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