i hear a few people refer to the southern flintlocks and cap locks as "hog rifles" why?
southern gun/hog rifle question,,,,,,,,,,,
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nchawkeye
58 Cal.
In later years they were often left in the smoke house to kill hogs before salting, smoking and processing the meat.
kind of what i thought, my grandaddy used a 22 for killing hogs to butcher and called it a hog rifle. thanks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Banjoman
Eager to learn and willing to teach.
I remember as a kid hearing stories about my great grandfather’s ‘hog rifle’. I never saw the gun, don’t know where it went and sadly, the folks who knew are all gone now. As far as I know, there aren’t any pictures of it either.
All I know about it are from stories I remember hearing as a kid. Apparently, it was a percussion long rifle of thirty something caliber and used for killing domestic hogs for slaughter. We had ‘hawg killins’ up into the 1970’s but by then were using a .22 rifle.
I suspect great grandfather’s hog rifle may have been made in southeast Kentucky, East Tennessee or Western North Carolina since that’s where our family is from. But that’s only a guess.
All I know about it are from stories I remember hearing as a kid. Apparently, it was a percussion long rifle of thirty something caliber and used for killing domestic hogs for slaughter. We had ‘hawg killins’ up into the 1970’s but by then were using a .22 rifle.
I suspect great grandfather’s hog rifle may have been made in southeast Kentucky, East Tennessee or Western North Carolina since that’s where our family is from. But that’s only a guess.
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In Pa. , this type gun would perhaps be called a "barn gun". A gun left out at the barn in case something needed killin' out away from the house.
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Oops , forgot something.....Since pigs were traditionally very hard to drive from one place to another , and a PITA to keep fed around the home , they were allowed to forage in the woods on their own. It is written , that multi family hogs hunts were conducted , putting as many guns in the woods to kill driven hogs. Perhaps a HOG rifle could have been used for barn duty , as well as one of the "extra" guns given to a kid , or somebody that had no regular gun. This info comes from testimony out of a Fox fire book , and from info written about early settlers in Somerset Co. , Pa. , circa pre American Rev war.
One of the descendants of Alvin York, the WWI hero, explained to me that a "Hog rifle" refers to any hunting rifle most often used on wild or semi-wild swine throughout southern Appalachia. Usually, Tennessee or Southern Mountain types. Flintlock or percussion. Generally, .40 to .45 caliber, sometimes .50, round ball shooter. In more modern times, that meaning has been expanded to include others as have been mentioned above.
maybe the rifles for that area were Kibler SMR,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Cause it sounds cool!
maybe the rifles for that area were Kibler SMR,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
A Kibler East Tennessee hog rifle would be neat. Really basic stripped down kit maybe. No buttplate etc. single trigger. Could be offered inexpensively.
there you go!
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Be a cool kit for sure. Problem I see is the same process would be used and thus the expense required would remain close to the same. Lower grade wood might shave a few dollars and the lack of double set triggers as well as the lack of a nose piece but willing to bet the overall price would stay pretty close to what is offered.
