Dixie Gun works Poor Boy Rifle

[sawyer04]

I struggled to buy the .32 Dixie mountain rifle when they first come out. I was a little disappointed: it was made in Japan. I still have it; and what is said earlier the rifle is dead accurate. Muzzle heavy it is, I use a cross stick. I imagine the 50 caliber is just as good. Hardly any tuning was necessary, of course it has to be realized that the bullet is already half way to the target when the muzzle is raised..Well, seems like it anyway.

 

[DaveC]

Any idea about the rate-of-twist on the .32? Is it a 1 turn in 48 inches or a turn in 66 inches? Or something else? I think the barrel is fully 41-inches long! Looking forward to trying it out.
I'll start with FFFg Goex in the bore, like maybe 20 to 25 grains to start with, and a bit of FFFg in the pan. Hope that works OK. I'm sure that lots of folks would use FFFFg when using a lock that small...

 

[Big Rviers]

Bought my 50 cal. DGW Tennessee Mtn. rifle at least 35+ years ago while they were still made in japan. It has a three digit serial number so that going back. It still drives tacks when I do my part. For fun I added a flintlock conversion kit so could shoot both ways and have had years of heavy use. It's taken a fair share of deer, bear, elk, moose and one lone antelope that it shot at 8 feet distance. The only repair over the years was replacing the drum and nipple once. Top quality, reliable and a straight shooter.

 

[Darrin McDonal]

Muzzle heavy 19th century style rifles like this is why I much prefer the 18th century style, tapered and flared, balanced rifles. Once they transitioned to the long straight sided barrels boy they went heavy. But that's how they wanted their rifles.
Darrin

 

[Alice1885]

I believe L&R makes a replacement lock for these rifles or.they did. Please keep in mind there is no such thing as an exact drop in lock. It will take a little fitting I am sure. This is info just in case the lock happens to not provide good ignition.
Good Day, Gordy

 

[Mark Herman]

I have had, and still have, several Mountain rifles. As said they are very accurate rifles but very muzzle heavy. They also had a lot more wood than was needed. I slimmed down the stocks and cut 6" off the barrels and they became very manageable, and somewhat more pleasing to look at. The balance changed completely. As for the .32, I would go with a .311 ball and .015 patching.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I just got one in .50 with the L&R replacement lock. The seller told me he'd placed in several state championships with the rifle. No idea why he parted with it. No idea why Dixie would discontinue it either. The only improvement I'd opt for is I'd bring it back in flint with a swamped barrel in .50 can call it the Dixie Hunter or something else to be able to tell it apart from its ancestor.

LD

 

[DaveC]

My sense is that the barrels--certainly the one I have just gotten--were made by Miroku in Japan, and that they simply stopped making them. Perhaps if Dixie Gun Works got another barrel manufacturer? Traditions in Connecticut, for example, uses Ardesa barrels made in Spain. Lyman uses Italian-mfr. barrels, and so on. Track of the Wolf and a few others... CVA? apparently make similar rifles, although these apparently offer different barrel lengths.

I'm glad that there are replacement locks available. I just spent some money getting a factory part fitted to a Pedersoli lock, so certainly there's always a requirement for fitting and so forth. .50 cal. is what I typically shoot in my caplocks--.490" round ball. I do have a caplock .32, so it is neat to get a flintlock finally, even if it is pretty much as tall as I am! That is a hugely long barrel, certainly. I do have a walking stick--an old North Carolina tobacco shed stave--and also a set of cross sticks if I have to support the barrel once my back gives out from twisting back with this off-hand!

 

[eugene nagel]

In my experience with the Dixie 50, muzzle heavy quality rifles, Cut 8" off muzzle re-crown, reset front sight- it is balanced. I did many Gene

 

[toot]

I have one with both flint lock and percussion drum & nipple for over 50+ years and it is a little heavy but that is the nature of the beast.it is still spot on accurate with a .490 RB. and 70 GRS. of 3 FG GOEX. the bore will still cut your finger if you put it in and twist it into the rifling. now that is sharp! why would any one want to do that? LOL!!

 

[Big Rviers]

Ouch. Ok you got me, my rifling isn't quite that sharp but still crisp after all these years. The barrel is crowned but I don't remember if it came that way or I did it myself. Still shoots cloverleafs with 65 grain of 3 FG and a .495 ball. It's very fussy abut patching so when I get good material I buy lots. I've never considered it heavy but again that's a matter of taste. It's consistently out shot and out lasted two Hawkens. Great rifle.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I have one in .32 cal.- bought a replacement flint lock from numeric arms after talking to a sales person to be sure it was the correct lock, dropped right in I like the option of being able too switch ignition systems if I whish. This rifle is a right hand lock and I shoot left handed not a problem. It is deadly on squirrels.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Had both a right-handed then left-handed in 50-caliber versions, well made & accurate and never had an issue with either lock, but way too muzzle heavy! I thought about cutting them back 8" or so, like someone else stated, but ended up selling each for a good hundred dollars profit.

 

[toot]

Big Rivers, Roger That.

 

[toot]

Big Rviers, sorry for the misspelling. that is what happens when you get 7+++++ yrs old, and have a senior moment.

 

[sawyer04]

Had both a right-handed then left-handed in 50-caliber versions, well made & accurate and never had an issue with either lock, but way too muzzle heavy! I thought about cutting them back 8" or so, like someone else stated, but ended up selling each for a good hundred dollars profit.

I like the idea, then make a boot pistol out of the 8" cutoff. Matched set, same caliber.

 

[Big Rviers]

Big Rviers, sorry for the misspelling. that is what happens when you get 7+++++ yrs old, and have a senior moment.

My wife says since I turned the 70 corner some years ago I'm more like a teenager then any senior she knows. Muzzleloaders, black powder and Tequila must be the fountain of youth, but don't spread the word Black powder is expensive enough.

 

[toot]

Big Rviers, wow! I would like to come to your house and have some liquid libation with you. sounds like LADOLCHE VITA! seems that most but not all of my cartridge guns have been gathering a fair amount of dust! still gonna keep them though, iff'n you know what I mean ?

 

[DaveC]

I just wore out a flint shooting the Tennessee Mountain Rifle in .32 using patches at .015" and .010" and it was awesome and good fun! Double set triggers worked great!

I was gratified to note that the first several shots "self primed." The pan cover is concave, so there is an opening where the vent hole is. A bit of FFFg powder would trickle out into the pan, frequently enough to allow it to fire by just pulling the cock all the way back and shooting. That'd have to be pretty handy during a winter hunt. I know that some muskets were done that way, particularly the Austrians. As time went on, the fouling built up and then not enouch would trickle in, so it would have to be primed. I had good luck with 12-15 grains of FFFg at 25 yards, and 20 grains at 50 yards. Unfortunately, I started out with some pretty thick pillow ticking patching to cut at the muzzle, but it proved to be too thick to use with the .310 projectiles I had.

 

[toot]

Yes thats it, A Dixie Tennessee Mt rifle.

AND YES THEY WERE CALLED A POOR BOY. NO BUTT PLATE, IRON HARDWARE, GREASE HOLE DRILLED INTO THE STOCK,ETC.it came in percussion and flintlock that were interchangeable, with a screw in vent liner. made by MURUKO I believe in JAPAN. I know because I have one, I have had for 40? years.