Home > Gun Kits > Percussion gun kits > Southern Mountain Rifles

Build Track's Early Tennessee longrifle kit,
L&R Durs Egg percussion lock, traditional iron trim, with 15/16" octagon barrel

Click link to view current prices, and options; wood grades, barrels, and furniture.
Price: starting at $926.95

Build Track's
Early Tennessee longrifle,
easy to assemble rifle kit,
36 or 42" octagon barrel,
traditional iron trim,
plain or fancy maple stock

Build a attractive South Mountain flint longrifle trimmed in iron, and stocked in curly maple. Often referred to as a Tennessee style, this Southern rifle is fitted with a percussion conversion English Durs Egg flint lock, by L&R. Original Tennessee flint rifles were often equipped with imported English locks, many of which were converted to percussion post-1830.

Fine locks, set triggers, and good wood are standard features of the so-called Tennessee rifles, even though the furniture may be forged iron, or abbreviated in "poor boy" fashion by omitting the buttplate and entry pipe. We include a full set parts in our suggested list. Each part is sold separately so any parts can be omitted after adding the set to the shopping cart. The L&R lock is fitted with a brass flash cup to prevent the cap overspray from marking the wood, or metal at the breech. Flash cups are found on many antique rifles.

This attractive Tennessee percussion longrifle was signed by contemporary builder Mr. John Simmons, who apprenticed under well known builder Mr. John Bergmann.

Order our early Tennessee longrifle kit, and use your imagination. Plain or decorated, with double set trigger, many options are available. Each part is offered separately, so you can create your own custom rifle. Select the parts you need for your project in traditional iron (steel) furniture. We recommend plain or fancy maple.

Colerain Barrel Company offers a select few calibers in 15/16" straight octagon barrels. Offered in .45, .50, or .54 caliber, Colerain straight octagon barrels are threaded to accept the breech plug. Colerain rifle barrels are the favorite choice of today's best muzzle loading gun makers, because knowledgeable shooters demand Colerain's accuracy, inside and outside. Founded by two entrepreneurs, Scott Keller and Scott Kelly were tutored by Bob Paris, the famous rifle barrel maker who was first to perfect the technique for production of correct swamped barrels.

Colerain rifle barrels are cut rifled, with fancy radius groove rifling geometry, in correct twist rates for round balls:

Cut rifled, with .012" to .016" deep grooves, depending on caliber.
1 turn in 56" twist, in .45, .50, or 54 caliber.

Colerain rifle barrels are drilled from solid steel. Each barrel has six "round bottom" grooves, called "radius groove rifling". Colerain eliminates the sharp inside corner that accumulates fouling. Radius groove rifling cutters are a bit more expensive to make, but Colerain's customers agree that the accuracy, easy loading, and easy cleaning are worth the cost.

Green Mountain barrels are 15/16" octagon, 36" or 42" in length, and come threaded for breech plug. Available in .45, .50, and .54 calibers. Green Mountain muzzle loading rifle barrels are machined from high quality American made bar stock, A.I.S.I. 1137 modified, stress relieved, annealed, certified rifle barrel quality steel. All barrels are drilled from solid stock, reamed to a high degree of smoothness, then optically checked for straightness. Very close tolerances are maintained. Diameters vary less than .0002" within any bore.

Cut Rifling Specifications:

Each barrel has eight lands and grooves.
Grooves cut .010 to .012" deep, depending on caliber.
Twist is 1 turn in 60 inches for .45 caliber.
Twist is 1 turn in 70 inches for .50 and .54 caliber.

Stocks, for our early Tennessee fullstock are late flint era, early for the area of the Southern Mountains. Pre-inlet for any 15/16" octagon barrel up to 42" length, drilled full depth for a 3/8" ramrod. Cut for an L&R Durs Egg flint lock, either our #TR-DST-4 or #TR-DST-6 double set triggers, our #TG-TN-2-I triggerguard, and our Tennessee lollipop tang plug. Trigger reach may be adjusted up to 15", with 4-1/2" drop, from the line of sights. The butt end is about 5" x 1-1/2", not cut for the buttplate.

We offer a complete set of iron (steel) furniture, to fit this rifle. Furniture includes the buttplate, triggerguard, toeplate, forward and entry ramrod pipes, sideplate, ramrod, and ramrod tip. As cast, the castings need to have the casting gates removed by filing or grinding, and must be polished, then drilled for mounting screws, as needed.

Triggerguard, #TG-TN-2-I, patterned after an original from a longrifle by Bean of Tennessee. This triggerguard is pre-cut into our pre-inlet early Tennessee full-stock. This guard has a very long bow to accommodate either our #TR-DST-4 with straight front trigger, or #TR-DST-6 with curled front trigger.

We offer three different single screw sideplates that are correct for a Tennessee, or Southern Mountain rifle. These single screw sideplates should be inlet flush to the side panel surface. Our #SP-TN-2-I is our default choice.

Perhaps London's most innovative lock and gun maker, Mr. Durs Egg immigrated from Switzerland, setting up shop in London, the world's arms making center in his time.

Actually, "Durs" was a nickname, but Mr. Egg adopted it as his own. We are glad he did. Once you have used this lock, you will never confuse the "Durs Egg" with any other. Better American guns were stocked around such finer locks, after about 1800, when our makers could import them.

Best quality London made flint locks were often converted to percussion, during the 1825 - 1840 transition period. This nice percussion lock has the plate style of an earlier flint lock, with a notch for a 7/16" powder drum and nipple.
A fly detent prevents the sear from snagging the half-cock notch when fired. Ideal for use with set triggers. Nearly as large as the large Siler lock, it will work well on any 15/16" octagon barrel.

Notice the "cut away" tumbler and "swing out" link, which greatly simplify lock disassembly. These are fine English innovations. This tumbler has a lower arm, made to catch the mainspring if the tumbler arm or link should break while being cocked. But even if this "weakest link" has failed, this fine lock will fire one last shot. You can depend on this nice lock, in good weather or bad.

Powder drum, #DRUM-8-5-F-L, we now offer powder drums with a removable lug for installation. Not drilled for the nipple, use our #TOOL-DRUM, drum drilling jig to make this step easy. After the drum is installed, simply cut off the lug and the drum will appear just as those found on original percussion longrifles.

Patchbox, although not required, a Tennessee iron banana patchbox is very correct for this style of rifle. Shown in The Kentucky Rifle by Merrill Lindsay, and typically found in iron. Copied from a rifle by J. G. Gross, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Patchbox door spring, and full installation instructions are included. Typically retained with two 6 x 1/2" steel screws. This patchbox has a overall length of 7-1/4".

Gunsmithing Labor Options are a popular low cost method of speeding assembly. Our gunsmith can install the plug (#LABOR-BP) front and rear sights (2 #LABOR-DS), and underlugs (3 #LABOR-UL) at small extra cost, with prompt delivery.

#LABOR-BP: Our gunsmith will install your breech plug, in your barrel, with the front face of the breech plug tightly sealed against the inside shoulder of the breech thread, and the barrel maker's name indexed to the bottom flat. Threads are lubricated with Birchwood Casey's Choke Tube Lube anti-seize, so the plug may be removed, even after decades of use. Never remove a breech plug, unless you have a compelling reason. The plug is never removed for cleaning, and should only be removed by a skilled gunsmith, who has the correct tools to avoid marking your polished and finished barrel and plug.

#LABOR-DS: When you buy the sight from us, we will remove any burrs, gates, or parting lines, and hand fit the sight to the dovetail slot, ready for you to finish and use. Many of our rear sights are cast with an oversize base, to allow these to fill oversize slots. It is wise to allow us to trim these to a standard size, before installation in a new barrel. We must install the breech plug before installing sights, rib, or pipes.

Front sight slots are centered 1.5" from muzzle, unless your clearly specify another location. Do not embed special instructions within lengthy text of a letter. Place special instructions immediately after your written order for that item, or in the comment field of our on-line order form.

Rear sight slots are centered 8.5" from the breech end of the barrel (not including plug), unless your clearly specify another location. Do not embed special instructions within lengthy text of a letter. Place special instructions immediately after your written order for that item, or in the comment field of our on-line order form.

#LABOR-UL: When you buy the lugs from us, we will remove any burrs, and hand fit the lug to the dovetail slot, ready for you to finish and use. Allow our gunsmith to determine the best location for lug. Typically these rifles require three lugs. We require the breech plug to be fitted before performing this operation.

We strongly recommend Recreating the American Longrifle, by William Buchele. The late William Buchele was recognized as a true master longrifle maker. But his greatest contribution to muzzle loading must be this book. He shares the step-by-step details of his craft. His work has been enhanced by the editors. This book does not assume that the reader is an expert stock maker, but begins with illustrated explanations of the basic concepts. Buchele shows several alternate approaches to most tasks. This newly revised fifth edition includes full scale plans for a carved flint longrifle, and fullstock flint pistol. Over 250 photos and drawings, within 176 pages, 8-1/2 x 11" format, soft cover.

Discussed in Recreating the American Longrifle, Track's underlug staples are authentic, stronger, easier to install, and they remove less metal than dovetail lugs. Not suitable for thin walled barrels, staples work well for keys, pins, or for supporting a sling swivel.

#TOOL-105-P: Align our double punch with a centerline drawn on the bottom flat of your octagon barrel. Strike it to prick punch the exact spacing for our staples. Very handy for quick and accurate staple location.

Lay your key or pin in the open staple. Measure the staple leg extending above your key or pin. Drill your holes exactly that depth. Select a drill bit to match the staple foot diameter (about 7/64"). We recommend using a drill press. Set a quill stop to avoid drilling too deep. Hole depth determines key slot thickness.

#TOOL-105-S: Insert one end of our staple into your hole, and seat it with a light hammer blow. Place the semi-circular slotted end of this tool around the staple's seated end. Strike it with firm blows, to stake the staple permanently in place. Seat the opposite end, and stake it. Malleable staples allow bending. Stake one end securely, before attempting to seat the other end. Straighten after staking.

#TOOL-DRUM: Use Track's drum drilling jig to install a percussion powder drum on your new rifle barrel, and be assured of perfect alignment. Using this drilling jig is very quick and easy. No file fitting is required to index the nipple to correctly engage the hammer. Never use a washer or shim under your powder drum. Install one of our drums and use this tool to locate and install the nipple threads. After your lock is correctly located, and fully inlet against the barrel's side flat, drill tap and install our undrilled powder drum. Tighten it snugly against the barrel. Lower the hammer on your lock, and draw a line across the face of the drum, showing the proper nipple angle. Remove the barrel and drum assembly from your stock. Slip this tool over the drum. Align it with the line on your drum. Tighten the locking screw, and insert the drill bushing. Using your hand drill and your #3 drill bit, drill a connecting hole into the powder drums center channel. Remove the drill, bushing, and insert our 1/4-28 plug tap. Using a tap handle and cutting oil, thread the hole to accept our #RST-A nipple. Finish with our bottom tap. Dismount the drill jig, and proof test your barrel and drum before use. Drill, taps, drum and nipple sold separately.

We also recommend our new catalog, which describes this kit in great detail, explains the options, and shows most individual parts in exact full size photographs. Prices may change, over the years, but the technical data, dimensions, instructions, and precise photos will make this 432 page book an essential too on your work bench.

Gun building is fun! View our prices and options, to select your favorites. Same day shipment.

Click link to view current prices, and options; wood grades, barrels, and furniture.
Price: starting at $926.95

Top of Page Home > Gun Kits > Percussion gun kits > Southern Mountain Rifles

Build Track'sEarly Tennessee longrifle,easy to assemble rifle kit,36 or 42" octagon barrel,traditional iron trim, plain or fancy maple stock

Build Track's
Early Tennessee longrifle,
easy to assemble rifle kit,
36 or 42" octagon barrel,
traditional iron trim,
plain or fancy maple stock