The Flintlock Rifle from pabucks.com

Flintlock Rifle.

This page is for you smokepole enthusiasts as well as casual readers looking to learn just a little more on this subject. Most of the base information is only a click away with today’s powerful search engines. Only a few generations ago someone had to research the actual written records in libraries, museums, courts and town halls for sales, factory and gunsmith shops to compile what is so readily available to the eager student today. Many flintlock collections have been amassed and studied extensively. Credit these qualified historians for their labor of love. I hope this article sparks an interest for you.

In the Beginning

When gunsmiths brought their crafts to the colonies immigrating mostly from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, they brought with them what was at the time the “Jaeger” rifle. Jaeger, many spellings, loosely translated means to “chase” or hunt game.

These barrels were generally around 28 to 32 inches in length. Around 1720, scholars estimate the earliest long rifles were being produced in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. To put this into perspective time wise, it would be another 12 years until George Washington would be born. Take a moment and imagine if you will the pristine sights, virgin forests and fresh drinking water almost everywhere. The only air pollution was the smoke from your campfire and your smokepole after shooting what could possible be your best buck.

In Pennsylvania the gunsmiths followed the western movement from the port of Philadelphia to interior lands. Fanning out along the river towns of Allentown, Bethlehem and Reading, northward to Lebanon and Dauphin counties and across the Susquehanna River into York county. Gunsmiths were known to have set up shops in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford and Somerset counties. Staying mostly east of the Appalachian Mountains, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina had their share of known gunsmiths plying their trade for the colonists.

Heyday

Between the years of 1790-1815 most Kentucky Rifle historians believe is the period when there were more top quality long rifles being produced than at any other time before or after. Their barrel lengths averaging around 44”, they continued to be made until the 1850’s. The skillfully made Kentucky Rifle is a beauty to behold. Their relief carvings on the stock, some have silver inlays, polished brass patchboxes and artful brass trim are pleasing to the eye.

Looking at one in a collection, or holding an exact reproduction with the full length curly maple stock, even the overall shape is quite an agreeable image. It makes one feel like loading it up and heading out for the day. The simple man that I am, I ‘d even settle for one with a plain stock for hunting.

Kentucky Rifle

The name Kentucky in association with these fine American made rifles came to be somewhat later in their histories. In 1734 good ol’ Daniel Boone was born in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, roughly eight miles south east of Reading.

When he was 12 years old Daniel received his first “rifle-gun” and began providing food for the family. In 1769, living in North Carolina, all grown and married he and five companions explored westward through the Cumberland Gap into the Kentucky region on a two year hunt. In the ensuing years from this uncharted territory came stories of Indian battles, rich hunting and trapping grounds and flat farmlands just waiting to be claimed.

This new land was accessed by the “Wilderness Trail”. Soon small towns sprang up. Indians attacked, killed and captured. The main weapon of defense of course was the long rifle. This popular usage and the name “Kentucky” caught the imagination and Kentucky was applied to the rifles made in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

Another contributing factor, a few years after the war of 1812, a song was written about the Battle of New Orleans. On January 8, 1815 the entrenched Kentucky riflemen soundly defeated the British. The lyrics praised the rifle company. The song’s popularity at the time and Daniel Boone’s aura gave the long rifle its nickname, the Kentucky Rifle.

Caplock

Although the Kentucky Rifle was still being made until just before the Civil War, the Percussion Cap ignition system that uses the same stuff as in a child’s cap gun today was invented by Reverend John Forsythe of Aberdeenshire, England in 1805.

Obviously this didn’t halt production of the flintlock. As with any style change it takes time to gain favor and throughout history ignition systems have coexisted for many decades. Practical people will hang on to what they have and what they are familiar with. Hmm sounds like a lot of us.

Spark Ignition

Nevertheless, the concept of using a flint and iron spark to light a powder charge was developed by Johann Kiefuss of Nuremberg, Germany in 1517, over 200 years before the Lancaster long rifle. His invention is commonly called the Wheellock.

Modern scholars assert he applied the spring driven tinder lighter in use at the time to start their cook fires. A spring driven wheel pressed against a piece of flint much like today’s bic lighters. Some concepts never die. Although a vast improvement over the mid 1400’s technology this mechanism was too complex to be mass produced economically. So only the elite had one as they cost twice as much as the Matchlock types which were in vogue.

Before the Spark

The Matchlock utilized a lighted wick to set off the charge. You pulled the trigger, and the wick lowered to ignite the powder in the flashpan. This small fire passed through the touchhole setting off the main charge to fire the weapon. Of course this system had its drawbacks in wet or foggy weather.

By the way, when I visited Jamestown Island Museum in Virginia, a drawing there depicted an early 1607 soldier wearing chest armor, iron helmet, and carrying a Matchlock rifle.

Keep Your Powder Dry

If you want to step back in time, hunt with a flintlock muzzleloading rifle. There are a number of companies that commercially produce some fine rifles for today’s hunters. Any outdoor sports store carries all the additional supplies you’ll need.

If you want to really get into it there are many gun shops offering custom made smokepoles to satisfy your need for the ultimate one shot experience. Hunting with a flintlock rifle lets you gain an appreciation for the “ good old days”.