longcruise
70 Cal.
You find rifles with barrels that are swamped, tapered, octagon to round, round and listed as just octagon.
Also notice how many guns were 1" or more ATF but smaller calibers and still longer barreled. Had to be pretty heavy!
Everyday life back then was far more physical than now. When the weather gets cold I just touch the thermostat. Back then you brought in enough wood to keep warm. Many had to carry all the water they used. A farmer may have had to walk behind his horse drawn plow.
That's just a few of the things that they did on a daily basis that we don't have to do. Carrying a 10 or 12 pound gun wasn't an inconvenience for them.
In this day and age only a small percentage of the population engages in physical training regimens that keep them in as good of condition as our Colonial forbearers did just with their daily routine.