Sometime in the 1990s, a very fine J. Fondersmith rifle came to light in the southwest. It had a number of Masonic elements worked into the ornamentation, but the most remarkable feature was a raised, carved, winged dragon behind the cheek rest. Where the piece is today, I do not know, but it is shown in one or more of Whisker's books on KY Rifles. The collector who owned it researched it tirelessly and found that a number of the unusual inlays and engraved designs had their origins in the Masonic Order.
If you can find photos of that gun, you may find one of the earlier examples of Free Masonry present in the KY Rifle. This particular piece appeared to be a fairly early gun likely made around 1800. Most of what we see today seem to be from the middle half of the 1800s, but the Fondersmith suggests that it began considerably earlier. Hope this helps some.
Dick