Kentucky Rifle Question

G

gunslinger2000

New member
I have a question about a Kentucky rifle that was offered for sale to the pawn shop on Pawn Stars the other night. It was a normal appearing flintlock except it had another dovetail cut into the barrel top flat ahead of the dovetailed front sight. Any ideas as to why? I have never seen anything like that, even in pictures. gunslinger
 
What Gary said. It wasn't uncommon for a barrel to have several dovetails cut as eyes aged. Usually it was the rear sight that was moved tho.
 
Another possibility is that the extra dovetail accomodates a removable globe style front sight to be used with an aperature rear for light bench rest matches. These sights removed makes the rifle legal for offhand matches that require traditional open sights.

A lot of competition rifles have convertable sights to accomodate different match rules.
 
Another possibility is that the barrel on this rifle was "recycled" from another rifle. Over the years, I've worked on a number of originals as well as having owned several that had numerous dovetails cut on both the top and the bottom barrel flats. I had one rifle that was percussion where the barrel started out by being in a flintlock - from the dovetails, it was evident that it had been on 2 rifles previous to the percussion version.

I have also seen many original barrels that were on full stock rifles that ended up as half-stock rifles. A variety of dovetails from the previous barrel lugs for pinning to the stock.

While in today's world we might find things such as this as not being "visually pleasing", you have to remember that in their day, these rifles were "tools" intended for a purpose. If a barrel (or lock or furniture) could be recycled, it wasn't a major concern. What was important was that the rifle / shotgun / fowler could be used and functioned well for the intended purpose.


I made a custom built Virginia Rifle many years ago that over the time that I had it and shot it, I moved the rear sight three times - always forward towards the muzzle end - to compensate for my changing eyesight. What can I say . . . it's hell getting old! :D:rolleyes:
 
robhof

The gun was also a half stock, usually Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifle refers to a full stock, but I have seen half stock versions of both, usually remade from full stocks, due to damage or to reduce weight. One example in a local museum has the half barrel color change from long use in a full stock.
 
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