What's Your Top 10 ML Books?

[Mickc01]

Let’s see if we can get a discussion going”¦”¦In your library, what are the top 10 must-have muzzleloading related books? They can cover collecting, building, re-enacting, and also history such as the Eckert series. There are no wrong answers, only right ones. I’ll start it off, here’s mine:

1. & 2. Rifles of Colonial America, Vols I & II, Shumway
3. Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in its Golden Age, Kindig
4. Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia to the American Revolution, Neumann
5. The Kentucky Rifle Hunting Pouch, Grant
6. Of Sorts for Provincials: American Weapons of the French and Indian War, Mullins
7. The Kentucky Rifle, Dillin
8. A Pilgrim’s Journey, Vol I, Baker
9. Wilderness War, Eckert
10. The Frontiersman, Eckert

 

[Coot]

Well, here are 10 titles in no particular order except that I started with titles that are also on your list. (The first 4 on my list are on your list). "Must have" will of course vary with one's interest or focus.

Rifles of Colonial America (Vols I & II) - Shumway
Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle - Kindig
Of Sorts for Provincials - Mullins
The Kentucky Rifle - Dillin
Selected KRA Bulletin Articles - Edited by Bishop
Flintlock Fowlers - Grinslade
Boarders Away (Vol II) - Gilkerson
Muskets of the Revolution - Ahern
Colonial Frontier Guns - Hamilton
Gunsmiths of Virginia - Whisker

 

[Captjoel]

I personally prefer "The Pennsylvania Kentucky Rifle" by Kauffman over Kindigs "Thoughts" but I do own them both. Kauffmans book has more detailed gunsmith information and covers old makers that worked later than just "the golden age". I also recommend "The Muzzleloading Caplock Rifle" by Ned Roberts. "The Kentucky Rifle:a True American Heritage in Picture" a KRA publication. "Kentucky Rifles & Pistols 1750-1850" a KRA publication. "Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes & Barrel Marks" 1972 by Chandler (very pricey book)worth the 200.00 dollars I paid for it. "Three Centuries of Tradition the Renaissance of Custom Sporting Arms in America" The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, book from their exposition a few years ago. And if you enjoy jaeger rifles you will love "Steinschloss-Jagerbuchsen" and it's translation book. I have also highly enjoyed two of the coffee table books by R.L. Wilson "Steel Canvas" and "The Peacemakers". I could go on and on cause there are so many great books out there!

 

[tg]

I pretty much put RCA and Kindigs books on top but the text part of Whiskers books often reveal some precious tidbits of information that sometimes blow old wives tails right out of the water. There is a mention of rifles with 4' barrels in parcels (indicates large numbers to me) being imported to Charleston in the 1750's when we have always been told that there were only short barreled riflres at that timeand the longrifles did not comealong unytill much later, lots of info in estates and advertisments in his books

 

[Jim Blair]

A lot of us seem to have some of the same books.Great minds think alike.LOL In no particular order

1.Rifles of Colonial America Vol.1 & 2
2.Gunmakers Of Illinois Vol.1 & 2
3.Muskets of the Revolution and French and Indian War-Ahern
4.British Military Flintlock Muskets-Bailey
5.British Military Flintlock Rifles-Bailey
6.Muzzle Loading Caplock Rifles-Roberts
7.U.S.Military Muskets and Bayonets 1790-1815-Schmidt.
8.Borders Away Vol.1 & 2 Gilkerson
9 Accoutrements Vol.1,2,&3 Johnson
10.The Gunsmith of Greenville County

 

[Snakebite]

Not necessarily in this order:

1. Thoughts On The Kentucky Rifle In It's Golden Age: Kindig
2. Hawken Rifles: Baird
3. 15 Years in the Hawken Lode: Baird
4. Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West: Carter
5. Firearms, Traps, and Tools of the Mountain Men: Russell
6. Rocky Mountain Rendezvous: Gowans
7. The Saga of Hugh Glass: Myers
8. Kit Carson's Autobiography
9. Jim Bridger: Vestal
10. Jedediah Smith: Morgan

And there are a couple others, Hansen's Hawken Rifles, The Texas Gun Trade by Hirsch, not to mention Texas History books on the Republic and the Revolution. I guess you can say my interest lies in the Fur Trade and Texas.

Not just firearms but the history and people that go along with them.

 

[Mickc01]

WOW, let's keep this going. I'm definitely seeing some new books I need to add to my collection! Thanks for the reponces so far.

 

[Coot]

Since you are from North Carolina, you might want to consider:

"Gunsmiths of the Carolinas 1660-1870" by James Whisker et al

"Longrifles of North Carolina" by John Bivins, Jr.

 

[Rod Lassey]

I'll give it a go, my list will be more western fur trade oriented, as that's where my interests lie. The first 5 are firearms related, second 5 are historical in nature.

1. Encyclopedia of Trade Goods: Firearms by Hanson
2. The Hawken Rifle, Its Place in History by Hanson
3. The French Trade Gun in North America by Gladysz
4. Firearms in Colonial America by Brown
5. The Plains Rifle, by Hanson

6. Across the Wide Missouri, by DeVoto
7. Journal of a Trapper, by Russel
8. The Fur Trade in the North West by E.E. Rich
9. The American Fur Trade in the Far West by Chittenden
10. A Majority of Scoundrels by Berry

Read those, and you'll have a very good basic understanding of the fur trade (both western and Canadian), and the guns in use at the time.

Rod

 

[George]

Tough to pick only ten.

An Essay on Shooting by Wm. Cleator
Westward Into Kentucky by Daniel Trabue
Sons of a Trackless Forest by Mark Baker
Pteryplegia, or the Art of Shooting-Flying by George Markland
The Perfect Gun by Cesar Fiosconi & Jordam Guserio
The Long Hunt by Ted Franklin Belue
David Thompson’s Narrative.... by David Thompson
Scoouwa: James Smith’s Indian Captivity Narrative by James Smith
The Kentucky Rifle by Merrill Lindsay
American Engraved Powderhorns by Stephen V. Grancsay

Spence