Guns and Gunmaking Tools of Southern Appalachia

from the introduction:
The first settlers in this region, like the traders, trappers, hunters, and explorers before them, would no more have entered into this wilderness without their rifles than they would have gone into battle unarmed. It wasn't long before little gunmaker shops appeared, along with the scant tools and equipment for making the graceful and serviceable weapons which came to be known internationally as the American rifle, nationally the Kentucky rifle, and locally the "squirrel rifle" or "hog rifle." For a quarter century, the author traversed the hills and hollows of this area in search of tools of the mountain riflemakers, and acquired virtually all that he found. The purpose of this book is to record as much information as possible relative to these rifles, the gunmaking tools, and the people involved - nothing more.

softcover, 118 pages
B&W photos, ©1980