In the book"Thoughts on The Kentucky Rifle In Its Golden Age" there are several pages given to Leonard Reedy's account book. This covers the 1820s and early 30s. Check it out and compare his rifle prices to what his food and clothing & household costs were. For example : Average rifle $13-$14 one cord of wood $1, one pair of shoes $1.25, Hauling logs to a sawmill .60, (I wonder if they were maple for gunstocks ?) 2 days labor for cutting wood $1 Its nice to think about living back then, but it was all grunt work to keep food on the table and keep the house warm unless you were well off enough to pay for it. Roland