GUNS Magazine August 1962

GUNS THAT FOUGHT OUR COLONIAL WARS
half feet long, and had an attractive curly
maple or "candy striped" stock with an
inlaid patch box in the butt. The firing
mechanism appeared to be complicated, but
actually was a primitively simple flintlock.
The Kentucky rifle was so named because
of its extensive use in that vast, dimly defined
frontier wilderness called "Kentucky"
that stretched from the edge of coastal
civilization to who-knows-where. Soon hundreds
of frontiersmen were daily staking
their lives on this invention; and to this
very day, a finely made "Kaintuck" squirrel
rifle will still outshoot all but the best
products of modern technology.
When you look at a fancily turned Kentucky
with its elegant and painstakingly
engraved fittings and rococo curlycues, you
might get the impression that it was the
personal property of some satin-swathed fop.
Nothing could be further from the truth. To
the American pioneer, his rifle was first and
foremost a basic and indispensible tool, not
a fancy toy. However, in the long, lonely
months when the only things a man had to
remind him of far-olI humanity were the
scanty few items he could tote with him, it
was psychologically sound practice to have
some comparatively opulent reminder of
civilization at hand.
The long, slim Kentucky rifle was "it" as
far as the frontiersmen were concerned, but
their chosen gun was almost unknown and
nnfamiliar in the coastal colonial cities. Here
the traditional European preference held for
(Continued from page 21)
musket-pattern flintlocks with smoothbore,
%, inch diameter barrels which fired loose
fitting, inaccurate round balls. The logic behind
such a gun was its use by several thousand
massed troops whose watchwords were
"firepower" and "speed," rather than accuracy.
This was supposed to be taken care of
by the sheer numbers of whizzing lead balls
filling the air.
As the hour drew near for the embattled
farmers to take their stand at Concord
bridge, it became obvious that considerable
quantities of guns would be needed. Unfor­
'iunately, nobody thought of consulting the
backswoodsmen about their preferences; and
so, in line with the theory that Europe knew
what it was doing in military matters, Revolutionary
purchasing agents were hustled olI
to the Continent to round up what they could
in martial "firelocks." The European dealers
"saw them coming" and stuck the armshungry
Colonials with a pitiful lot of junk.
Not every American saw eye to eye with
the officially endorsed tactics of massed
shooting strength versus pinpointed accuracy,
and General Daniel Morgan was one
man who decided to do something about it.
Realizing that the dense, tree-covered American
landscape was as ideally suited for concealed
sniping action as it was suicidal for
the massed formations of red coated Britishers,
Morgan combed the hills of Virginia
and marched north with 1500 sharpshooting
woodsmen, each with his own Kentucky
rifle.
STOP fLINCHING-IMPROVE SCORING!
Acclaimed by champion shooters and recommended by
Ear Specialists as the best protection against harmful
noise. lee Sonic EAR-VAlVS let you hear everything
"armoUy while they eliminate the harmful effects of
gun blast noise. A precision engineered, patented
mechanical hearing protector. NOT EAR PLUGS. Only
$3.95 a pro with money back guarantee. ORDER TODAY
or write for FREE Medical Proof and literature.
SIGMA ENGINEERING COMPANY
1608 Hillhurst Ave., Dept. K. Los Angeles 27, Calif.
Is & W .38 SPECIAL $29951
Iz" BBL. REVOLVERS· -I
Made in u.s. by Smith
I
with son, these swing fine out
6-
terri
I
I
ster only $3.95. .38 Sw'cial ammo box of 25 only $1.85.
Send cash. check or M.O. Calif. res. add 40/0 state I
tax. Shipped FOB. Los Angelcs, Ex. Charges collect.
I SEAPORT TRADERS, INC., Dept. GM.8
c a ammo. Oniy $29 1
~~~~~~~~~="'::~~__::J
THE LEWIS LEAD REMOVER
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
$3.95 ...
POSTPAID Revolver Cleaning Kit. Removes
Leading from Forcing Cone, Cylinder,
and Barrel. Available in 38-44-45 cal. Kit tor two
calibers $7.10. Patches (Pkg. 10) $.60. Dealer Inquiries
~ Invited. Check or Money Order-No COD·s.
~ GUN SPECIALTIES Coli.:. °pa~~~ ~;o,g;a
GUNS AUGUST 1962 51