Early DGW Belgian Longrifle

[BigSkyRambler]

Anyone know much about early Dixie Gun Works rifles? This flintlock .45 Southern style rifle was made in Belgium.  SN 341. 40" barrel. It has gorgeous Maple stock that shines green and gold from minerals in wood. All of the details seem to be a step above most DGW offerings at the time.

[Longknife]

It is listed in Catalog#126 in 1977 as "The New Dixie Squirrel Rifle, DPR-01"  Wt 10 lbs, 40 inch barrel .45 cal  .007 rifling 1/48 twist. $260.00

[BigSkyRambler]

It is listed in Catalog#126 in 1977 as "The New Dixie Squirrel Rifle, DPR-01"  Wt 10 lbs, 40 inch barrel .45 cal  .007 rifling 1/48 twist. $260.00

Thanks!  Did they all come with such nice wood?

[Mike Brooks]

It's nice to see somebody use sarcasm so well.

[BigSkyRambler]

It's nice to see somebody use sarcasm so well.

Well, I'd say considering the usual boring European walnut or bland Maple seen on most of Dixie's early guns, that is a reasonable question.  Or did I misconstrue your meaning?

[Mike Brooks]

I never considered green a great color for a gun. If you do thats fine by me.

[T*O*F]

The wood is not maple.  It's that Euro sycamore that Jukar also used on their early rifles.

[Bob Roller]

In the Summer of 1958 I was working for DGW and saw some of these rifles but paid no attention to them.I THINK some of these rifles were made in Japan but am not 100% sure.There was a lot of Belgian made locks and none were high end or even mid range.They were then located in a building that was at one time a Dodge car dealership and Turner had some interesting cars including a Pierce Arrow roadster with a free standing spot light on the drivers side running board.
In the last few years DGW when under the management of son Hunter Kirkland the quality of parts did improve to whatever degree possible and I sold several rare guns to him,all legal antiques but no muzzle loaders.At the time of his passing Hunter was buying WW2 "bring backs" and I sold him some I found in local pawn shops.
Turner started dealing in old guns from the trunk of his car as a hobby and as I recall.he was a jewelry salesman for a NYC company.
I met him at the Spring Shoot in Friendship in 1954 and my employment happened when I called to get something for a CW revolver.
65 years have staggered by since that call and now I am retired and 87 today.
Bob Rollet             

[BigSkyRambler]

The wood is not maple.  It's that Euro sycamore that Jukar also used on their early rifles.

Does the Sycamore have a similar grain to Maple? The grain and coloring is similar to the Maple I have seen on a few American contemporary rifles, including the greens and golds that show turning under light.  Otherwise, the stock "appears" like darker Maple.

[Mike Brooks]

Chromic acid is probably why it's green. I have a Turner Kirkland SXS from the 50s stocked in euro sycamore.  I don't think it was ever stained, very light in color.

[OLUT]

More than you ever wanted to know about this DIXIIE squirrel rifle. The attached is from the 1973 catalog, indicating that this .45 gun   had a  maple wood stock that is "chestnut colored". Earlier catalogs show the gun was originally offered in only .40, with the caliber change to .45 sometime after 1968. Dixie's wording on the color of these maple stocked guns varied from catalog to catalog, such as "the maple wood is stained in assorted shades and lightly varnished and has no tendency to mar easily", "the maple wood is stained a dark maple and lightly varnished and has no tendency to  mar easily", etc.  .... From the various wordings, it looks like they were having quality control challenges


pic host

[Jim S]

I have a DGW 45 cal. rifle like that that I bought as a flintlock - I don't remember what year it was though. It is serial number 319 and says "Dixie Gun Works Union City Tennessee" on the top flat and "Made in Belgium" on a side flat.
 I had trouble getting the flintlock to work right (maybe I just didn't know what I was doing) and  bought a cap lock to convert it and it's still that way. Mine is that boring blondish maple, otherwise real similar to yours.
 I still have the original flintlock - I probably still couldn't get it to work!
Jim S

[BigSkyRambler]

I have a DGW 45 cal. rifle like that that I bought as a flintlock - I don't remember what year it was though. It is serial number 319 and says "Dixie Gun Works Union City Tennessee" on the top flat and "Made in Belgium" on a side flat.
 I had trouble getting the flintlock to work right (maybe I just didn't know what I was doing) and  bought a cap lock to convert it and it's still that way. Mine is that boring blondish maple, otherwise real similar to yours.
 I still have the original flintlock - I probably still couldn't get it to work!
Jim S

This one actually sparks pretty good. YMMV.

[Jim S]

I've been trying to think of when I would have bought that rifle. That article talks about 1973, but I'm pretty sure I had mine a lot earlier than that. More like 1965 - 66. Could that be or am I "misremembering"?