KRA Bulletin | VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 2 | WINTER 2013

Focused on regional craftsmanship rather than individual biography, this Winter 2013 Bulletin presents a comprehensive study of the longrifle makers of Guilford County, North Carolina. The lead article traces the development of what collectors now identify as the Early Deep River School and its evolution into the Jamestown School, documenting the architectural, decorative, and stylistic features that distinguish these regional traditions.

Drawing on surviving rifles, signed examples, court records, apprenticeships, and land transactions, the research reconstructs the working networks of gunsmiths including Matthew Osborne, David Grose, Craft Jackson, Thaddeus Gardner, William Lamb, and others. The Bulletin places Guilford County within the broader narrative of Southern longrifle production, emphasizing its significance as the most prolific center of trained gunsmiths in the region during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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.