A true American firearm: the Kentucky Long Rifle

[Matchlock]

Hi 'Nando,

The flintlock mechanism you posted is doubtlessly a replica of the mechanism of a Prussian military musket, ca. 1740!

I attach some images of a Pussian musket und pistol of the 1740's. The identifying characteristics are the sharply edged jaws of the cock, the edged underside of the pan and the even upper ridge of the frizzen. The original Prussian mechanisms were always signed POTZDAMMAGAZ for the Potsdam arsenal. The belly of the flat cock always protrudes over the lower edge of the lock plate.

Nobody's perfect, even books are not. I have noticed over the decades that a lot of rubbish about German military muzzleloaders has been published overseas ...

Best,
Michael

[laEspadaAncha]

Hi Michael,

That would make perfect sense, considering an overwhelming majority of the Pennsylvania gunsmiths credited with developing the Kentucky Long Rifle were 1st- and 2nd-generation German and Prussian immigrants.

Regards,

Chris

[Matchlock]

Hi Chris,

Good point, this one! I now remember reading about that fact.

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Ai Michl, don't shoot me .
I was only willing to show that atypical (?) patchbox; the lock happened to be in the same page and i decided not to delete it.
But let me tell you that the book author was aware of the Prussian influence in the lock depicted. In the text, and in line with what Chris reminds, he quotes the several gunsmiths that were among the large number of German imigrants that in 1710 fled to the New World for religious reasons and settled on the territory of Pennsylvania, continuing with the production of their favourite rifled flintlocks which, after known evolutions, originated the Kentucky rifle.
In a different perspective, the author assumes the virtual Prussian origin of the posted lock, in a page where he confronts de various lock typologies, as here (partly) attached.
By the way, the book is called "Great Century of GUNS" (ref. XIX century), with texts by Branko Bogdanovic and air-brush illustrations by Ivan Valencak (ISBN 0-8317-4070-1).

.

[Matchlock]

Hi 'Nando,

Please don't be too angry with me ...

I never meant any embarrassment on any side, just wished to state the Prussian origin of this lock mechanism. Now it's my turn to bow down in the face of the amount of facts presented by you - so sorry again, and congrats on your being so widely read.

Thank you so much for enlightening such a narrow-minded old matchlock fool like your Bavarian friend.

Best,
Michl

[fernando]

C'mon Michl .
Don't invert things .
It's me who is trying to come out of it as hygienicaly as possible .
I wouldn't be able to differentiate one lock from the other .
Lucky that the book had an inspiring answer for the situation .
Greetings to Bavaria.

[Jim McDougall]

This is such a great topic, I wasn't ready to let it go to the thread happy hunting ground!
Just some more on one of the illustrious users of these historic guns, as mentioned, Davy Crockett.

Actually, as has already been noted and along with the great information cited by Chris, Fernando, Michael and Lee, some things I found. I have always been intrigued by the great Davy Crockett as I have lived in both Tennessee and Texas and it is hard not to be surrounded by this history.

While these rifles were actually originated and made in Pennsylvania, primarily Lancaster County, they were of course widely distributed. In those early days, the frontier regions were often termed collectively as 'Kentucky'. Since the areas which popularized the guns were typically in the frontier, the Kentucky appellation became well known.

Whether or not Davy Crockett actually surrendered and was summarily executed at the Alamo or died in combat, as long popularly held, has long been the subject of debate. It does seem quite likely that if he did, as believed, die in combat, he quite likely might have been swinging a rifle as a club. In close combat it would have been impossible to reload, and would have become a weapon of opportunity ,using any means at hand. It was said by witnesses that he was found amidst an array of dead Mexican soldiers, and he seems to have used a knife as well.
The idea of the 'execution' is believed to have been perpetuated in later efforts to demonize Santa Anna further, and to place emphasis on his order for 'deguello' (=no quarter).

Actually Crockett had three rifles known.
1. a .48 cal. flintlock which was apparantly one of his personal early guns which has been held in a museum in Knoxville. It has never left Tennessee.

2. The .40 cal. flintlock rifle which was awarded to him by his constituents from Lawrence County, Tenn. and was made by James Graham c. 1822. From 1824-1834, he is known to have hunted bear with this rifle, and which was affectionately known as 'old Betsy'. The name appears to have come from his older sister, whom he held in deep respect, but it is believed that the name may have been 'pretty Betsy' as in one speech he refers to her as thed prettiest sister ever.
This rifle also remained in Tennessee when Crockett went to Texas.

3. A rifle, apparantly percussion, caliber not noted, was presented to him in 1834 by Whigs from Philadelphia. The gun is now in Nashville. The gun was also called either 'old' or 'pretty' Betsy.

Crockett openly disparaged the policies of President Andrew Jackson, which led to his defeat in his run for House of Representatives in 1834. Thoroughly disgusted he left Tennessee in 1834 for Texas. None of these guns went with him, so we have no idea what gun or type of gun he was using at the Alamo on March 1836 when he was killed. The #2 rifle, Old Betsy, is on display at the Alamo in San Antonio now.

It is known that on the way to Texas, Crockett and companions sought to acquire heavier caliber guns as the small caliber of these guns were not sufficient for the larger animals hunted in these regions to the west. I believe that this was the case with the use of rifles during the Revolution, of small caliber guns , and that only deadly aim direct to vital parts of the target would be successful. Naturally the question of velocity, as noted, would be considered as well.

I just thought these notes would be of interest, and I am hoping possibly that a separate thread focused on the symbolism of markings on these 'Kentucky rifles' might be started with some examples.

All best regards,
Jim

[kronckew]

i love these rifles. had a .36 calibre percussion lock repro kaintuck i shot while i lived in the states.(also had a .58 springfield rifled musket that ate a lot more powder & lead per shot)

while the main discussion here is the 'kentucky' variant, i myself prefer the pennsylvania. my understanding was the ones with the straight topped butt stock were 'kentucky' and the more roman nosed (rounded top) ones were 'pennsylvania'. the half stock (straight topped stocks again) hawken/plains rifles in .50-.68 were the magnums of the day. probably what ol' crockett was looking for on his way to history at the alamo.

flintlocks were fairly easily converted to percussion locks to extend their usefull life, tho using percussion caps ties you to civilization, it's a lot easier to find flint in the boonies than a reliable source of caps. even gunpowder could be made from dung, charcoal if you could find sulphur. percussion caps require a more industrial society.

[kronckew]

oops, double posted...