The Kentucky Rifle Foundation preserves the history and craftsmanship of American longrifle makers from the 18th and 19th centuries. This organization maintains detailed records and biographical information on hundreds of riflemakers who shaped early American gunsmithing traditions across Pennsylvan...
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The Kentucky Rifle Foundation preserves the history and craftsmanship of American longrifle makers from the 18th and 19th centuries. This organization maintains detailed records and biographical information on hundreds of riflemakers who shaped early American gunsmithing traditions across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
The Foundation catalogs riflemakers by region and school, tracking everything from apprenticeships to working dates and notable design characteristics. Their database includes:
The Angstadt family rifles are readily identified by their Pennsylvania "Dutchy" style, featuring folk art elements including unusual stars, flowers, lions, hex signs, and unique patch box designs—as much art as firearm.
Other documented makers include John Brooks Jr. (Lancaster school influence), Nathaniel Melchoir (German-born Baltimore gunsmith), and Abram Newcomer (documented since 1761).
The Foundation serves historians, gunmakers, collectors, and shooting enthusiasts interested in understanding the roots of American firearm craftsmanship.
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