Lannie Dietel shares an original first edition (1924) copy of “The Kentucky Rifle” by Dillin
It can be hard to find muzzleloading information at times, many of the earliest published resources are hard to find, often times out of print. Muzzleloading enthusiast Lannie Dietle has taken a step towards making some coveted information accessible with his documentation of each page of a first edition (1924) copy of “The Kentucky Rifle” by Dillin.
“I photographed my first edition of “The Kentucky Rifle” (1924) with my cell phone and put it online because I didn’t want to wear the old book out turning pages. The illustrations (which are on acid-free coated paper) photographed nicely, but I didn’t have anything or anyone to hold the pages flat. ”
The text is broken up by the chapters of the book, making it easily accessible based on your point of interest. Alternatively, you can read it just as you would the book from start to finish.
The webpage features a simple linked table of contents with direct links to the images of the chapter. This is really a wonderful thing to see!
Contents:
Front Matter
Chapter 1: The name "Kentucky"
Chapter 2: The evolution of the American rifle
Chapter 3: The Kentucky and game
Chapter 4: The rifle that was needed
Chapter 5: Where and by whom the Kentucky rifle was made
Chapter 6: Materials used
Chapter 7: Characteristics of the early rifle
Chapter 8: Flint-lock barrels
Chapter 9: Who rifled the barrels
Chapter 10: The pioneer and his rifle
Chapter 11: Triggers and sights of flint-lock days
Chapter 12: Powder, bullets, velocities and penetration
Chapter 13: The flint-lock as a practical arm
Chapter 14: The rifle in the Revolution
Chapter 15: Powder horns and game bags
Chapter 16: The rifle and the Redskin
Chapter 17: Identification of Kentucky rifles
Chapter 18: Spurious Kentuckys and forgeries
Chapter 19: Reconditioning flint-locks
Chapter 20: The passing of the Kentucky rifle
Reference Index
Interested in more books like this? Be sure to check out the root webpage, https://korns.org/gunsmiths/gunsmith-index.html, for more information. This is just one of several entries in a growing index of literature and documentation.
This project documents the early gunsmiths of Somerset and Bedford counties, Pennsylvania, and the distinctive firearms they produced. A key objective is to provide more detail than can be accomplished in a print publication. This project is intended to be a collaborative effort with gun collectors, historians, genealogists, etc. who may have documentation or photos to share.
Scope
This project encompasses every individual who, correctly or not, has been identified as a gun or accoutrement maker, gun repairer, or gun designer who worked within the present bounds of Somerset and Bedford counties during the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s. By including individuals who may have been incorrectly identified, the attributions can be scrutinized.Somerset and Bedford counties adjoin one-another, as shown by this 1872 map. In the late 1700s, the area that is now Somerset County was part of Bedford County, as shown by the 1792 Reading Howell map of Pennsylvania.
For more information, click the “Learn more” button below and check out the other projects Lannie has worked on in this same vein. Information like this can be lost to history without dedicated efforts like Lannie. Thanks Lannie, and keep up the good work.