founded in 1954
Union City, Tennessee
largest supplier of blackpowder shooting equipment, parts and antique guns in the world
- 1931 Turner E. Kirkland began collecting guns
– paid seventy five cents for a “dug up” 1849 Colt Pocket pistol - 1938 By the time Turner entered college he owned about one hundred guns
- World War II two years in the Pacific
- 1948 small ad in Muzzle Blasts magazine
- Friday, April 10, 1954 arrived home from one of my jewelry selling trips to find that nearly all the guns and parts I had advertised had been sold
– realized I just might be able to make a living at what had been a hobby - Dixie Gun Works started
- 1954 Dixie Gun Works Catalog
– 700 plus page publication
– illustrates more than 10,000 items - 1955 Dixie Kentucky Rifle first production made muzzleloading rifle
- 1955 purchased a 4000 square foot building
- 1960 built a 12,000 square foot building
- 1968 moved to its current location 30,000 square foot
- 1974 added on 46,000 square feet
- 1978 Dixie Gun Works Blackpowder Annual
– 75,000 sent out - Dixie Gun Works Old Car Museum
– 1850’s period log cabin gun shop - July 26, 1997 Turner Kirkland died (77)
Dixie Gun Works
1412 W Reelfoot Ave
Union City, Tennessee 38261
731 885 0440
dixiegunworks.com
About Dixie Gun Works
Dixie Gun Works is a firearms supply business in Union City, Tennessee, established in 1954 by collector Turner Kirkland, and it has grown into one of the world’s largest suppliers of black powder shooting equipment, antique firearms and replica parts. What began as a hobby of buying, trading and advertising old guns and parts turned into a mail-order business whose thick catalog became a fixture for muzzleloading shooters, reenactors, gunsmiths and collectors. Kirkland was also an author on antique arms; his book Southern Derringers of the Mississippi Valley is now freely available through Project Gutenberg.
Today the company sells original antique handguns and longarms, reproduction muzzleloaders and kits, parts for both original and reproduction firearms, gunsmithing tools, cannons, period clothing and camp gear. Its Union City showroom, in a facility of about 46,000 square feet, displays thousands of historical firearms and accessories. Next door, the Dixie Gun Works Old Car Museum holds 36 restored antique automobiles, vintage farm engines and more than 1,000 mechanical devices, along with a recreated 1850s log cabin gun shop fitted with traditional gunsmithing tools. For gun owners, Dixie remains a key source for keeping historic and black powder firearms in working order, which helps preserve America’s firearms heritage. As of 2026 the company continues to operate its store and online catalog.
Key Facts
- 1954: Turner Kirkland establishes Dixie Gun Works in Union City, Tennessee.
- Recognized as one of the world’s largest suppliers of black powder shooting equipment, antique firearms and replica parts.
- The Union City facility covers about 46,000 square feet, with a showroom of historical firearms.
- The adjacent Old Car Museum displays 36 restored automobiles and a recreated 1850s log cabin gun shop.
- Kirkland wrote Southern Derringers of the Mississippi Valley, a reference on antique pocket pistols.
Sources
- Dixie Gun Works and Old Car Museum (Obion County)
- Southern Derringers of the Mississippi Valley by Turner Kirkland (Project Gutenberg)
Profiles on Minuteman University.com are editorial content compiled from public sources. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of, sponsorship by, or affiliation with this site or the Gun Websites Firearms Network. Corrections and removal requests are welcome through Contact Us.
