Kentucky Rifle Foundation
Preserving the Heritage of the Kentucky Longrifle
The Kentucky Rifle Foundation’s mission is to preserve the heritage of the Kentucky Rifle thru educational programs and exhibits, museum assistance and the publication of books related to the history and significance of the Kentucky Rifle. This history is multi-dimensional and was intimately involved with the trials and tribulations of this nation’s early settlers.
The Kentucky Rifle Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) corporation and is funded by contributions, the sale of educational materials, fund raising events and endowments.
The Kentucky rifle is widely recognized today as a uniquely American work of art, a form of applied art and a historical document that is highly prized by collectors. Two hundred years ago, however, the Kentucky Rifle was a tool of the ordinary freeman, a tool needed to provide food for the table, defend the family as well as defend the community and country. The Kentucky Rifle played a major role in the American Revolution, in many Indian conflicts, and in the War of 1812.
Examples of the Kentucky rifle which were made before and during the Revolution are scarce. As such, most collectors today concentrate on the period from the close of the Revolution through the first years of the 19th century. There is a 25-year period during this timeframe that has become known as the Golden age of the Kentucky Rifle. Some 15 major books have been written on the subject during the last 80 years, including the KRF’s recent publication, Moravian Gun Making of the American Revolution.
If you would like to know more about the mission of the KRF and how you may participate in supporting that mission, we would like to hear from you.
