A new southern .50

[oldarmy]

I just finished this southern style. :grin:
38 swamped colerain in 50. steel furniture, with a large siler and a few brass inlays.
Wood is just plain maple and stained very dark, with an oil finish and all the furniture is browned
I have since cut the shine alittle, because it shows every little flaw and ding. :cursing:
The pictures aren't the greatest, need some work on my setup and camera setting.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

you sure you are in NH? for a dern Yankee you got the southern rifle down pat! :hatsoff:

 

[Applejack]

That is a good looking rifle and a job well done!

I am partial to southern mountain rifles. They are my favorites! That looks like a 'poor boy' rifle that was made for someone who had a little extra pocket change to spend on extra glitter. He must have had a good hunt and had extra buckskins and bearskins to sell.

 

[50cal.cliff]

I must say I am not a flinter but I sure have seen some nice ones here lately and that's one of them! :thumbsup:
Really nice build. How's she shoot?

 

[b_haycock]

Hello oldarmy - nice job on the Southern Rifle! We have a rifle style here in the Alabama and Tennessee area we call the "Southern Virginia." Much the same style and heritage as it is not fancy at all! I did not build mine - a friend in Warrior, Alabama built this one for me and I picked it up a few weeks ago. Some pictures and details can be seen at my photo album site provided below:

Southern Virginia Rifle

Bill

 

[oldarmy]

WELL, I was born in Georgia :thumbsup:
I used a swamped barrel for her, because the long straight ones are just too heavy for me.
The swamped ones just "feel sooo right"
unfortanly I am not going to fire her. She is going to TOTW to be sold
They will have more pics and comments about her.
Highlighting all the flaws and misstakes.
OH WELL,
I am as stubborn as a Yankey should be, and just keep at it.
Will build that "perfect one" one day :thumbsup:

 

[Mulebrain]

Sure is a pretty gun! Now take it outside in the sun and take some more pics! Light it is a first big plus when taking photos.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Looks great, very nice work indeed.

 

[oldarmy]

these were just taken on my deck.
The natural sunlight does make a BIG difference.
I can't figure out what that one little spot is.
It wouldn't take any stain, even thought I sanded and scraped the "blank" out of it.
Here is a pic of the barrel. I wanted to show how skinny the forend is... It was very scarry taking the wood down that thin.
Excuse the sock. I needed something to buff it up with :redface:

 

[John Taylor]

Nice work. I admire someone who can do stock work like that.

 

[PitchyPine]

Very nice. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

Very nice.
I do have to wonder why your not going to shoot it.
Not only will you have some fun, but you will know that everything works like it's supposed to.
As I have mentioned before, one of my Percussion guns had a rash of mis-fires on it's first trip to the range (I had forgotten to trim the nipple drum flush with the inside of the barrel). I never would have known about this if I hadn't shot it.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think one of my guns is finished until I've taken it to the range and sighted it in.

As you can tell, I think you should shoot at least 10 shots thru it, take it home and totally dis-assemble it, clean it up spotless and then think about sending it to TOTW. Who knows? Maybe after shooting it you will decide you want to keep it. :rotf:
zonie

 

[oldarmy]

Thanks for the complamints.
I would love to shoot the rifle,and maybe I will fire it a few times.
Wanted to show it off to my centerfire shooting friends anyway.
Althought.."unfired in new condition" always means so much to some buyers :hmm:
Whatever, as we all know it takes a few hundred rounds to get them setteled in anyway.
But by then it is considered "used".

 

[fw707]

oldarmy, that is a beautiful rifle! :hatsoff:
I can't imagine how you have the heart to sell it.

 

[Zonie]

oldarmy: I think a lot of people who are buying a new rifle/smoothbore that was made by someone other than a factory would feel a whole lot better about buying and shooting it if the gun was "Test Fired. In new condition".

Saying "unfired in new condition" might make the buyer wonder if it was safe to shoot.
In fact, it might make a potential buyer wonder, "Was the builder afraid to shoot it?"

Now, if it was "test fired",who is to say how many times you test it? :rotf:
zonie

 

[Elnathan]

That is a nice "hog-rifle." The one criticism I have is that you used a Siler lock on it. I know they are used a lot, but a later waterproof with a rounded tail and roller frizzen would be much more correct from a PC point of view. Maybe when you do that perfect rifle you were speaking of...

 

[oldarmy]

I know the Siler isn't the best PC lock for the rifle.
It was the most inexpensive lock, but with good, dependably quality that I could find.
$89 from TVM
The whole project was done on a shoe string.
Plain wood, steel furniture.
I spent the money on the colerain swamped barrel.
Had the brass inlays left over from other projects.
It was built to fund another project that I have in mind, so it's going to go to a lucky owner for a reasonable price.
I hope whoever he/she is loves it, and overlooks the little flaws in it.
I will "test fire" it Sunday 8/26... probably more then once or twice... :grin:
And I am going to tell Track it was test fired and passed per ZONIE's recommandation.