Customer Reviews

Thoughts on the Kentucky rifle in its golden age (Longrifle series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Joe Kindig's _Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle_ is a major work, cataloguing as it does the exhaustive Kindig longrifle collection. Even now, thirty seven years after its initial publication, no other work in the field (with the possible exception of George Shumway's _Rifles of Colonial America_, in two volumes,) comes close to its breadth of analysis, or to the sheer number of splendid arms shown in fine B&W illustrations. Each of the several 18th century Pennsylvania gunmaking schools is anlayzed individually, with several rifles from that school presented and discussed.

The text is far from dry and analytical, however. It is alive with humor and anecdotes, and apart from being top-notch research (or very educated opinion where the facts are unknown as yet), is a joy to read in its own right.

Most likely the book will be bought for its illustrations, though, for as interesting as the text is, the book is splitting at the seams with hundreds of crisp black and white photogtraphs from the late Mr. Kindig's landmark rifle collection which he assembled over his long life. Virtually every phase of metamorphosis in the fascinating development of the American longrifle is shown in close detail, with textual analysis of each rifle answering questions and asking new ones as well.

It is difficult to imagine delving into this field of study and not owning _Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle_. It is a vivid portrait of one of the great American artforms, and of a collection that may never again be altogether in the same place under the same owner, especially one as affectionate toward its subject as Joe Kindig.

The Kindig book is a classic for those people who are interested in firearms of the muzzle loading period. The book is has well detailed photographs. These are very important for those people researching muzzle loading firearms with an eye towards building their own. They give the builder a reference from which to base appointments that are appropriate to the school and age period of the firearm. If you are starting a "builders" library this is one of the books to have.

A classic is a modest word for this book on "the gun that won America!" To the interested reader it offers two fundamental things. First, in an elaborated and thoughtful manner, it describes the background of both rifle and the men and women that used it. Second, this American icon amongst rifles gets a very thorough description as to its characteristics and developments during the more than one hundred years in which it was used as the frontiersman's first choice of rifle. It is a must for anyone with a real interest in American frontier life, not to mention the would-be gunmaker or buyer of original or customized guns.