On
behalf of the men and women of the Kentucky Rifle Association,
I would like to welcome you to our website. The focus of the Kentucky
Rifle Association is the study and preservation of the Kentucky
Rifle and Pistol. It is our goal, with the help of this website,
to present information to the public about this truly American
form of art. We also wish to ensure that the information provided
is educational and accurate. We will periodically update these
pages to provide to the collector, student and historian, a factual
history about the Kentucky Rifle and the men who made them. Our
Association has a vested interest in preserving this history,
and we hope that in part through this forum, we will do so.
The Kentucky Rifle Association was formed in 1962 by a group
of pioneer collectors of Kentucky Rifles and Pistols. After
over 40 years, our Association is still active and growing.
We are not a reenactment or shooting club (although some of
our members participate in those activities). Rather, we are
an international organization (with members in 43 States, the
District of Columbia, Canada, and Scotland) who share an interested
in the collection and preservation of the Kentucky Rifle and
Pistol. Membership is open to any collector of the American
Longrifle who is sponsored and endorsed by two members in good
standing. If you are interested in joining our organization,
express your interest to one of our members.
Researchers generally acknowledge Pennsylvania as the birthplace
of the Kentucky Rifle. However, during the late 1700’s
and early 1800’s, many fine rifles were also made in Maryland,
Virginia, and North Carolina. By the middle of the 19th century,
the frontier had moved westward and some of the gunsmiths moved
with it. Gunsmiths, such as the Hawken family of Maryland, moved
west and became famous on the new frontier. Through these pages,
we hope to share pictures and stories of the gunsmiths and their
guns. Mark this website, you will definitely want to visit us
again!
Thank you for looking at our website, we hope you find it interesting
as well as informational.
Lorentz M. Kafka, President