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(full iron mounted)..Who's got one they love and who made it? Pictures of course are welcome! Many Thanks - Marc
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Southern Mountain Rifle
- Thread starter Marc Adamchek
- Start date
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Here's a pic of "Old Riley" a rifle that was made by a guy called John Hill in April of 1986. I had to do some work to it to get it into shape, the butt stock was cut way to short so I added an oak butt extention and cleaned up the lock, ground down the pan and made it wider, added a stainless touch hole liner and did a few other things.
It's a 40 cal w/43.5" barrel that's 13/16" across the flats. I've not shot it all that much but from what little I have shot it, it shoots pretty good. I'm using home cast .395 round balls, linen cloth that I got a Walmart as a patch with Crisco as lube and 40grs. of 3fg Goex black powder(is that any other powder to use,LOL), I'd like to try a 60gr charge and see how it does, that'd be my "Deer load" if I take it out hunting this season, the 40gr charge would be for smaller stuff and I might even try a 30 or 35gr charge for sqirrel and rabbits, they don't take much killin', especially from a 40 cal. Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. :thumbsup:
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I have a nice one in good maple and iron done by a local maker in Louisiana named John Colvin. It is a .32 and is my squirrel rifle. It is percussion, but could easily be converted because it uses the small Siler lock. He scaled it down for me (I am short) and for the caliber so it is light and easily carried in the woods.
http://photobucket.com/albums/y298/Packdog1/Mathew Gillespie/?sc=1
Mine was built by Ken Guy (Packdog)of Signal Mountain, TN. It has a .50 caliber Rice barrel, and a Chambers' Early Ketland lock. It's a fair copy of an original built by Matthew Gillespie circa 1810.
Mine was built by Ken Guy (Packdog)of Signal Mountain, TN. It has a .50 caliber Rice barrel, and a Chambers' Early Ketland lock. It's a fair copy of an original built by Matthew Gillespie circa 1810.
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I like the way the did the all wood butt on the gun with it cut out like a standard butt plate gun, that really looks nice. I just took a knife file and put some cross checkin' on my flat oak butt plate, figure that'll give it a bit of grip when I shoulder it. You have a very nice looking rifle there. :thumbsup:
Guest
swampman, that is a very nice rifle. He did a great job on it. Very true to its roots.
Some have commented that it would have looked better with smaller lock panels, but this is the way the orignal was built. The most noticeable departure from the original, is the tallow hole shape. Mathew used this style on most of his guns. The original that inspired my gun had a huge square tallow hole that wasn't very attractive. Ken and I felt this Mathew Gilespie style tallow hole was better looking.
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My .36 TN rifle has a walnut stock, iron-mounted, no nosecap, 42" H & H barrel and was made by Roger Sells of Monterey, TN. Its a tackdriver! The .54 he's building has a premium curly maple stock with a banana box, coin-silver moon inlay in cheek, poured pewter "chevron" nosecap. It should be finished in 4 to 6 weeks. Can't wait! will post photos of both the Sells rifles when the .54 arrives.
Marc,
Take a good look at the photos that Swampman posted.The Matthew Gillespie rifle is about as Southern Mountain as you can get.
I have what we think is a Matthew Gillespie original made out of Hanging Dog Iron. I'm hoping to take it up to the Gillespie Family Reunion this May to compare it to other original Gillespies and maybe resolve it for sure one way or another.
John Gillespie and his brother James left the family homeplace over in North Carolina and settled in my home county in the Georgia Mountains and made rifles there for years.
In addition I have a contemporary John Gillespie in .40cal that is so much of a duplicate of an original we found at home that it is difficult to seperate from the original. It has a grease hole shaped like the one in Swapman's photos. Also have a .32cal and a .50cal made by Herschel House that are typical Southern Mountain rifles,but of course these show all of the characteristics of a Herschel House School contemporary rifle. Roger Sells has an almost duplicate of my .32cal in .29cal that Herschel made years ago for his wife. Sure wish I knew how to post photos,but I don't and it's difficult to teach an old dog new tricks :haha:.
Take a good look at the photos that Swampman posted.The Matthew Gillespie rifle is about as Southern Mountain as you can get.
I have what we think is a Matthew Gillespie original made out of Hanging Dog Iron. I'm hoping to take it up to the Gillespie Family Reunion this May to compare it to other original Gillespies and maybe resolve it for sure one way or another.
John Gillespie and his brother James left the family homeplace over in North Carolina and settled in my home county in the Georgia Mountains and made rifles there for years.
In addition I have a contemporary John Gillespie in .40cal that is so much of a duplicate of an original we found at home that it is difficult to seperate from the original. It has a grease hole shaped like the one in Swapman's photos. Also have a .32cal and a .50cal made by Herschel House that are typical Southern Mountain rifles,but of course these show all of the characteristics of a Herschel House School contemporary rifle. Roger Sells has an almost duplicate of my .32cal in .29cal that Herschel made years ago for his wife. Sure wish I knew how to post photos,but I don't and it's difficult to teach an old dog new tricks :haha:.
Nice job. Now that's a fence. But somebody hung a rifle on it. :grin: Seriously, nice looking rifle.
For crying out load....I really can't afford another gun right now.....man that is one sweet looking gun!
Although it isn't strictly a Southern Mountain Rifle, I tend to think of it as a Southern Rifle.
I may be wrong, but I think the folks in the Coastal areas might have had access to brass and a German style lock?
It's fairly plane for a Zonie gun don't you think?
I may be wrong, but I think the folks in the Coastal areas might have had access to brass and a German style lock?
It's fairly plane for a Zonie gun don't you think?
Dang, pics of ya'll rifles make mine look down right ugly. 
Of course, I did post first,LOL. :blah:
Give me a couple months now that I'm working a steady job and I'll find something that looks a bit nicer, or maybe have something built by TVM or Early Rustic Arms. I just hate the year long wait to get the gun, maybe I'll hit some of ya'll up for one of your nice guns when I get some cash saved up. You know what they say, Money Talks, LOL. :yakyak:
Of course, I did post first,LOL. :blah:
Give me a couple months now that I'm working a steady job and I'll find something that looks a bit nicer, or maybe have something built by TVM or Early Rustic Arms. I just hate the year long wait to get the gun, maybe I'll hit some of ya'll up for one of your nice guns when I get some cash saved up. You know what they say, Money Talks, LOL. :yakyak:
Mike Brooks
Cannon
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Rowan Co. North Carolina gun I made some years ago.
Here's a west wirginia rifle I built a few years ago.
Here's a west wirginia rifle I built a few years ago.
Deerstalker
36 Cal.
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- Jun 1, 2004
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Dang you Mike Brooks! If you keep showin your artistry off, you are goin to cause me to break down and ask what one of your rifles is goin to cost me, then I'll of course have to buy one!LOL! Nice ain't the word, as usual!
Bryan
Bryan
