What is a good length for an American longrifle ?

[copehill hermit]

The shop near me has a Dixie Gun Works Mountain Rifle in .50 caliber with a 41" barrel, they also have an original Schimmel rifle in .54 with a 45 inch barrel but it doesnt function properly. I would probably want something more towards the 44" mark than the 40" mark. The DGW Mountain Rifle is for sale for $600 which I think is kind of high for its age I have an old 1992 DGW catalog that doesnt even list that rifle so it has to be a 1970s or 1980s rifle at the least.

I would be interested in tracking down a Schimmel rifle. Do you have contact information for that shop? Thanks!

 

[BriR]

I know it may not be technically a “longrifle” and is categorized more as a “transitional rifle,” but I really like the length of my Edward Marshall .58 cal rifle built by John Bergmann from a Jim Chambers kit. It has a 37” tapered barrel, weighs 9 lbs. and balances perfectly when carried just forward of the lock.

 

[oldwood]

Jim said in a previous post ,If'n your rifle gun is too long ,stool needed to load. The 44" barrel gun I used way back , I had to put the butt in a hole to see the muzzle. 5 foot 7" guy , w/ 13 " length of Pull gotta have a hole ta shorten a long flint rifle ta load her. That's also why, it's good to put finish under a butt plate so water from a flooded loading hole , doesn't soak in ta the stock.

 

[Coinneach]

I have been eyeing up getting an American Longrifle for some time now but I cant decide on a barrel length. Truth is I dont know what length is best and what length just makes your rifle a bird's roost. I am looking in the 40"- 46" barrel range probably in .50~.58 cal. Secondly, are the older Dixie Gun Works brand longrifles any good ? A shop local to me has two them in decent shape just no prices listed yet. Thanks given to all opinions on the matter. Muzzle weight isnt a problem either as I have carried a friends smoothbore with a 51" barrel which was heavy, cumbersome and put the muzzle damn near my chin when loading.

My first ML Flintlock Rifle was a Dixie GW Tennessee Mountain Rifle in .36 cal back in the mid 80's, it had a 42 inch barrel which I trimmed down to 38 inch and re-crowned.
I've always regretted selling that Rifle, it was very accurate and had a fast lock time, never under estimate those Dixie GW budget ML rifles.

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

If you are interested in what was used in the 18th century, then take a look at "Rifles of Colonial America" bu George Shumway. Two volumes. That will give you a good picture of the late 18th century. After 1800 a number of things changed. Depends on what you are interested in.

 

[Nor'Easter]

I had a ornate Bedford County with a 40" barrel. I had to sell it years back because of a few years of hard times. 40" is about as long as I prefer. I still own a 62 caliber full stock Hawken with a 36" barrel I use for deer hunting. I wanted to get back into squirrel hunting, so I bought a used Kibler 36 caliber with a 46" barrel. I chose Kibler because of the rave reviews I heard on this forum. I can't reload it with the rifle standing straight up, I have to lean it over at an angle. Luckily, with the swamped barrel, it balances nicely. It barely fits into my 2019 Ford Ranger. I had to make a harness that drapes over my head rest so the butt is on the floor, and the muzzle is almost touching the roof.
It leaves me to wonder how could someone transport a rifle with a 51" barrel? Roll the window down and let it stick out? Let it ride in the bed? Buy a trailer?

A Suburban!!

 

[longcruise]

I saw a photo of one of the Vincent's loading a very long barreled rifle with the but resting on the ground to his side and and the muzzle about chest height.

 

[MarylandML]

My first ML Flintlock Rifle was a Dixie GW Tennessee Mountain Rifle in .36 cal back in the mid 80's, it had a 42 inch barrel which I trimmed down to 38 inch and re-crowned.
I've always regretted selling that Rifle, it was very accurate and had a fast lock time, never under estimate those Dixie GW budget ML rifles.

There is one of the Dixie GW Tennesee Mountain Rifles in a shop near me Ive been thinking on buying. However, another user posted about buying the exact same rifle that was in a shop near him and everyone in that thread has stated them as terrible rifles. I thought the rifle looked good was a bit heavy though.

 

[Coinneach]

There is one of the Dixie GW Tennesee Mountain Rifles in a shop near me Ive been thinking on buying. However, another user posted about buying the exact same rifle that was in a shop near him and everyone in that thread has stated them as terrible rifles. I thought the rifle looked good was a bit heavy though.

Why not go in and check it out, ask the shop if you can look at the Lock removed and shine a Bore light down the Barrel, inspect the crowning on the muzzle and look for any modifications etc that may be sub-standard.
If you know someone in your neck of the woods who's relatively experienced with ML's, ask them to inspect the Rifle with you before you lay the money down.
My advice is not to go below 36 calibre, as one guy mentioned on the thread earlier they're just a tadly too small to shoot due to BP fouling after a shot or three; but if you don't mind cleaning after every shot and are into the Squirrel hunting thing then go for it.

 

[Coinneach]

A Suburban!!

Suddenly it dawns on me why Mickey Rooney was never offered the movie role of Daniel Boone......

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

A proper smokepole carries of 44” and on up in the pipe methinks.

 

[Murphinator]

There is one of the Dixie GW Tennesee Mountain Rifles in a shop near me Ive been thinking on buying. However, another user posted about buying the exact same rifle that was in a shop near him and everyone in that thread has stated them as terrible rifles. I thought the rifle looked good was a bit heavy though.

Yea the folks who have commented in my thread say the rifles either have terrible lock issues, are muzzle heavy or are unreliable. The one at my gun shop is very muzzle heavy and the lock doesnt spark that well but it does spark. I've never owned a flintlock so I personally dont know how much spark is enough but it didnt seem like enough compared to the videos on here and youtube.

 

[MarylandML]

Yea the folks who have commented in my thread say the rifles either have terrible lock issues, are muzzle heavy or are unreliable. The one at my gun shop is very muzzle heavy and the lock doesnt spark that well but it does spark. I've never owned a flintlock so I personally dont know how much spark is enough but it didnt seem like enough compared to the videos on here and youtube.

Ive never owned a flintlock but I ve done some plinking with my grandfather's rifle and they should generate a decent flash. The one in my shop lit up nice but it was muzzle heavy. I dont know if I should go after it now. Im kinda kicking myself cause another user here stopped in the same shop and payed a reserve deposit on an original Schimmel Rifle which I have found out are pretty good. Rifle doesnt work but I see the user is already underway tryin to resolve the issue.

 

[French Colonial]

I had DGW TMR in flint way back when they first started making them, could not get it to spark consistently and converted it to percussion and ended up selling it as it did not fit the time frame I was interested in.

If I had a chance to buy one today for a good price I would, I would reharden or resole the frizzen and cut the barrel back to make it easier to hold offhand and I think it would be perfect.

 

[Ray-Vigo]

I would look in the 38-inch to 44-inch range for barrel length. Ideally the barrel will be of the swamped variety, but a straight wall barrel can be fine so long as the rifle was built with balance point in mind. If you can handle the rifle, a good balancing point is where the front hand holds the rifle (often right behind the rear sight). The straight wall barrel will tend to make the gun more nose-heavy, all else being equal. If you can handle the gun in person before buying, it is helpful when buying a first rifle. Some people prefer the balance point a little forward or behind that point, but if you had to pick one balance point as a "default" the front hand position is roughly a good place for balance.

Caliber from .45 up to .54 is a good starting point for all-purpose use. If you're looking more to dedicated target or small game, .36 or .40 also come into play. If you're looking to hunt large game with it, the .58 and .60 are in play.

Length of pull and stock architecture are very important to making sure the gun fits you. Again, handling before buying is helpful here for a first rifle. You'll want to know your preferred length of pull and drop when going into this.

The lock should be in good condition and be of a sort where you can still get parts or have someone able to work on it (I like Cabin Creek for full lock tuning - they do a good job). In other words, don't get a half-missing lock where parts are hard to find or all have to be custom made. A first rifle should have a common lock where you can get parts and help more readily if you need it.

This is from the list of "things I wish I knew" when I started out.

I do not advise making an original your first rifle unless it is from a close family member or friend and you already know for certain it is a safe, shootable gun. I view originals more as something you get into after you have more experience.

 

[david w]

Why not go in and check it out, ask the shop if you can look at the Lock removed and shine a Bore light down the Barrel, inspect the crowning on the muzzle and look for any modifications etc that may be sub-standard.
If you know someone in your neck of the woods who's relatively experienced with ML's, ask them to inspect the Rifle with you before you lay the money down.
My advice is not to go below 36 calibre, as one guy mentioned on the thread earlier they're just a tadly too small to shoot due to BP fouling after a shot or three; but if you don't mind cleaning after every shot and are into the Squirrel hunting thing then go for it.

personally, the 36 caliber is right for me. I can use 000 buckshot with good results. Even in 36, I use Swiss 3fg exclusively because I get too much fouling with Goex.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I have a 44" rifle with a straight barrel, .42 cal. made by a gentleman from PA back in 1976 for sale. I'm getting up in age, 78 and can't manage the weight in the front as well as before. The gun is made after an early Northampton Co. gun by an unknown maker, not many balls through it, sorta a hanger queen!
I had it for sale at $1400 but have come down to $1100.

 

[SlidePicker]

I built a Dixie flintlock .50 caliber Tennessee Mountain Rifle in 1980 and have always thought it was about perfect with its 41-1/2" barrel and 9-1/2 pound weight. However, I now also have one of the aforementioned cumbersome 51" barreled smoothbores, and I love it! Its muzzle is at a perfect height for loading, 68" off of the ground. For the shorter set, you don't need a stool or a hole in the ground to load it. Just lean it over a bit.

 

[BigAl52]

Bergmann 50 cal. 44 inch barrel. It doesnt fit in the safe but I sure do like shooting it.

 

[Nor'Easter]

I've seen a few Bergman rifles come up for sale on TOTW, and they were all really special. Wish I had rounded up the change back then because now they go for triple the price.