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View Full Version : Oldie But Goodie!


arcticap
November 1, 2006, 09:26 PM
I bought a halfstock caplock at a gunshow last weekend and it looked like an early CVA gun but I wasn't sure. The only identifying marks found on the 1 inch octagon barrel are "cal. .45", "THE PLAINSMAN" and "359" on both the underside of the barrel and tang.
Notice how the breech plug has an extended pin that inserts to mate with the tang.
The barrel's rate of twist is 1 in 66" with deep groove rifling, and it's 32" length makes it weigh over 8.5 lbs. It also has a larger than average size drum and clean out screw. There are no proof marks on it. The nipple has a slightly golden color to it (but it's definitely not brass) and the hammer has a brown lustre.
I thought it was a CVA because of the grey [aluminum] nosecap and Plainsman is the name of a CVA model. Maybe this was an American made barrel like other early CVA models with Douglas barrels?
But then I was informed that this was a Dixie Plainsman rifle that was listed in a 1970 dixie catalog at $129.95 with a cherry stock.
I still don't know who made the barrel, but it does appear to have an American threaded nipple.
I took it for a quick tryout with the winds gusting, and alternated shooting it with my son at 50 yards. It was very pleasant and accurate to shoot with loads of 45-50 grains of Pyrodex RS, trying both .445 & .440 balls and .010 patches. It had strong ignition and preferred the looser load on this day, but I didn't have enough time to try out more patches/powders. Seemed to group quite well despite the wind gusts and fiddling with the sights, and the heavy barrel and long sighting radius made it forgiving to shoot offhand.
It's like finding buried treasure!:D

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g159/arcticap/P1010318a36.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g159/arcticap/P1010319a.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g159/arcticap/P1010320a40.jpg

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/9976/targetcz0.jpg

arcticap
November 2, 2006, 01:13 PM
The guys on Americanlongrifles.com say that it's a Douglas barrel and that they supplied them to Dixie. That's what I call good news! :D

http://americanlongrifles.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11287