Dixie Arms

[BPJONES]

I just received this Miroku made Dixie Arms 50 caliber. I traded an old .22 for it. Before trading I did some google research and I read varying reports. Some were saying the Miroku made muzzleloaders were not very good and others were saying they were quite high quality just like their other firearms. The fellow was 2,000 miles away so I couldn't look at the rifle but I decided to make the trade. I must say this rifle appears to be in the better quality version of the reports. It has a 41 inch barrel with adjustable double set triggers. After setting the rear trigger, the front trigger pull is smooth and light. The bore is very nice and I haven't found a mark in the wood. So I'm quite pleased with the trade. Only thing is this is a left handed muzzleloader and I am not left handed. So why did I acquire a left handed muzzleloader you ask? Well, because my oldest brother is a lefty so quite likely I will be gifting him this rifle. Anyhow, anyone else have any experience/stories on Miroku made muzzleloaders good or bad?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/UMy0d54.jpg

[Tatume]

Very nice! Miroku makes excellent firearms.

[mazo kid]

I had the same left hand rifle! Wish I had not sold it, but in a weak moment I did! Took a deer with mine one year. Mine started out as a caplock, but I bought the flint parts and converted it for about $45.00 instead of the $125.00 price for a complete lock. I don't think any parts are available from Dixie now. As far as quality, I was pleased with mine.

[smorin2]

Hi OP,i am in the process of restoring that same gun but in .32 caliber. My stepson gave me the gun over 10 years ago,it was rusted and had a broken sear spring.I recently started to get interested in muzzleloaders and have decided to shoot this thing soon. Mine is right handed and i'm a lefty. I'm refinishing the stock dark mahogany and am going to re-brown the metal work and barrel. This is my first muzzleloader and i'm anxious to see how she does.

[BPJONES]

A 32 caliber in this rifle would likely make for some fun shooting. Post some photos when you get it finished. It's quite cold where I am now so it will likely be some time before I try mine out.

[KCSO]

Is it the 7/8 barrel or the 15/16th? That's what will make the difference. I had the light barrelled on many years age and it made a fine 40 calibre rifle but the original 50 was a light load gun only, not enough barrel meat there. If it is the light barrl 70 grains of ffg max and don't double down! The only other problem we had was the frizzens were of variable hardness and we ended up hardening them all. Me and two friends each bought one and Phil shot his till 2012 with great success.

[BPJONES]

Mine is the 15/16 barrel. Don't have to worry about frizzens on this one as it is percussion.

[smorin2]

Hi BP Jones,i’m up in Maine so yeah we’re in the same boat as far as temps go. I should be done mine next week. I’ll look for this thread and post some pics.

[charlie b]

I'd keep it. I have a Lyman GPH lefty and shoot it right handed. Never any issues with it.

[KCSO]

Then it will be good to go up to 90 grains of FFg and will last for years and shoot better than you can.

You done good!

[Char-Gar]

Some years back, I was in a gunshop in Farmington NM and spotted a LF Dixie flintlock version of their Tennessee rifle on the walk. I admired it and the shop owner told me to make an offer. I told him I didn't want to insult him with what I could offer. He said, he would be insulted as he traded it from a fellow and didn't have much in it and figured it would just forever be a wall hanger.

I offered him $75.00 and that is how I came to own the rifle. It has never been fired.

[RU shooter]

They are decent rifles I have an early 3 digit sn# 50 cal flinter , nice to carry and as accuracte as I can be with open sights these days .

[sharps4590]

I had both, the Mountain rifle in 50 cal. and the Squirrel rifle in 32 cal. The 50 was fine but I thought the 32 was way heavy and clubby for the caliber. Both shot very well and I never had the first difficulty with either. Both mine were flinters and the frizzens were fine but, I know of others who had to re-harden their frizzens. Seemed to be a luck of the draw thing.

[bedbugbilly]

Congrats on your rifle - it will provide you with a lot of fun.

When I was a kid, the DGW catalog was "wish book". The first muzzleloader I made was shen I ws about 11 or 12 - scavenged parts off of original guns but the lock was a DGW percussion lock. It's been may decades and I don't remember how much it cost but it was under $10.00 and I remember waiting day of it to arrive. Many years ago, I had th opportunity to buy right handed flint like yours when I was down at Friendship of the Nationals. I passed it by as I was wanting a decent front stuffer shotgun nd I don one.

Are the DGW finely crafted "custom rifles"? No. But hundreds and hundreds of them have provided folks with the opportunity to have a lot of fun - both plinking and hunting. Turner Kirkland started selling parts out of the back of his car and built it in to the company that is what it is today. He had a vision and wanted to keep muzzleloading alive and I give him a tremendous amount of credit for do so. Many, MANY years ago I had the opportunity to meet him at Friendship. He was a fine gentleman and as I remember it, when he met you it was like the two of you had known each other for years. I really wonder if we would have some of the companies that provide good production ML guns for folks today if it hadn't been for individuals like Turner Kirkland.

You'll enjoy that rifle anti will give you a lot of fun and pleasure. If I were ever to run across enthrone, I'd probably buy it just to have it to remind me of the gentleman I once met.

Enjoy and have fun!