This Southern Mountain .45 caliber fullstock longrifle is trimmed in hand forged iron furniture and stocked in maple. The rifle is fitted with a Rice Barrel Company swamped barrel, and L&R percussion lock. Neatly hand made by contemporary builder J. Donelson the barrel is signed on the top flat. Trigger reach is 13-1/4", to fit today's average size shooter. Weight is 9 pounds. This rifle appears to have seen little use and appears to be near new.

The .45 caliber 43" Rice swamped barrel is thickest at the breech, tapers to a narrow waist, and flares at the muzzle. The cut rifled bore has seven lands and grooves with a 1 turn in 66 inch twist, for patched round ball. Made in the USA, Rice Muzzle Loading Rifle Barrels are reamed, rifled, and "ball burnished" to a mirror finish, with a more uniform bore diameter than can be achieved with reaming alone. Match quality, no break-in period, no hand lapping is required. This barrel will shoot accurately from the very first shot. The rear sight is a flat top dovetailed 9-1/2" from the breech. The nickel silver blade front sight has a brass base centered 2-1/4" behind the muzzle. The top flat of the barrel is engraved Donelson.

Shaped from a maple blank this stock is stained to a warm brown tone. The stock is fitted with a modestly curved steel buttplate, which is common on Appalachian style rifles. The hand forged Southern style triggerguard has a large bow to provide easy access to the single trigger. The offset grip rail has a re-curved spoon design which is also a design found on Appalachian style rifles.

A long iron toeplate is fitted to this rifle to protect the stock during loading and cleaning. The toe of the stock has a dark spot in the wood. The hand forged triggerguard is neatly shaped and joined together. The hickory ramrod was shaped by hand and is fitted with a tapered steel tip with 8-32 threads for loading and cleaning accessories. No ramrod entry pipe was fitted and the ramrod is retained with three plain steel forward pipes. A short muzzle cap protects the end grain of the stock. A flush mounted sideplate supports the single lock bolt. The buttstock is shaped with a square cheek piece for the shooter to comfortably align the sights.

Ignition is provided by a L&R percussion lock. This lock is a classic design with a rounded tail, and notched for a powder drum. The drum on this rifle is threaded into the barrel and has a flash fence soldered to the rear of the drum to protect the wood at the breech from repeated cap flash. Some of the solder is visible. The lock has a strong mainspring, and short hammer travel, for fast lock time. The drum is well supported by the lock plate. A stainless steel nipple is fitted to the powder drum. The trigger is pinned high to provide good leverage against the sear, and the trigger has a light release.

This percussion Southern Mountain longrifle is very neatly assembled from a blank with hand forged furniture, swamped barrel, and percussion lock. The bore is bright in as-new condition. The moderate weight and long barrel make it a good choice for rest, or "over the log" shooting. 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.