Dixie Gun Works Tennessee 32 with a Douglas barrel?

[Leatherbark]

A friend has a Dixie 32 flintlock for sale. The owner states that he was told it was rebarreled with a Douglas barrel. There are no markings stating it is a Douglas unless they are under the bottom. But what intrigues me is the rifling is so shallow for a Douglas. My Vincent 40 cal with a Douglas barrel has very pronounced rifling with nice deep grooves.

I trust my friend but I don't quite trust the unknown to me fellow who claims to have rebarreled it with a Douglas barrel.

Plus where a regular Dixie Tennessee has the "Dixie Gun Works Union City Tennessee Made in Japan" markings looks almost like they were defarbed as I can faintly make out some writing there especially the letter "D".

So my main question is does a Douglas 32 barrel have shallow 8 groove rifling? BTW he says he's been told it is worth $600?

Thank you

Bob

 

[Vaino]

My first build in 1977 used a .45 cal. DGW bbl made by Douglas and it has .008 deep rifling. It's my squirrel rifle and is extremely accurate.....Fred

 

[galamb]

You would have to pull the barrel and look for the stamp.

Douglas barrels had some run out. They recommended that the name stamp at the breech be oriented to the bottom flat and that the last two inches at the muzzle be cut off before finishing the barrel (they often came with a length of 43/44" to allow the builder to get rid of the run out).

While Douglas is still building barrels, they gave up on muzzle loader barrels a long time ago (I heard that Deer Creek bought their machinery - but maybe that was just a rumor).

I don't know about the $600 estimate. If it's based on the barrel I would personally say not. These barrels were ok and shot well enough but they were not a "super barrel" that commands a premium - a current $150 offering from Green Mountain is every bit as good, if not superior in many ways.

Tell him to get ahold of the guy who says it's worth six bills and sell it to him.

Personally, I would have a hard time paying half the "value"....

 

[Ed Hamberg]

You can see where the "Dixie" stamps have been defarbed, and it has shallow rifling are two reasons to steer clear of this deal, or offer him MUCH LE$$......if you have to have it and it is in NICE condition, a $400.00 price would be fair. I defarbed one a few years ago for a friend, They have WAY too much wood on them......Ed

 

[Leatherbark]

Thanks

 

[excess650]

My Dixie TnMtn Rifle is the 50cal, and the rifling is shallow, but its an excellent shooter. As a rifle, yes they have too much wood on the forend, but that can be remedied. The markings on my barrel are pretty light, and its not been messed with.

As for the 32s, I've not owned or shot one, but the guys who have them seem to like 'em.

 

[kopfjaeger]

I have a .32 caliber Dixie Tennessee Squirrel Rifle which I wouldn't part with for anything. The
one I have has a 13/16" wide barrel.

It's an excellent shooter. I like the way it feels and shoots. I like this rifle so much if I could find a .50 caliber Dixie Tennessee Mountain rifle ( older version ) with a 7/8" barrel I'd buy it.

The 15/16" barrels on the latter ones were way to front heavy for hunting and shooting off hand with.

In my opinion the guy is trying to pull one over on you that's why the Dixie Gun Works was taken off the barrel. He's saying it has a douglas barrel to try to get $600.00 off of you. If it has the original dixie ( made in japan ) barrel on it I wouldn't pay over $400.00

 

[kopfjaeger]

A lot of guys who owned either the Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifles ( .50 caliber ), or the Dixie Tennessee Squirrel Rifles ( .32 caliber ) had the "Dixie Gun Works Union City Tennessee Made in Japan" markings removed. Though these are excellent shooting and well made rifles I guess the Made in Japan on the barrel bothered them. Like I said in my last post I love my Dixie Tennessee Squirrel Rifle. It will shoot head shots on squirrels at 50 yards. If the one your thinking of buying is in good shape and you can get it for $400.00 or less you won't be disappointed.

 

[frogwalking]

I built a .32 cal rifle with a Douglas barrel back in 1973. At that time, all Douglas barrels had the same twist. Namely, 1 turn in 66 inches. If this .32 is really made by Douglas in a time frame anywere near approaching the early 70s, you can easily check the twist using a cleaning rod with a tight patch on it. If it is 1 in 66, you have a Douglas (which will require fairly hot loading to achieve accuracy).

 

[Dean2]

I have a 32 with a Douglas Barrel from the late 70s. It isn't on a Dixie, it was on a custom built squirrel rig. It is a fine shooting barrel with anything from 15 to over 35 grains of FFFg. I will look at the barrel when I get home as to deep or shallow rifling. It should not be hard to lift the barrel and look for makers mark. If there are none that alone tells you something.

 

[kopfjaeger]

Even though the writing on the barrel is pretty much removed see if you can make out any sign of a G.R. in front of the D that you said you can make out. Douglas barrels usually had a G.R. in front of Douglas. Also look for a D inside a diamond.

If it doesn't have either of them on the barrel I'd be real wary.

Like I said before even if it has the Dixie barrel ( made in japan ) barrel on it, it's still an excellent shooter and built well. It's just not worth $600.00

 

[Birddog6]

This is as it says. Unused, uncut, uncrowned Douglas XX barrel, .32 cal, 1-66 twist. Rifling is .008" to .0085" deep. 8 lands, 8 grooves, square cut rifling. Stamped as you see it. If a XX barrel, it is stamped in an oval as shown, with XX inside it.







As for where it is stamped G R Douglas, it will be on a flat near the breech. Which flat depends on the builder on how he clocked the barrel when he installed the breechplug. It very well could be on the underside, where you cannot see it. If so, you would have to take the barrel out to see it & be sure it is a Douglas.

Keith Lisle