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Replica of Meriwether Lewis' gun, Heinz Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
Museum description of Lewis' gun exhibit
The frontier that we now think about as our western lands at one time existed in western Pennsylvania. Early settlers were taking land from the then existing tribes in the area, and the French early explorers, making those long guns part of everyday households.
The rifle was made by smiths who worked hard to produce beautiful as well as workable instruments, and took a lot of pride in their product. Today there are wonderfully crafted antiques still dating back to those days, and a steady stream of new well-made and collectible, but not very much used weaponry.
The Kentucky (or Pennsylvania) Long Rifle was the most accuratelong-range gun for several decades.The first documented appearance of rifling was in Germany around 1460.The flintlockwas developed in the early 1600′s. By the late 1600′s gunsmiths wereexperimenting with longer barrels than the forerunner Yaeger. But it took the opening up of a newcontinent to bring out the best.
Circa 1725 the forerunner of the KYlong rifles were being designed and built by German craftsman inPennsylvania. After the French and Indian War brought new lands to theattention of the frontiersmen, the uniquely American long-range rifleswere carried into the frontier (at that time Kentucky) by the longhunters, trappers and explorers. The actual name “Kentucky Longrifle”was first used in an 1812 song The Hunters of Kentucky.
A typical rifle was .50 caliber, made of curly maple, full stock andsported a 42 to 46 inch barrel. A crescent-shaped buttplate, patchboxand cheekpiece were also common and are helpful in identifying a KY/PAlong rifle.
When they were in the Revolutionary phase, early settlers in the area met yearly to drill so that their ‘well-regulated militia” would be able to defend the young country against any invasion. In the beginnings, the country was still tottering, and foreign powers still were a threat to the existence of those hard won United States.
The second amendment to the Constitution established the right of households to keep and bear arms that were part of survival. When the Revolutionary War had ended, the local militias were important to the early national security, and that amendment made it easier on the local powers to call on individuals to come to the assistance of the nation in case of attack. It eased the financial burden of the locale, which had needed to provide arms to the individuals of the militia, who did not necessarily have a gun to defend the country with.
In writing about those early exercises, author Reynolds of “In French Creek Valley’ (1938) takes a jab at the abilities of the gun wielding settlers, noting that they were as afraid of their muskets as anyone they might be aiming at. He also establishes the need for the settlers to take on the burden of supplying weaponry needed to make the country viable in the early years when arms were necessary, in defending the country.
Long guns displayed in Brookeville, PA antique gun display, September of 2012
12 Comments
weapons take on a different feel in one’s life when they are an essential part of feeding the family, and defending the home from regular skirmishing. frontier life was harsh for most white settlers. can you imagine how gung-ho most gunz types today would be, if they were required to make their own ammo, for example? it’s a painstaking process in the best of conditions, and expensive. having to actually be a good shot in order to put food on the table is another aspect of gun ownership so many “collectors” don’t consider. some are marksmen, but lots just like to shoot off something big and loud that makes them forget about the size of their penis.
Hi CD,
I agree with ya. That’s been my experience too, but I don’t actually know many gun owners and imagine that all of them are not like my stupid ex-bil who would say, I got my truck, I got my guns and I got my wife. (In that order.)
Knowing the military I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve back oerdered a few thousand of these and are still waiting for the delivery somewhere.
There are still bayonets in use, so you have a point.
Is that a pun?
My sons have a bayonet that was my dad’s when he was in the Phillipines for WWII. It’s an artifact. It’s memorabilia. It has a point.
German gunsmiths in Pennsylvania apparently outfitted a lot of the better off Scotch-Irish who migrated down the Great Wagon Road though the Valley of Virginia to the backcountry of the Carolinas and Georgia. These folks were among the first to move westward over the crest of the Appalachians, for example settling the Watauga settlement in eastern Tennessee before the American Revolution. During the British Southern Campaign of 1780, Col. Patrick Ferguson issued a order to the backcountry colonists to lay down their arms or suffer the consequences. That word got to the Watauga settlement and a corps of men from there armed with long-rifles marched from the vicinity of current Johnson City TN to just west of current Charlotte NC. Ferguson had placed his troops on top of the orphan mountain Kings Mountain, which had views in all directions. The folks from Watauga settlement scaled the mountain from several sides and caught the British and Loyalist troops in a cross-fire at dawn. Their long-rifles were more accurate and had a greater range than the British unrifled muskets. Col. Ferguson died in the battle.
Prior to his assignment to America, Ferguson was an unsuccessful advocate of equipping the British army with long-rifles. Or so the 19th century histories of the events report.
That’s really fascinating. Of course, the British were not at all ready for sharpshooters behind hedges and trees, as that wasn’t the sort of warfare they fought. We were the original terrorists.
Heheh. Actually glad you saw that, now it’s funny.
Black powder long guns have made a resurgence since the early 70′s with films like Robert Redford’s Jeremiah Johnson. I raised my first family in a log cabin I built myself (New England Log Homes)and have had a Hawkin rifle since 1974.
The artistry that goes into today’s reproductions of these long guns is a prime example of the weapons that brought this country into its own.
A full stock of burly maple with a Green Mountain barrel turns into a Pennsylvania long rifle that sells for upwards of 2K. And they are beautiful, well worth the money. One shot puts meat on the table from the experienced hunter/woodsman, understood by far too few.
Have to admit the fabulous pieces of wood is what I notice in the antique rifles, something we have too little left of.
I love your museum diaries – thanks Ruth :)
Thanks, there’s no end of new things to learn, happily.