Joe Kindig’s Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle is a major work, cataloguing as it does the exhaustive Kindig longrifle collection. Even now, thirty seven years after its initial publication, no other work in the field (with the possible exception of George Shumway’s Rifles of Colonial America, in two volumes,) comes close to its breadth of analysis, or to the sheer number of splendid arms shown in fine B&W illustrations. Each of the several 18th century Pennsylvania gunmaking schools is anlayzed individually, with several rifles from that school presented and discussed. The text is far from dry and analytical, however. It is alive with humor and anecdotes, and apart from being top-notch research (or very educated opinion where the facts are unknown as yet), is a joy to read in its own right.

Most likely the book will be bought for its illustrations, though, for as interesting as the text is, the book is splitting at the seams with hundreds of crisp black and white photogtraphs from the late Mr. Kindig’s landmark rifle collection which he assembled over his long life. Virtually every phase of metamorphosis in the fascinating development of the American longrifle is shown in close detail, with textual analysis of each rifle answering questions and asking new ones as well.

It is difficult to imagine delving into this field of study and not owning Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle. It is a vivid portrait of one of the great American artforms, and of a collection that may never again be altogether in the same place under the same owner, especially one as affectionate toward its subject as Joe Kindig.