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2011, 08:33:16 PM »
Glad you saved it.  The hardware alone is worth it.  It is a really graceful old mountain rifle.  Thanks for posting it.

Guy
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