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The West Virginia Cabin Gun

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Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
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Location
Summerville, SC
Every time I look at this old rifle, I want to make it shoot again. It needs lock work, half cock won't hold, the breech plug threads were cut by hand. The barrel actually has a pretty clean bore. I think as long as I make it shoot again, won't hurt it or the value. If the bore turns out to be no good, Bobby Hoyt could work his magic. I have a friend who can do the work locally. Opinions please

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That is a great looking old rifle! Could you give any more info about it such as caliber,age and any more historic facts you may know about it. I am from WV and would love to know a bit more. Do you know what part of the state it is from? Thanks for your time.
 
So here is what I know so far

My friend was in a gun shop, and a guy walked in wanting to sell and old gun. The shop owner said he wasn't interested, so my friend headed out to the parking lot, and this gun along with it's holder was in the back of the guys truck. My friend bought the gun from him along with it's history. So for about 10 years it hung in my friends rifle shop, and he told me about it. Well I went to visit him and became infatuated with the old rifle, and told him I would love to own it. When he came to our club shoot, he told me to get my **** out of the back of his truck. I was so thrilled that he would entrust me with it's ownership.

He remembers the gun was from a cabin in West Virginia, and he is still looking for the documentation as type this.

The caliber is 40-45 range

I tell you what the bore is better than I thought, it's a mirror with good rifling

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Here is the gun as it was when I saw it in his shop

There is evidence that the barrel is much older than the rifle. There is areas where older underlugs were installed for a different rifle. He thinks this barrel is a hand forged barrel from an old flintlock
 
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I've been wanting to make another southern rifle. I think I'll copy this rifles architecture....classy lines on this piece. Can you tell me how long the barrel and lock plate is?
 
To bad you can't incorporate a tumbler w/ a fly. Jim Web wrote a couple books on these old original Southern Appalachian rifles. One note : He encountered many with set triggers with that had the half cock notch intentionally filed away so the sear wouldn't catch the notch. Just how they were made. ........oldwood
 
I've been wanting to make another southern rifle. I think I'll copy this rifles architecture....classy lines on this piece. Can you tell me how long the barrel and lock plate is?

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Barrel is 42 1/4"
Lock plate is 4 3/4"

Yes the style really looks like the Leman Trade Rifle

Here is a full stock kit from Pecatonica River
http://longrifles-pr.com/lemanfull.shtml
 
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To bad you can't incorporate a tumbler w/ a fly. Jim Web wrote a couple books on these old original Southern Appalachian rifles. One note : He encountered many with set triggers with that had the half cock notch intentionally filed away so the sear wouldn't catch the notch. Just how they were made. ........oldwood

I was also thinking about that, and I better leave the half cock alone for now. I got the bushings installed, and the lock is much better

I think I may talk to the guys at L&R about it. I really don't mind changing some of the internal lock parts, keeping the originals of course.
 
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