KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 44 NUMBER 3 | SPRING 2018

This Spring 2018 Bulletin continues the Kentucky Rifle Association’s commitment to documenting and preserving original research related to American longrifles and early firearms.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 44 NUMBER 2 | WINTER 2018

This 2018 Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin continues the Association’s mission of preserving and advancing original scholarship on American longrifles and related material culture. The issue includes research articles, artifact studies, and documentation contributed by KRA members and affiliated scholars. Together, the contents reflect ongoing investigative work into gunsmith attribution, regional traditions, decorative elements, and historical context, reinforcing the Bulletin’s role as a permanent research record for the collecting and scholarly community.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 44 NUMBER 1 | FALL 2017

This Fall 2017 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin presents original research, artifact documentation, and historical analysis contributed by members and scholars of the Association. The Bulletin continues KRA’s long‑standing mission to preserve and advance accurate knowledge of the American longrifle and related material culture.

Featured content emphasizes evidence‑based study, careful examination of surviving objects, and informed interpretation grounded in primary sources. As with all KRA Bulletins, this issue is intended as a permanent research reference supporting serious study, responsible collecting, and historical preservation.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 43 NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2017

This Spring 2018 Bulletin continues the Kentucky Rifle Association’s commitment to documenting and preserving original research related to American longrifles and early firearms. Articles in this issue address gunsmith attribution, material culture, and historical context through close analysis of original artifacts.
The Bulletin serves as both a research reference and an educational resource, supporting informed study within the KRA community.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 43 | NUMBER 2 | WINTER 2016

This Winter 2016 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin presents original scholarship examining the historical understanding of frontier rifles and the persistence of long‑standing myths within colonial records. Central articles reassess translated and interpreted primary sources that have shaped popular narratives concerning early American firearms.

Through careful textual analysis and supporting historical context, this Bulletin reinforces the importance of revisionist scholarship and disciplined methodology in the study of early longrifle history.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 43 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2016

This Fall 2016 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin features a major scholarly article examining the life and work of Conrad Horn, a Pennsylvania gunsmith operating during one of the most turbulent periods of 19th‑century American history. The research places Horn’s gunmaking within the political and social unrest of the anthracite coal regions during the Civil War era.

Through careful use of primary historical sources, court records, census data, and surviving firearms, the Bulletin presents a documented account of Horn’s career and legacy. As with all KRA Bulletins, this issue serves as a permanent research reference supporting evidence‑based study of American longrifle history and material culture.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 42 NUMBER 3 | SPRING 2016

This Spring 2016 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin presents an extensive photographic and comparative study examining the master–apprentice relationships among three important Pennsylvania gunsmiths: John Bonewitz, Leonard Reedy, and Andreas Fichthorn Jr. Working primarily in the Womelsdorf region of Berks County, these craftsmen played a defining role in the development of a distinct regional school of American longrifle making during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Through a detailed photo essay, the Bulletin documents shared and divergent shop practices, carving styles, brass furniture designs, and patchbox patterns, illustrating how stylistic continuity and innovation transferred across generations. This issue serves as a foundational visual reference for identifying the Womelsdorf school and understanding how master–apprentice lineages shaped American gunmaking traditions.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 42 | NUMBER 2 | WINTR 2016

This Winter 2016 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin presents a detailed attribution study of longrifles marked with the initials “J.D.” Through comparative analysis of surviving rifles, construction details, engraving styles, and historical records, the article examines the evidence supporting attribution to Jacob Deemer of Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

The research addresses longstanding uncertainty surrounding the “J.D.” mark, contrasts Deemer’s work with that of contemporaries such as Nicholas Hawk, and documents known examples spanning flintlock and percussion periods. This issue contributes significantly to understanding regional gunmaking traditions in the Lehigh Valley and the challenges inherent in identifying lesser documented gunsmiths.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 42 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2015

This Fall 2015 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin presents Part I of an extensive biographical and technical study of Leonard Reedy (1776–1815), a Pennsylvania gunsmith associated with the Womelsdorf school and closely connected to John Bonewitz. Drawing on church records, tax lists, census data, and surviving firearms, the article reconstructs Reedy’s family history, apprenticeship, and professional development.

The research examines Reedy’s work in Germansville, Womelsdorf, and Pine Grove, and addresses long‑standing questions surrounding attribution of raised‑carved rifles traditionally associated with his name. This Bulletin establishes the documentary foundation for subsequent analysis in Part II.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 41 | NUMBER 3 | SPRING 2015

The KRA Spring 2015 issue of the Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin features a major historical study of Colonel William Fleming, examining his life as a physician, frontier soldier, statesman, and early American leader. The article places Fleming within the broader military, political, and social landscape of the 18th‑century frontier, with particular emphasis on his service during the French and Indian War and Dunmore’s War.

The Bulletin also includes a detailed examination of Fleming’s engraved powder horn, interpreting its imagery as a reflection of post‑war culture, identity, and personal symbolism. Additional research content highlights notable Pennsylvania and Virginia firearms and accoutrements, reinforcing the Bulletin’s role as a primary research archive for early American material culture.

Usage Note: This Bulletin is provided for the private research and educational use of Kentucky Rifle Association members. Redistribution or reproduction without written permission is prohibited.