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