From the eighteenth century to the present day, there has never been a time when someone in America was not producing the long rifle. It is “the original American art form,” says Jason W. Gatliff, publisher of Muzzleloader magazine and a board member of the Contemporary Longrifle Association. Fashioning a flintlock required a high level of expertise, not only in engineering for the triggers and locks, but also in the decorative elements of woodworking and metalsmithing. “It’s a living art form, too,” Gatliff adds, “in that it is growing and evolving, even though it’s based on a legacy concept.” From August 8 to 10, the Contemporary Longrifle Association Show will host a modern rendezvous of many of the finest traditional firearms makers. Held in the Central Bank Center in Lexington, it also attracts artisans producing all the accoutrements that attend black-powder firearms: carved powder horns, custom knives, traditional leather goods, original paintings and pottery, and works by silversmiths and coppersmiths.
Southern Agenda