I noticed the later version doesn't fit me as well and think the drop at heel is much greater on the early. Somewhere i had the idea that DGW was uncomfortable with the thinner barrels but mine is just fine. IIRC the discounted ones were offered in a separate mailed flyer along with several other ones. We bought 5-6 of each type as i knew they were too good a deal to pass up and shipping was very reasonable. Prolly would cost more than all the 25+ rifles just to ship them today.
Dixie Gun Works Tennessee Mountain Rifle
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Ben Meyer
40 Cal
I love mine. Its a 1979-80 Miroku made gun. The load MY gun likes best, after LOTS of expiramentation and hours at the range is:
-a .495 ball
-80gr of Swiss 2f powder
-patching is white cotton from Joann Fabrics. It's. 014 in thickness, compresses to .00325(if im reading my micrometer correctly)
-drylubed(ala the Dutch Schoultz method) with Ballistol and water 7:1 mix
Mine sparks best with black English flint. I prime with Swiss 4f, use a vent hole pick for every shot, swab once between every shot. And it shoots sub 2" groups from a bench at 50yds.
My only gripe about it is, that small 5/8 Flint doesn't last very long. I generally get 15-20 shots before doing a quick re-knap, and then I get 5-6 more. Then it's time for a new Flint. Thay said, it always goes bang with a good flint.
-a .495 ball
-80gr of Swiss 2f powder
-patching is white cotton from Joann Fabrics. It's. 014 in thickness, compresses to .00325(if im reading my micrometer correctly)
-drylubed(ala the Dutch Schoultz method) with Ballistol and water 7:1 mix
Mine sparks best with black English flint. I prime with Swiss 4f, use a vent hole pick for every shot, swab once between every shot. And it shoots sub 2" groups from a bench at 50yds.
My only gripe about it is, that small 5/8 Flint doesn't last very long. I generally get 15-20 shots before doing a quick re-knap, and then I get 5-6 more. Then it's time for a new Flint. Thay said, it always goes bang with a good flint.
Ben Meyer
40 Cal
IMO, there's nothing wrong with the original lock. The problem is parts....there are virtually none anywhere to replace anything. Absolute unobtainium. Mine was delivered with a broken frizzen. I was able to find another, but had the broken one fixed at a local welding shop. Then the frizzen spring broke. DGW has one from a different gun that works but you need to drill a new hole in the lock plate, which I did.
I went ahead and got the L&R replacement lock. Note: it is NOT a drop in replacement. It requires a little gunsmithing. My problem was the triggers not working right with it. Sent it back, sent L&R a video of the problem, they fixed it. And you'll need to treat the metal for a color match. I used LMF Barrel Brown. The L&R now works.and looks fine, and i have 2 working locks, and L&R parts will be readily available in the future. That said, im still using the original lock; the L&R is a spare/backup.
I went ahead and got the L&R replacement lock. Note: it is NOT a drop in replacement. It requires a little gunsmithing. My problem was the triggers not working right with it. Sent it back, sent L&R a video of the problem, they fixed it. And you'll need to treat the metal for a color match. I used LMF Barrel Brown. The L&R now works.and looks fine, and i have 2 working locks, and L&R parts will be readily available in the future. That said, im still using the original lock; the L&R is a spare/backup.
Thanks for the info.
I looked at our old shop records and the ones we got range from serial 185 thru 230. None consecutive. I do know the remaining one is close to the 230 and will have to take a look to see. The posted pics have me curious about the drop at heel being decreased in the later production. Maybe to reduce stock dimension's as wood in Japan is rather scarce?
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Changes in stock design, even in production rifles are not uncommon. I'm primarily a Hatfield collector and I can tell you first-hand there are significant variations between the early hand-built rifles, the more popular mass produced pieces of the 80s and the Missouri River Rifle Works Hatfields of the 90s.
Rock Home Isle
54 Cal.
I love the Dixie GunWorks Tennessee Mountain Rifle…it is such a fine firearm. The first time I ever heard about this firearm was an article in Dixie’s BlackPowder Magazine, the author had a .32 calibre and was hunting woodchucks along an old railway bypass.
My first Tennessee Mountain Rifle was a .32 calibre, that I picked up at a Rendezvous about 20 years ago. My biggest complaint about both the .32 & the .50 is that they are so barrel heavy.
I re-barreled both of my Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifles. They both have 36” barrels.
The .32 (top) is now a .45 calibre and weighs a nice 7.0 pounds. It is the most accurate flintlock that I own, I’m repeatedly able to put 5 shots into the same hole at 50 yards; .490 RB, 55 grains fffg powder, pillow ticking with a moose milk lube. The balance is nearly perfect, I’m seriously considering looking for another Dixie Tennessee and making it a 36” rifle of .40 calibre. That would add about 1/4 to 1/2 lb to the weight and be ideal as a squirrel rifle/light big game firearm, in my opinion.
The .50 (bottom) is now a .54 calibre, with a Siler Lock (switched by original owner), and weighs 8 1/2 pounds. Once I saw what the effects of rebarreling the .32 had on the performance and complete feel of the gun, I set out to get a .50 calibre, and do the same with it. Though noticeably heavier, it is again very well balanced. I just had the barrel recrowned, yesterday…so still developing a load. It’s currently “Shots Touching” at 50 yrds, but I know it can do better. Once I’m satisfied with the load, this gun will most likely become my new elk rifle. The .54 is such a great elk calibre.
To me, they now resemble early plains/mountain rifles of the early fur trade…they look so close to those early guns from the early 1800’s to mid 1820’s.
My first Tennessee Mountain Rifle was a .32 calibre, that I picked up at a Rendezvous about 20 years ago. My biggest complaint about both the .32 & the .50 is that they are so barrel heavy.
I re-barreled both of my Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifles. They both have 36” barrels.
The .32 (top) is now a .45 calibre and weighs a nice 7.0 pounds. It is the most accurate flintlock that I own, I’m repeatedly able to put 5 shots into the same hole at 50 yards; .490 RB, 55 grains fffg powder, pillow ticking with a moose milk lube. The balance is nearly perfect, I’m seriously considering looking for another Dixie Tennessee and making it a 36” rifle of .40 calibre. That would add about 1/4 to 1/2 lb to the weight and be ideal as a squirrel rifle/light big game firearm, in my opinion.
The .50 (bottom) is now a .54 calibre, with a Siler Lock (switched by original owner), and weighs 8 1/2 pounds. Once I saw what the effects of rebarreling the .32 had on the performance and complete feel of the gun, I set out to get a .50 calibre, and do the same with it. Though noticeably heavier, it is again very well balanced. I just had the barrel recrowned, yesterday…so still developing a load. It’s currently “Shots Touching” at 50 yrds, but I know it can do better. Once I’m satisfied with the load, this gun will most likely become my new elk rifle. The .54 is such a great elk calibre.
To me, they now resemble early plains/mountain rifles of the early fur trade…they look so close to those early guns from the early 1800’s to mid 1820’s.
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Ben Meyer
40 Cal
I've thought long and hard about having a patch box installed, prob a Bean style. I'm not equipped or experienced enough for that to be a smart DIY project, and good BP gunsmiths don't work cheap. Maybe someday.....
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I did a “tear drop” mod on one of mine. I like the look, it’s a smoother transition and more functional. Yes it’s packed with lube
Rock Home Isle
54 Cal.
You guys should post images…I’ve thought of putting some type of patch box on both of mine…but not sure what one to choose…
I would definitely appreciate seeing your results.
OK…now I see that you didn’t do patchboxes. And I don’t know how to delete my post…
Rock Home Isle
54 Cal.
Question: In which episode of the Sharpe Series did they have a Dixie GunWorks Tennessee Mountain Rifle?
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This thread brought back part of an old conversation i had with one guy who was buying one of the TMRs we sold. He noticed the hole and immediately asked 2 questions. First was what it was for and what he could do with it. I told him about the grease, possible patchboxes or drill it thru for a wall peg hanger. He bought the extra bean style we had LOL!!!
Mine had some type of antler or bone inlay that was filling the grease hole. I have always liked the grease hole, so I used a yankee drill and a small bit, and eventually it worked loose and I was able to wiggle it out.---so a historically correct grease hole filling would have been.....? Bear grease? Lard? Tallow? MolyB? What else?
Would have to be very thick as to not come out on hot days. Down in CA with 113F+ for weeks this might be a problem. Luckily many (not all) have the common sense not to use a ML due to extreme fire danger when its too hot and dry. Also i wonder if grease could eventually get past whatever the hole is sealed with and affect the wood?
I'd be fairly sure it would be a mix of something regionally available and cooked up in such a way that it stayed put. I would also think that a thick grease would have little effect as far as permeating the stock, just my opinion, haven't researched it.
I didn't give thought to if any of the original ingredients might have been acidic...This might have sped up the degradation. I can also see the hole receiving more wear from the user scraping excess grease off his thumb using the edge of the hole.
Tried deer tallow in my grease hole. Got all over my shirt and smelled funky. Miroku made, shoots ok after restoration (lock was frozen, rusted solid when I got it). Kroil time got it going again.
The Dixie Mountain Rifle arrived. It is indeed unfired but it has a few issues such as stock dings, the triggers were so gummed up with dried grease they didn't work properly, the geometry of the flintlock could be better, the stock protrudes beyond the end of the muzzle of the barrel some which seems strange, and so on. So far I have just stripped it down and completely degreased it and am studying the problems. Apparently it was hung over someone's fireplace and handled once in a while but does not appear to have ever been shot. The breach end of the barrel stands about 1/24 inch forward from the face of the butstock. If I fired it this way, I think the tang would be driven back into the wrist of the stock until it split. I suppose Brownells acraglass will have to fill in the gap. I don't know if this was just sloppy manufacturing or if the wood dried and shrunk away from the breech in the over 20 years the rifle has been sitting or hanging somewhere. The lock sparks well and appears to be about the right angle for the flint IF the flint is installed bevel side down. With the flint bevel side up, the angle between the flint and the fizzen appears to be too steep and the flint strikes the fizzen very low on the face of the frizzen. The 20+ year old grease that was everywhere had congealed into a semi-epoxy state but dissolved after some elbow grease. The contributors who commented earlier on it being heavy were spot on. It surely is front heavy. Never had a rifle with such a long barrel and I find myself banging it into the workbench etc. everytime I move it around. I can't imagine how you fellows with 44 inch barrels, or longer, handle something that long. Thanks for all your thoughts and insights. I will try to post some photos and an update after I get the stock refinished and all the bugs worked out.
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