Tenn. Southern Mtn Rifle kit build from TOTW.

[M. De Land]

I did fudge a couple of areas in the build that I felt needed doing. One of the big ones in my opinion that needs doing is, I glass bedded the rear of the breech plug up to the underside of the tang for a sold recoil embankment. The lock area is so thin on wood from all the converging mortise cuts I like to beef up/ reinforce the rear of the barrel with a bit of glass bedding.
Probably less than half a tea spoon by volume but a huge strength enhancement to get the recoil pressure off the tang end and front screw.

 

[Pete G]

Probably less than half a tea spoon by volume but a huge strength enhancement to get the recoil pressure off the tang end and front screw.

And it seals the end grain at the end of the barrel channel

 

[M. De Land]

I really like the un-cluttered look of these iron furniture guns that expose the wood grain and fitting of wood to steel ( or lack there of) instead of all the crow bait glitter often draped over the stocks. I would like to learn and add some modest incise carving, beading , a bit of wire inlay and perhaps a simple patch box design in the future but some of these flinters look like electric guitars made in Jarez Mexico they have so much brass and silver charm inlays covering them.
I'm still trying to get over the cost shock of these Kit guns. This simple style was nearly a K note for quality parts and supposed high grade stock wood.
Kind of hooks you though doesn't it. I haven't even sighted this one in and I'm thinking about what to build next.

 

[M. De Land]

I also want to do a swamped barrel next time. They sure do feel good when carrying and especially when shooting off hand.
Were swamped barrels used on these SMR's?
As I prefer GM barrels I'm thinking I will probably have to cut the swamp myself which is fine and would be interesting to do.

 

[tenngun]

I really like the un-cluttered look of these iron furniture guns that expose the wood grain and fitting of wood to steel ( or lack there of) instead of all the crow bait glitter often draped over the stocks. I would like to learn and add some modest incise carving, beading , a bit of wire inlay and perhaps a simple patch box design in the future but some of these flinters look like electric guitars made in Jarez Mexico they have so much brass and silver charm inlays covering them.
I'm still trying to get over the cost shock of these Kit guns. This simple style was nearly a K note for quality parts and supposed high grade stock wood.
Kind of hooks you though doesn't it. I haven't even sighted this one in and I'm thinking about what to build next.

it’s a matter of timing. Wealth Central Europeans paid big bucks to get a wheel lock, they might as well throw in some ivory and fancy carving. By the time the jagar developed that stayed with it, although there were military and game keeper versions. American rifles were work-a-day, but wood carving was popular on any surface. In Federal times we see the explosion of super fine American rifles, but plain Jane always were to be found.
In Europe rifles almost all went to fairly rich unless like a game keeper who was still well to do. In American it was a common mans arm.

 

[user 13289]

I also want to do a swamped barrel next time. They sure do feel good when carrying and especially when shooting off hand.
Were swamped barrels used on these SMR's?
As I prefer GM barrels I'm thinking I will probably have to cut the swamp myself which is fine and would be interesting to do.

Swamping is a nearly natural result of forging a barrel. Straight-walled bbls are modernism for the most part. I don't want a gun so late as to require one, can't stand holding it-they just don't feel right. Might be okay/appropriate for the stubby late stuff, but often they were tapered when not swamped. (I know less of any school but TN-so claim no expertise outside the TN rifle-where my focus yet lies.)

Good news for you is that original swamps were often less pronounced than what we see today-measure up an original (or find numbers from someone who has), might save you some file work.

 

[M. De Land]

My "Tennessee" is also using one of those extra long trigger plates. Being a Tennessee, the extra long barrel tang was appropriate so I used it too.
As things turned out, it was a good thing that I bought the long tang breech plug and the long trigger plate because the Walnut stock Pecatonica River sent me has a very poor grain flow thru the wrist. (It is the only stock out of over 15 that the sent me with this sort of problem.)

By having the extra long tang and trigger plate the two screws that go thru the wrist greatly strengthens the stock by sandwiching the poor grain flow between two pieces of steel.
View attachment 23419

What caliber is your SMR Jim?

 

[M. De Land]

Swamping is a nearly natural result of forging a barrel. Straight-walled bbls are modernism for the most part. I don't want a gun so late as to require one, can't stand holding it-they just don't feel right. Might be okay/appropriate for the stubby late stuff, but often they were tapered when not swamped. (I know less of any school but TN-so claim no expertise outside the TN rifle-where my focus yet lies.)

Good news for you is that original swamps were often less pronounced than what we see today-measure up an original (or find numbers from someone who has), might save you some file work.

A good friend of mine who shoots at friendship often told me " You'll never see a swamped barrel gun on the line at friendship"! I'm sure there are exceptions but this was his observation having looked over a lot of gear on the line from the guys that win.

 

[user 13289]

A good friend of mine who shoots at friendship often told me " You'll never see a swamped barrel gun on the line at friendship"! I'm sure there are exceptions but this was his observation having looked over a lot of gear on the line from the guys that win.

I'm not trying to replicate or follow designs of what modern men are shooting, but of what our forefathers used in the field. Perhaps they did file out hammer-forged barrels into perfectly straight ones, I don't know. But I do know don't want to hold one offhand. Over the log or off a table/bench it's irrelevant, but I have no target-only guns (presently). I've seen flintlocks win over percussion at the York (but they don't even compete together at many matches), and plenty of straight heavy bbls made just for the sport. None of those guns would I take into the woods.

Target shooting has all sorts of quirks if that is all one is doing, according to the limitations of the rules of course.

 

[user 34300]

"the Walnut stock Pecatonica River sent me has a very poor grain flow thru the wrist."

Hope it work out OK and does not break. I would have sent it back for replacement.

 

[Zonie]

What caliber is your SMR Jim?

It has a .45 caliber, Green Mountain, 13/16" octagon barrel on it.
This is the smallest .45 caliber barrel GM offered and its small octagon size keeps it from being muzzle heavy.

 

[M. De Land]

That is the exact same barrel I have on mine. Hows it shoot being so light? Did it cut patches when new?

 

[Zonie]

That is the exact same barrel I have on mine. Hows it shoot being so light? Did it cut patches when new?

It shoots patched roundballs great. The rifling grooves are too deep for bullets to work well in it but, IMO, Tennessee rifles weren't designed to shoot bullets.

When I build a new rifle, I always scour the bore of the new barrel using steel wool wrapped around a cleaning jag to break/dull the sharp edges of the rifling grooves. I also use silicone carbide wet/dry sandpaper and my thumb with a twisting motion to round off the sharp edges of the rifling grooves and the bore where they meet the cone at the muzzle.
By doing this, I've found there is never a problem with torn or cut patches.