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In his monumental book, Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in it's Golden Age, Joe Kindig, Jr. writes:
"Number 18 is a very beautiful, Lancaster daisy patch box rifle made before or during the Revolution. The very flat butt plate and thick heavy stock indicate its earliness. The barrel displays three more early details: it tapers from a broad breech to within six or eight inches of the muzzle and gradually flares again; it is fastened to the stock with pins; the tang is square. These details suggest that this was one of the earliest guns made with an ornamented patch box. The patch box is not as sophisticated in outline as some, but it bears very nicely designed, deep engraving. The relief carving is beautifully designed and well executed. There is nicely carved forestock molding too. The stock is finer curly maple than we expect to find in the early period, and it has the high comb. This is a fine detail which was executed only by the best early gunsmiths. I hope the maker of this rifle will be known eventually, for he was certainly one of the best of the period."
Since the publication of this statement in 1960, there has been relatively little discovered in addition to Joe's Kindig's original thoughts about this particular rifle. Although... with the ongoing research and study of the Kentucky Rifle that has occurred since this time, many of the absolute statements regarding many rifles featured in early publications have been at least disproved enough to leave some doubt, often at the very least changing our thoughts on several earlier concluded opinions. With the technology available today and over 40 years of study, often we can approach old theories with newfound knowledge, allowing us to build an educated case in opposition of a previous highly respected opinion.
This particularly fine rifle has characteristics that could be labeled in several ways or placed into several geographical regions. I have been a by-stander of a couple of very interesting conversations among advanced students of the American Longrifle, somewhat theoretically arguing about the origin of this piece; but in the end any conclusion is still ultimately assumption and… unless a signed rifle obviously by the same hand is discovered, these thoughts will always remain merely speculation.
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