xxSOLDxx. KENTUCKY LONG RIFLE Circa 1810

I recently jumped at the chance to acquire this rifle, having sold it in the past for my consignors, Dave and Barb Lyman.  This is the most delicate, graceful rifle I have ever owned.  This is "in the black", untouched, just as found original flintlock Kentucky rifle signed by a famous maker, "J.K." for Jacob Kunz.  Jacob Kunz (sometimes spelled Kuntz) was born and trained as a gunsmith in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania. The Lehigh school legacy can be seen in the beautiful lines of the rifle with its delicate Roman nose stock,  its stepped wrist, sheathed buttplate heel, and its flat (rather than rounded) forestock panels tapering into the ramrod channel. Another unique feature of this rifle which is characteristic of the Lehigh school of riflemakers is their propensity to sign their rifles on the wrist escutcheon (as this one is) rather than the barrel. Around 1810, Kunz moved to Philadelphia and set up shop as a gunsmith. This rifle's beautifully engraved patchbox has a pineapple finial, which is a Philadelphia characteristic. Also unique to this rifle for both Lehigh and Philadelphia schools is the "captured" patchbox, with the sideplates and finial of the patchbox cast as one unit rather than having 3 separate elements (2 individually cast sideplates and one individually cast finial). The rifle measures 61 inches overall with a 44 3/4 inch octagon to round .48 cal barrel. The barrel is attached to the full tiger maple stock by four faceted and escutcheoned captured barrel keys.  **SOLD**

Condition: Well used but lovingly cared for. It has its original untouched surface throughout. The rifle was cracked through the lock area and was repaired in-period with a brass sheet wrapping the triggerguard (see pics). There are a couple of slivers of wood missing on the forestock and one long sliver out forward of the lock (see pics).