Kentucky Long Rifle
American Gunsmiths (various) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1750
Also known as: Pennsylvania Rifle, American Longrifle, Long Rifle
Overview
The Kentucky Long Rifle is an American flintlock muzzleloading rifle developed by German immigrant gunsmiths in eastern Pennsylvania around the mid-18th century. Adapted from the short German jaeger hunting rifle, it featured a long, slender octagonal rifled barrel that gave it far greater accuracy and range than the smoothbore muskets of its era. Loaded from the muzzle with black powder and a patched round ball, it became the defining frontier firearm of colonial and early federal America, prized for hunting, marksmanship, and irregular military service.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1525 mm (60.04") |
| Barrel Length | 1120 mm (44.09") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | None |
| Muzzle Velocity | 550 m/s (1804 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1710 J (1261 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Barrel Material | Iron |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .50 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 12.7mm round ball, .50 caliber patched round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Full Length Stock, Patch Box, Octagonal Barrel, Set Trigger, Iron Sights
Service history
Operators
- Continental Army · adopted 1775
- American Frontier Settlers
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Production
Production years: c. 1750-1850
Hand-built individually by frontier gunsmiths across Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio; no centralized production figures exist.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Pennsylvania-German gunsmiths
Discontinued: 1850
Notes
Also widely known as the Pennsylvania rifle or American longrifle; 'Kentucky' became the popular name through frontier folklore. The 1790s are regarded as the 'Golden Age' of its craftsmanship, with highly decorated curly-maple stocks. Calibers ranged broadly from about .28 to .60; .45-.50 was common for general use.
Background
Martin Meylin is traditionally credited with crafting an early grooved-barrel Kentucky rifle near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The rifle's accuracy in the hands of American backwoodsmen during the Revolution earned it a fearsome reputation among British troops accustomed to smoothbore muskets.