What is a Buggy Rifle?

[grant]

I've seen the term "buggy rifle" several times it seems to refer to a firearm that looks like a long pistol with a attachable shoulder stock. Is that correct? Why were they called buggy rifles?

 

[faw3]

i think it comes from the underhammer short rifle days. Something short you could carry behind the seat in a buggy. IF thats what your talking about? Fred :hatsoff:

 

[grant]

Most of the time I've seen the term refer to a underhammer, but I'm guessing it not limited to underhammers.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Most I have seen (H&A) are underhammers but have regular stock not a detachable one but a short handy barrel as well. Hope this helps.

 

[musketman]

I've seen the term "buggy rifle" several times it seems to refer to a firearm that looks like a long pistol with a attachable shoulder stock. Is that correct? Why were they called buggy rifles?

Here is the only image of a buggy rifle I could find:

Underhammer percussion "buggy" rifle. Original length 10" octagon barrel with round muzzle About .40 caliber.

 

[grant]

Thanks for the pics! There seems to be a lot of designs for a "buggy rifle". It probably just refered to any short handy rifle you could stow under the seat of your buggy in case you had protect yourself or your horse for some reason. I googled buggy rifle and a couple of interesting guns popped up on auction sites.

 

[Coot]

I remember reading a short article about buggy rifles. The author described them as very short muzzleloaders that would fit under a buggy seat. Most seemed to be underhammers. The story was that since you could not work or do business on the sabboth, that the men would have shooting matches after services. They couldn't have horse races but sometimes two buggys would have simultaneous "runaways". I don't know how true this was but it made a good story. :winking:

 

[grant]

That is a great story. I wonder if country doctors usually had them? It kind of makes sense since they frequently went around in buggies and didn't normally have a need for a firearm.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I've seen the term "buggy rifle" several times it seems to refer to a firearm that looks like a long pistol with a attachable shoulder stock. Is that correct? Why were they called buggy rifles?

They also had shoulder stocked horse pistol carbines, such as this Model 1855.

Good link with more info:[url] http://www.musketoon.com/2006/08/1855-pistol-carbine.html[/url]

 

[faw3]

Ive got the Dixie modle of this one and Id think 58 cal is a bit bigger than buggy style rifles, Im not sure of the first time that word was used, but in the 1970s H+A called the underhammer 20 and 24" smaller bore rifles as buggy rifles, and ive seen it used in the reprints of Sear's catlogs from late 1800s to 1910 0r so along with the ? Quackenbush ?and Stevens "pocket rifle,could be a handfull of small rifles with easy off stocks or barrels or?,that could be called buggy rifle, Flaydermans uses the word in the underhammer part along with boy's rifle, anyone with time on your hands this might be a good one to track down, a lot of words arent what we think they would be so who knows about this one. When I get some time I'll ck some older ad's and see if I can find it;s use. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[silverfox]

What's a Buggy Rifle? There were several articals several years ago and they went along with the after Sunday services shooting matches.
Most were underhammers with detachable stocks and short barrels some with false muzzles like the bench guns.
Now on to modern thinking. where would you put a longrifle in a buggy most have a hard time in our trucks or cars. To leave it outside for Sunday Services a short takedown rifle just makes more sense and would fit under the seat. Buggies didn't have the room of a full sized wagon. So you could carry a rifle protected under the seat and still go to Services.
That's my thoughts on the subject.
Fox :hatsoff:

 

[grant]

They should have called them the "Sunday go to Meeting" rifle.

 

[Slamfire]

I imagine the term was applied to any rifled barrel firearm, that was short enough to be handled while seated in a buggy. My H&A has a 20" barrel. :v