The Southern Mountain, or Tennessee style longrifle is stocked in curly maple and trimmed in iron furniture. Antique Southern Mountain rifles are often trimmed in iron furniture, with hardware store locks, and double set triggers. This rifle is fitted with an L&R flintlock, and double lever double set triggers. The heart of this rifle is its .38 caliber Goodoien barrel that has been well maintained and is ready to shoot. This rifle is stocked with a 12-3/4" trigger reach, for a average size shooter. This longrifle weighs 10.3 pounds, and balances just ahead of the ramrod entry pipe.
Best quality parts include a barrel by the now retired barrel maker Mr. Jim Goodoien. A serious student of the best rifle barrel makers of yesterday and today, Jim has mastered their techniques. After retiring as partner and manager of a large specialty printing company, Jim focused his efforts on creating the best rifle barrels for his fellow shooters. His hobby is shooting, and his passion was perfection. He outfitted his shop with huge twin gun drills, rifling machines of his own design, massive milling machines, and special lathes. Starting with selected round steel stock, Jim drilled holes that are nearly perfectly straight. Bores are reamed to a mirror finish, using special reamers made in his shop. Rifling grooves are slowly cut in many passes, until correct depth. Outside flats are milled octagon to insure that the bore is perfectly concentric. The bores are hand lapped until satisfied by Jim's critical eye. The barrel marking J. Goodoien / Blaine MN is on the breech end on the top flat.
The 42" long straight octagon barrel is .38 caliber and cut rifled with eight narrow lands and wide grooves with a slow twist for a tightly patched round ball. The previous owner recommended 50 grains of 3F powder and a .375" pure lead ball with tight patch that is carefully coaxed into the bore. The barrel is finished to a slightly textured dark brown. A tall flat top rear sight is dovetailed 10" ahead of the breech. A browned iron blade front sight is dovetailed 1-3/4" behind the muzzle. The breech is fitted with a long lollipop tang with one bolt that passes through the stock to engage the trigger plate below. Four iron pins retain the barrel to the forearm.
The curly maple stock is finished to a dark brown with a golden undertones to best display the attractive figure over the length of the stock. Not a "poor boy" this is a full dress Southern rifle and all of the iron furniture is finished to the same textured brown as the barrel. The buttstock is fitted with a hand made steel buttplate with a gentle curve to engage the shooter's shoulder, the brazed joint at the comb is a nice historical touch. The slender comb of the buttstock tapers into the wrist. The long slender iron "Bean of Tennessee" style patchbox features a a small spring latch at the tail that secures the door. Beneath the door is a cut cavity for storing flints, patches, or other shooting accessories.
Three steel screws retain the long toeplate. The toeplate protects the fragile toe area, which is otherwise often susceptible to dents and chips. This hand forged Tennessee style triggerguard has a large bow and long grip rail with curled spoon that is brazed to the bow. The rifle is fitted with two long forward pipes and a long entry pipe without a skirt, sometimes found on Southern rifles. The ramrod is fitted with a brass tip with 8-32 threads for loading and cleaning accessories. No muzzle cap is fitted to protect the end grain of the stock. The square cheek gives the shooter a comfortable rest to align the sights and is decorated with two lines of molding. A single lock bolt retains the lock on this well dressed Southern Mountain longrifle and passes through a classic Tennessee style sideplate.
This Tennessee flint rifle is fitted with L&R's best Ashmore flint lock. Notice the waterproof pan with drains on either side. The frizzen spring has a roller bearing, for fast lock action. We recommend our 3/4" flints #FLINT-ENG-6 for this lock. The stainless steel vent liner is perfectly centered over the pan, correctly positioned to find the hottest center of the ignition flash. If your flint longrifle suffers from that infamous slow whoosh-bang ignition delay, study the work of today's best gun makers, and position your vent well centered on the pan, high above the bottom, to serve as a window on the center of the flash. The double lever double set triggers are tuned to fire the lock set, or unset. The lock and triggers may be cocked or set in any sequence. Adjust the screw between the two triggers, inboard to reduce set trigger release pressure, our outboard to require a stronger pressure. The set trigger can provide very light release, perhaps an ounce or two, for accurate aimed shooting during pleasant weather.
This .38 caliber Southern rifle will be a joy to shoot in your next shooting competition. The Goodoien barrel is bright, clean, and ready to shoot! 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.
