Meet Myrtle , finished her up last spring

[FrankG]

Myrtle started from a rough sawn Oregon Myrtlewood plank that I had rat holed away since early 80's and Green Mt. 54 cal  extra barrel I had on hand along with some parts out of the parts box . I needed something to do while trying to recover from a knee replacemet to keep me from going stir crazy a year ago last spring and so she was so concieved .

[mongrel]

And her conception was a blessed event. She's a beaut.

What kind of lock is that? Looks like a Dixie Early Ketland with its tail bobbed.

[Ironwood]

Beautiful Rifle!

[Chaffa Hosa]

Frank That is a beautiful gun
What style is build after or is a FG style  8)

[FrankG]

Give the man a ceegar Yep DGW Ketland , good lock and they quit carrying them last I checked .

Its a picture I had rattlin around in my head when I started whittlin with the draw knife and rasps  ;) I didnt have anything specific in mind just a user type and it turned out to be a good point and shoot ,it shoulders well and natural.

[Chaffa Hosa]

I can see you would have had a promising career as a gunbuilder in the early 1800's

[FrankG]

I have a real hard time turning loose after they are done    I made SEVERAL in the 80's for people here in the NW and every time it was like pullin teeth 

[mongrel]

Gonna get all eddicated on you for a moment. Whether Frank intended it or not, Myrtle is an early southern mountain rifle. The iron/steel mounts, the design of the patchbox, the use of an English-pattern lock (especially one with its tail bobbed), and the use of wood other than curly maple or walnut -- and her very simple, clean lines -- all say, "Southern, probably one of the Carolinas."

Sorry ;). It's almost impossible to learn to make these things and not absorb a ton of info about the various "schools" of rifle building, along with at least a rudimentary knowledge of several different styles and eras of fine art.

Any of the features I specified will be found on guns of non-southern origin, but when you put them all together it's like gathering a lot of circumstantial evidence -- it might not prove anything beyond a shadow of a doubt but it gives you a pretty fair idea what the truth is.

[FrankG]

I wish I had bought a box of those locks when DGW had them !
The pbox design I BORROWED from Herschal House . that was fun making and pretty easy too. Hard part was finding the steel sheeting locally. I got that covered now :)

[RoaringBull]

Man that's a beauty.....Usually I ain't real keen on the patch boxes on most rifles....my Kentucky is the only one I found without one.....But I really like that one.

[mongrel]

I wish I had bought a box of those locks when DGW had them !
The pbox design I BORROWED from Herschal House . that was fun making and pretty easy too. Hard part was finding the steel sheeting locally. I got that covered now :)

Herschel House and his brother Frank make some of the finest southern-style rifles in creation. If you're gonna "borrow" a feature or design you could do a lot worse in your choice of donors....

A quote I remember, I believe by Oscar Wilde but I'm probably wrong about that: "Art creates. Genius steals."

[jsemko]

that gunis sweet nice clean and pretty

[karwelis]

pretty slick rifle! i really like that patchbox! is that home made or?

karwelis

[FrankG]

Thanks guys , the patchbox is homespun.

[windwalker_au]

she's a beauty.
bernie :)