THOUGHTS ON THE KENTUCKY RIFLE IN ITS GOLDEN AGE

New Annotated Third Edition, 610 pages. Over 1,100 photgraphs and illustrations, 240 in full color. Hardcover with a dust jacket. Huge volume. 9" x 12". The "Bible" on Kentucky rifles. Mr. Kindig's thoughts concern American flintlock rifles as works of art and this book is a grand display of this art. His thesis is that the gunsmiths who made these rilfes were the finest artisans who worked in early America. He proves this by showing detailed photos of 262 of the finest pieces from his famous collection. Flintlock rifles were produced chiefly along the Appalachian piedmont from the eastern border of Pennsylvania to South Carolina. From locality to locality within this region distinctly different artistic details were used to decorate the rifles, and distinctly different styles of stock architecture and metal mountings were used. Kindig's study is the first to recognize the existence of these many schools of gunsmithing and to show the importance of them to the study of the rifle and its art. This Annotated Third Edition contains all of the information that was in the first two editions with a number of additional photographic views of the rifles. Its been almost thirty-five years since the Second Edition was published and even more information has now become available. Through the help of a number of dedicated scholars and collectors from the Kentucky Rifle Association and the Kentucky Rifle Foundation, this Annotated Third Edition has been made possible. This monumental work now contains even more aditional information on the guns and the men who created them. The original negatives have been scanned to enhance their quality and to include the lock portions of the rifles. An additional 48 pages of full color photographs have been added as well, showing multiple views of some of the most important examples extant. A wonderful classic that has been out of print for many years is once again available with much more informations for the collector and historian. A truly outstanding book.…