My perfect squirrel rifle
- Thread starter George
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Thank you for the reply Spence , I like the same sight configuration on my guns.
Here is my Fleenor rifle. 7/8" .45cal. It is all German silver that has gone dull. It is beyond polishing. You can see the style and engraving are very similar to the rest shown. Notice that the comb inlay is faceted. It must have been fun to inlet the BP tang inlay. Notice the shaping around the ramrod channel at the nose cap and entry pipe. The channel almost looks sawed off at the front and a nose cap stuck on. The entry pipe is shaped to match the wood. It isn't a store bought pipe. Another Johnson City characteristic is the barrel and ramrod being too deep in the channel. Today's builders want the wood just below halfway of the flat for a slender fore end. The same for the ramod channel. I like to see about 2/3 of the rod and not have it buried in the channel. This rifle is a bit different because it has a 5/16" rod instead of a 3/8" and has more of the rod showing.
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In the days of old and you came upon a new settlement, you could be wearing rags and holes in your foot wear but if you had a rifle of this stature you would be considered wealthy.
Birddog1911
40 Cal
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That is absolutely stunning!
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What I can't get over is the absolute precision of the in letting and fit of all inlays and furniture. I much prefer letting the wood, skill of in letting , architecture and finish of both wood and steel adorn the gun but this rifle sure is enjoyable to behold. I've never cared much for inlays covering a gun but in this case it just exhibits the superb skill of the fitting which is so attractive to me.
I can imagine setting under an oak or hickory in the warm fall sun enjoying looking at such a rifle in my lap as much as being in the squirrel woods. Living in AK as I have for the last 50 years I surely miss those days of my youth in our hardwoods on the farm potting squirrel in lower Michigan.
I can imagine setting under an oak or hickory in the warm fall sun enjoying looking at such a rifle in my lap as much as being in the squirrel woods. Living in AK as I have for the last 50 years I surely miss those days of my youth in our hardwoods on the farm potting squirrel in lower Michigan.
If you look at the other pictures of the Smith rifles, they are inlet the airtight same way. Also the wriggle borders(another Johnson City feature) on the inlays look like they were done on a machine. Not a bobble anywhere. I have looked for one.
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One of the tricks of such superb fitting, especially with brass is to fit a "proud" (thick) inlay as close as physically possible and then go around the edge with a smooth face hammer and tap out (Extrude) the edge into the wood. Then the brass is draw filed to the wood surface and looks like it grew there. The engraving is done or touched up after the fitting.
Wow! What a truly exquisite rifle!
Mark Herman
50 Cal.
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BEAUTIFUL rifle. Can't say more.
Beautiful rifle with quality workmanship equal to the old masters.
Crow-Feather
32 Cal.
Well if you have to shoot black powder, I guess that might work for ya. Also, if you need to adopt someone, I am available.
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