I don't know what prompted me to look at this in the first place, but I found it somewhat interesting because, at first glance, distinct patterns emerge. Perhaps I'm getting too much Internet and not enough bench time.
Take a look at the numbers of views and replies for the last few weeks' readings of the ALR Forum, Antique Gun Collecting. One entry stands out...to be certain...at twice the readership of the next closest entry, entitled simply, "What's your opinion on this one?" I offered mine as well as 26 others, and 1549 people read it. Perhaps it simply means that such a title arouses curiosity and that most of us feel comfortable voicing an opinion.
The remaining heavily hit articles appear to have one thing in common: they focus on a specific item or issue. "E. Tennessee Rifle," "Is this an old Kentucky Rifle?" a "Garage Sale Rifle," and one on buttplates being left off. Note, the titles all present a simple question or comment about a specific object or issue. I would conclude, and it would only be logical, that we all have a penchant for seeing the material objects themselves, and that we want to see and compare actual guns. Yes, this only makes sense in such a site, but let this stand as a call to all of you that have not shown us a good gun or two. Get them up on this site and those who care about old guns will certainly study your entrys. Something that you even view as common may well be appreciated. If you are not computer-savvy, take a gun or two over to a friend's house who is and who has a digital camera. Your stuff can be on line by dinner time, no big deal.
The flip side is the emerging series of purely historical articles that investigate background and yield documented general information on antique guns. Look at the numbers for yourself; readership is substantially lower. One unfortunate number, the "Request for Essays," generated no responses at the time of this writing and only 117 people even read it. Point is, both specific pieces and solid background material are needed to be a well-rounded, informed collector, hence the emphasis on educational information in important collecting associations. I did absorb some excellent material on NC guns recently, but my guess is that this work was in the mill prior to the recent request for essays.
Many of you not only have nice guns, but also a wealth of solid information and documentation to prove it. A little here and a little there helps us all to become better informed; you need not be a writer or professional historian to share your information. The Forum is strengthened by both the specific artifacts and the history associated with them. Let's get some more of this history up on the net while we still can and before useful stuff is lost forever. JWH
