'73 vs Pork

[hhughh]

There's a story behind this.  The gun that got me started in all this "cowboy stuff" was an original '73 I "discovered" in my parent's closet after my grandfather's passing.  Family history is that it had been his dad's, my g-grandfather, but later, the serial number predated him by almost twenty years, so I don't know the original owner.

But, it was a standard, 24" OBFMCB rifle, .32 wcf, with the exception that it had a set trigger.  My greatgrandfather used it for killing the hogs he kept in our woods and swamps.  I know of two specific stories about it.  One is that it fell out of a boat once and spent a week at the bottom of the river before his sons went "swimming" and got it back.  The other was when a man had stolen some of his hogs and had them fenced.  My greatgrandfather rode his horse to get the hogs with his son--my grandpa's brother--behind the saddle.  He told the man to open the gate or he'd cut the fence.  The man refused to open the gate.  So, he handed cutters to my uncle, laid the '73 across the swell of his saddle, and eared the hammer back.  He told my uncle to, "Go ahead and cut the gate.  Ain't nobody gonna bother you."

Move ahead fifty years, and I find the gun in the closet.  The acton was frozen, and the trigger didn't engage, but oil and work resolved both problems.  When I had it working, the family decided they needed to draw for the gun, and it went to a cousin of mine, so, unfortunately, I have no pictures of it.  But the fever was contagious.

Years later, when Uberti reintro'd the '73 in .32-20, I knew I had to have one.  A few years later, feral hogs began showing up on our hunting lease--as they are everywhere else now, as well.

This pic's a couple years old, but, yes, Virginia, a .32 wcf is a hog load.  It takes a head shot, and close range, but this guy didn't go anywhere else, just settled down in his tracks. About thirty steps.  Glad we finally got this forum so I could brag.........LOL

Hugh

[panhead pete]

Hugh,

That is one big piece of pork!  Did he charge or did you stalk him?  We need more of a story after seeing the size of that critter.

Best,

Panhead Pete, (who also loves his 73')

[w44wcf]

Hugh,
That was a very interesting story about your greatgrandfather's 1973. 
Sorry to hear that you weren't able to keep it even though you brought it back to shootable condition.
Your  greatgrandfather would be proud and, I am sure, if he were still alive, he would want you to have it.

Thank you for sharing. 
w44wcf

[hhughh]

Well, Pete, here you go:
  Deer season had closed, and I start scouting turkeys verrrry early in the year.  LOL  But with the hog population growing on the lease, I don't go without a gun.  I was sitting next to an oak waiting on gobbling time, when I heard the commotion of a herd of hogs squabbling.  I knew there would be no turkeys to hear, but I sat still, as it was too dark to go tromping off in the woods with that many hogs around.

Anyway, shortly after daylight, this one came trotting down the trail looking for his Maker, or his Eater, or whatever it may have been.  He found it.

Hugh