This Southern Mountain Rifle, built by Mr. Roy Gillis of South Carolina, was made in the style of those rifles originally built by John Gillespie (1811-1894). This particular rifle is very similar to the rifle that appears on pages 24 and 25 of Dennis Glazner's book, The Gillespie Gun Makers Of East Fork, N.C.. The rifle has been conservatively trimmed in brass, there is no other decoration. Weighing in at 9.2 pounds the trigger reach of the rifle is 14-1/2" for today's larger shooters.
The heart of this rifle is the 44" barrel made by Rice Barrel Co. of North Carolina. The .40 caliber barrel has a 1 in 56" twist and is a straight 7/8" octagon. The barrel has a silvery gray patina from 20+ years of handling and use with the edges worn bright with darker patina on the flats. The barrel is fitted with a nickel silver blade brass base front sight and flat top rear sight dovetailed 8-3/4" ahead of the breech.
The stock has a very dark finish that was achieved by using aquafortis, which turns walnut almost black then coating it with a Laurel Mountain Forge cherry stain to add some red to the color. The stock has been traditionally finished with beeswax, heated and rubbed into the wood. Note the teardrop shaped grease hole in the butt of the rifle, this is one of the Gillespie trademarks. No buttplate is visible because the brass scale plate covers only the butt of the gun and does not protect any other area. The buttplate on this rifle was made by Mr. Gillis and is retained by 11 brass nails. From above one can see the nicely tapered comb of the rifle. The straight tang is retained by two tang bolts, with both bolt heads inline with the barrel channel giving the gun a streamlined, graceful look.
From below the brass triggerguard sticks out against the dark background. The brass casting was copied from an original, the triggerguard is thought to be representative of one circa 1810. The dainty guard is retained by two screws and, at one point, the triggerplate that it covers can be seen on either side of the guard. The ramrod is held in place by a single ramrod pipe. Mr. Gillis viewed an original mountain rifle in northern Georgia that was designed with this feature and has since incorporated it into his own rifles. The single pipe was handmade by Mr. Gillis. This rifle has no sideplate in "poor boy" style, the lock bolt simply stands above to wood. The classic cheek has no carving or molding, and the gentle curve of the butt fits nicely against the shoulder.
Ignition for this Southern Mountain Rifle is provided by a Jim Chambers Gunmakers lock that has been fit and finished by Mr. Gillis to give it a English trade lock appearance. The lock has a strong mainspring and will surely shower sparks into the pan. Use our 3/4" English flints for best performance in this lock. The lock has aged to a nice silvery gray patina with typical speckles from use. Fast ignition is assured by the stainless vent liner, positioned well above the bottom of the pan, centered on the heat of the 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 R. E. Davis double lever double set triggers have been properly tuned to be set and fired in any combination. You may cock the lock before or after you set the triggers.
A simple yet attractive Southern Mountain rifle with scattered handling marks and a nice natural aged patina from 20+ years of use. The lock sparks well and the bore is bright and has been well maintained. 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.
