Back in the day a woods' gun would be the classic "kit gun", which was traditionally a .22 long rifle, something like a Model 34 or H&R Sportsman, with a 3 to 6 inch barrel.

Thrown into a tackle box, carried in a haversack, worn in a belt holster. Ideal for small game, snakes, pesky varmints, casual plinking, signaling. Perhaps in those bygone days they worried less about bears, miscreants, and Apocalypse Now, and focused instead on what the gun would actually be used for 99.9999% of the time.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~