FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT VISTS THE LONGRIFLES

Joomart "Jooma" Mirbekovich Aitakunov of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, enjoyed an afternoon with the Jefferson County Longrifles on Sunday, April 18th, spending his time doing his best imitation of an American Colonial. Jooma also had a lot of fun shooting muzzleloaders, and did well in his first tries with the rifles.

He also really enjoyed learning to start a fire with flint and steel, and even though he'd completed his stage of the competition, he wanted to keep getting better at it and tried it several more times.

When he returns home to Kyrgyzstan in June, we hope he will be taking a bit of Jefferson County culture with him.

Jooma is here in the USA as a Rotary Exchange Student, and is hosted by the Emporium Rotary Club and Rotary Member Ron Luckenbill, who is a member of the Longrifles.

MEET THE BURKETT TRIPLETS

Gunsmith Ron Luckenbill recently completed three copies of a Brookville rifle by Abraham Burkett for various members of the Burkett family. Two of the rifles are .50 caliber, one a flintlock and one a percussion.


Considering the era in which Burkett built his rifles (very late percussion era), the flintlock version is very unusual, but the owner wanted to be able to use it in the PA flintlock season. The other is a .36 caliber, as was the original from which it was copied.


The barrels are 28" long and are 15/16" across the flats. The guns are German silver mounted with the exception of the wear plate under the forearm, which is brass. Each of the flowers at the bottom of the butt plate has a mother of pearl center, exactly like the original.


This is probably the last time you'll see all three of these beautiful guns together at the same time. Nice job, Ron!