'Kentucky rifle' enthusiasts head to Salem for annual Historic Arms Show

Modern rifles might be easier to use, more streamlined in their design and more accurate. But you won’t find any at the 24th annual Historic Arms Show this weekend at the Lamplighter in Salem.

Organized by the Old Westmoreland Rifles group’s Collectors Show Association, the show will take place Friday and Saturday, with a focus on the “Kentucky rifle,” whose name belies its origins.

“Kentucky rifles” were largely long rifles manufactured in Eastern Pennsylvania, according to show manager Bill Vance of Murrysville.

Between 1700 and 1750, Germanic settlers created their weapons based on the “Jaeger” rifle, which had rifling grooves inside the barrel that immensely improved its accuracy and made it nearly indispensable for frontiersmen during westward expansion.

The gun’s heyday was between 1790 and 1850, when rifle-­making started to flourish in America’s colonies. The development of carvings, inlays and the patch box — which stored small patches of clothes used to wrap round shot so it would fit snugly in the gun muzzle — became a uniquely American art form.

“The early guns were really a work of art,” said Carl Patty of Murrysville, who helps run the show. “You have to consider that the early gunsmith was a master in many trades: blacksmithing, gunsmithing, silversmithing, woodworking. Many of the stocks were quite ornate, with beautiful inlays of things like gold, brass and ivory.”

Doug Plance of Murrysville will have a display table at the show. He said he has always been interested in the industrial technology that ultimately led to the development of the long rifle.

As Western Pennsylvania officially opened to settlement in 1768, new arrivals crossing the Chestnut Ridge were able to find iron and turn it into usable items, he said.

“They were able to take pig-iron castings, convert those into wrought iron, and that aided in the prodution of rifle barrels,” Plance said. “It began in Eastern Pennsylvania and migrated west and south.”

While his interest lies mainly in the more utilitarian versions of the weapon, Plance said Westmoreland County had its share of gun-makers who “created some beautiful works of art.”

Vance would agree. He can remember when he saw his first Kentucky rifle.

“You never forget it,” he said. “A lot of people who come to the show really love it.”

And those people have been coming in larger numbers recently.

“The show is becoming more popular,” Vance said. “We used to be at the Bushy Run Museum, and the volunteers there were wonderful. But we’ve been getting more people attending, and it’s continued to grow.”

Those attending will want to be sure and take a look at the display booth Vance will help man at the show, which will feature a rifle made in 1800 by one of the era’s finest gunsmiths, Jacob Sell.

“He made rifles starting in what, today, is York County,” Vance said. “We’ll also have the powder horn and the hunting bag that he would have used with this type of rifle. It’s a killer, really nice looking.”

Patty said that is a testament to the many skills that 1800s-era gunsmiths possessed.

“They were master craftsmen,” he said. “In the early 19th century, not only did they work on guns, but they also worked on people’s sewing machines and other mechanical instruments.”

This year marks the Old Westmoreland Rifles group’s 75th anniversary, having officially been incorporated in 1947. The group’s legacy goes all the way to Proctor’s Militia, named for the former “Old Westmoreland” sheriff from whom the rifle group takes its name.

“Pittsburgh was the provisioning point for people headed west,” Plance said. “So gun-making was a big thing here. It’s a very important part of our history, and it doesn’t get taught much in schools.”

The 24th annual Historic Arms Show will take place from 1 to 5 p.m.Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Lamplighter, 6566 William Penn Highway, Salem.

The cost is $10, and compliance with current covid-19 guidelines is required. No one under 16 will be admitted without adult supervision, and there is no photography without permission.

For more, see OldWestmorelandRifles.com.