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Hi guys I am back again with another rifle that has been hanging above my fireplace so long I forgot about it. It is from Eastern Kentucky and an old family farm on Cow Creek. Now I doubt many of you know where that is, so I will guide you a little. The farm is outside of Booneville Kentucky and that is where my wife’s family was born and many generation were raised. I first became aware of it one day during what I call a sitting on porch conversation. While we were visiting them around 1973 my wife’s uncle Bennie asked if the old Hog rifle was still in grandad’s house behind his bedroom door. Well that got my attention.
The homestead
Bennie told us that it had been in the family for many generations and was used on the farm to kill hogs. He said they all used it and when he killed a hog, he would imagine two lines on the hogs’ head each going from the ears to the eyes and where they crossed is where he shot. Apparently, this works very well. He said as far as he knew it was there when my wife’s great, great, grandfather was running the farm in the early to mid 1800's. As life moved on it would be handed down to the next generation and was given to my wife in 2012 when her father passed.
In the center of the top row is my wifes grandad Roy and seated in the first row is Roy's parents Lee and Rachel.
As for the rifle, I was told her great-grandfather had it re-bored to about 36 caliber and replaced the stock, but it is unknown why or what happened to the original one. We suspect a fire damaged it. The replacement stock was made by him on the farm and you might notice from the shape the men in this family are very thin and tall. The trigger guard looks to be brass and I could not find any markings on the rifle. The possibles bag belongs with the rifle and as you can see still has the original items including a bullet mold.
Here is is today
The homestead
Bennie told us that it had been in the family for many generations and was used on the farm to kill hogs. He said they all used it and when he killed a hog, he would imagine two lines on the hogs’ head each going from the ears to the eyes and where they crossed is where he shot. Apparently, this works very well. He said as far as he knew it was there when my wife’s great, great, grandfather was running the farm in the early to mid 1800's. As life moved on it would be handed down to the next generation and was given to my wife in 2012 when her father passed.
In the center of the top row is my wifes grandad Roy and seated in the first row is Roy's parents Lee and Rachel.
As for the rifle, I was told her great-grandfather had it re-bored to about 36 caliber and replaced the stock, but it is unknown why or what happened to the original one. We suspect a fire damaged it. The replacement stock was made by him on the farm and you might notice from the shape the men in this family are very thin and tall. The trigger guard looks to be brass and I could not find any markings on the rifle. The possibles bag belongs with the rifle and as you can see still has the original items including a bullet mold.
Here is is today
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