President’s Message

The Kentucky Rifle Association would like to welcome you to our website. The Kentucky Rifle Association was formed in 1962 by a group of pioneer collectors and students of Kentucky Rifles and Pistols. These pioneers did much of the original research on Kentucky Rifles and were active in publishing this information to enlighten all who were interested in learning more about these Rifles.

The Kentucky Rifle Association is a permanent international organization that promotes fellowship and the sharing of knowledge among those interested in the collection, study and preservation of the art and history of antique Kentucky Rifles. The focus of the Kentucky Rifle Association is dedicated to the study, collection and preservation of the Kentucky Rifle, Kentucky Pistol, powder horns and related accoutrements.

Our goal is to present information, to the public, about this true American Art form. We endeavor to ensure that the information provided here is educational and accurate. We will periodically update these pages to provide to the collector, student and historian, a factual history about the Kentucky Rifle and the gunsmiths who crafted them. Our Association is dedicated to preserving this history and promoting study through this website and our publications. Data shown on this site on known gunsmiths is divided by state, region and or schools.

Membership in the KRA is by invitation and is open to any collector who is interested in the preservation and/or study of the American Longrifle and its accoutrements. A member must be sponsored and endorsed by two KRA members in good standing. Anyone interested in joining our organization, should express their interest to one of our members. Note again that we are an organization of collectors and students of the Kentucky Rifle.

Through this website we will bring you information about the KRA organization, its activities and accomplishments as well as detailed information about the non-profit Kentucky Rifle Foundation, whose mission is to research and preserve the heritage of the Kentucky Rifle through educational programs, museum assistance and publications.

Thank you for visiting our website. It is hoped that you find it informative and instructional. Please stop back often.

Craig Bell – President KRA