The mountain regions from North Carolina to Tennessee produced a unique longrifle, without elaborate inlays, incised carving or decoration of late schools. Often trimmed in iron rather than brass, the iron furniture demonstrated the forging skill of the maker. Imported locks and hand made double set triggers, were frequently found on Tennessee rifles. Stocked in cherry, and trimmed in iron, this Tennessee flint lock longrifle is .50 caliber. Used, it has numerous small handling marks in the stock and barrel. Weight is 7.8 pounds, and the trigger reach is 13-3/4 inches.

The straight .50 caliber 1" octagon barrel is 41-1/4" in length. The barrel has a browned finish with scattered speckles from use. The top flat of the barrel is marked Dixie Gun Works Union City, Tennessee near the breach. The barrel is mostly bright, but we do note some scattered visible pitting about 2" behind the muzzle. A nickel silver blade front sight is dovetailed 1-3/4" behind the muzzle. A semi-buckhorn rear sight is dovetailed 10" ahead of the breech. Fixed sights are easily adjusted. Trim the height of the blade front sight, to raise your bullet impact to the desired center. Drift the rear sight in its dovetail, right or left, to center your windage. Use our #Tool-Key-B brass wedge drift punch, sold separately, to easily move the sight, without damage to the sight.

The classic Tennessee buttstock is mounted with iron furniture, and drilled with a grease hole, for patch grease. Use our #Lube-SPG for warm weather shooting. Simply fill the hole with tallow, and wipe your patch across the hole, before loading. This is the Tennessee equivalent to the earlier patchbox, and correct for this style of rifle.

The cherry stock has many dings and marks from field use. Our top view shows the browned iron buttplate, and tapered comb of the buttstock. The tang is retained with two tang screws that go directly into the wood. Below, the small iron toeplate protects the toe while the butt is on the ground during loading. The matching iron triggerguard is a correct replica of the hand forged triggerguards, typically used on Tennessee rifles. Two small screws retain the triggerguard. Made without a ramrod entry pipe, three forward pipes retain the wooden ramrod. An iron tip is fitted to the ramrod to accept 10-32 cleaning and loading accessories. Our back view shows the classic Kentucky cheek piece, and single lock bolt, surrounded by a typical Tennessee sideplate. The stock does have the typical crack from the breech to the sideplate lock bolt.

The lock is finished to the same brown to match the barrel. Use a 5/8" knapped flint for best performance in this lock. The stainless steel vent liner is positioned correctly to provide for fast ignition. The beech has a few marks from use and cleaning.

Double set triggers are correctly adjusted to allow the lock to be cocked, or the trigger set, in any sequence. You may fire the lock with the triggers set or unset. This example has a very firm trigger pull in the unset position. The tiny adjustment screw, between the triggers, controls the trigger release pressure, when set. Slowly turn the screw inboard to lighten trigger release, until you find zero release, where the trigger will not stay latched. Back off the screw about one full turn, for safety.

This Tennessee mountain rifle is used with a well aged patina. The bore is mostly bright with a few scattered speckles visible. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.