RARE JOE LONG KENTUCKY RIFLE REFERRED TO BY THE COOPERS’ AS “THE GRANDPOP GUN”. FEATURED IN “THE KENTUCKY RIFLE & ME” BY EDITH COOPER.
inv # 01-19552

Cal. 40 rifled bore. NSN. Bbl. 36″ full octagonal signed “J. LONG”. Overall length 51″. Joe Long rifles are some of the most sought after by upper Susquehanna collectors. Joe Long was born in 1799 in what is now Snyder County, PA. About 1820 his family moved to White Deer township, Union County, PA. He is listed as a gun smith in the 1826 tax list in Snyder County, approx. 1832 he relocated to Beaver Springs, where he worked until at least the 1840’s. Joe Long died in 1872. This very rifle is pictured in “The Kentucky Rifle & Me” by Edith G. Cooper, T.J. Cooper’s wife, as plate #14 in page 24. TJ Cooper’s wife refers to this rifle in the text as “The Grandpop Gun”, she notes in her book that T.J. had owned in his lifetime over 235 Joe Long long rifles.

T. J. Cooper bought his first gun in 1911 when he was 10 years old. Through the years he became one of the most well-known gun collectors in the upper Susquehanna areas. This gun was one of T.J.’s favorites. The gun has a 4-piece brass patchbox which is not engraved, but has 7 piercings with a finial in the shape of an eagle-like bird. The gun has a very large eagle with shield inlay on the cheek piece, 6 silver fish inlays on the forend of the stock and 9 additional silver inlays. The book notes that Joe Long did not engrave many of his inlays, but 2 of his rifles had fish inlays on one of which the fish had engraved eyebrows. This gun, which she refers to, was purchased in 1932 for $5.00. The rifle has a 5 1/2″ brass saddle plate and a 5″ long toeplate. The beautifully striped curly maple stock is nicely incised carved to rear of the cheekpiece. The gun is in original percussion condition with set triggers.