in the early period of the 'deep south'--say late 1600s through mid 1700s--the smoothbore was king. A variety of French & Liege trade guns, English trade guns, French hunting fusils, French, English and Spanish muskets, etc. were widely distributed in the 'deep south' from the Carolinas through Louisiana & Texas. The rifle culture developed in the south in the later 1700s and into the early 1800s. I find it interesting though, that when cartridge guns started to replace the old muzzleloaders in the southern highlands, many folks turned to the single shot break-open shotgun--which suggests to me that smoothbores were also in use in the rifle-dominated culture of the south. Of course the deep south also had its share of bird and small game hunters and I expect the smoothbore fowler was always around--especially where waterfowl were common. I own a single barrel percussion smoothie of ~ 20 gauge that appears to be an European import of ~ 1850s and has a history of use in Arkansas.
