Tony Knight 1945-2013

19 TuesdayMar 2013


Posted by Gary Garth in News



Tony Knight, founder of Knight Rifles, died yesterday. He was 67.

If you hunt, shoot or have any interest in muzzleloading firearms you owe this gentleman a nod of gratitude. Even dyed-in-the-wool sidelock, flintlock traditionalists should appreciate that Knight made blackpowder shooting and hunting safer for the masses while raising the profile of blackpowder hunting in the process.

Knight was a gunsmith working in northern Missouri when a group of friends traveled to Colorado for that state’s blackpowder elk hunt. The weather was awful and the sidelock guns – virtually all that was available at the time – generally performed badly as a result of the foul weather.

The hunters regrouped at Knight’s gun shop (which he later moved to Iowa to take advantage of that state’s friendlier business climate). The gunsmith knew there had to be a better, safer, more dependable way to shoot blackpowder. He came up with an inline blackpowder rifle – the MK-85 (named for his daughter Michelle Knight and the year it was introduced, 1985). Some traditionalists didn’t like it. It looked and handled like a modern centerfire. Knight eventually won over many of the gun’s critics. Muzzleloader hunting entered the mainstream.

Knight Rifles was eventually sold to PRADCO Outdoor Brands, which later discontinued the line. No matter. Today, the vast majority of muzzleloader deer hunters shoot inline rifles. Tony Knight is the reason.

sad to hear of his passing.

That said, we worked for years here in Idaho to get truly primitive ML seasons. The inlines were the beginning of the end of Traditional Muzzleloaders; replaced by people who would do nearly anything to get additional days hunting.

Fortunately, after a few years, we were able to define traditional. It took a big push by people who wanted to allow black powder cartridge rifles to make our thirty year old point.

Like compound bows, there are always people pushing the envelope for personal gain.

quote:

Like compound bows, there are always people pushing the envelope for personal gain.

+1

Not quite the same but abot twenty years ago there was a guy here in England who invented a shot gun safety device.

It contained a small 38 calibre blank...so that when inserted into the chambers (with a key) if you tried to knock it out with a hammer the blank discharged.

Driving two, or three, hardened steel spikes through the barrel sides. Destroying the barrel in effect form use or repair.

Needless to say this guy also went on the media, local televsion even, saying how his product "made the sport safer" and "a law should be passed regarding using his product"..

For, as Idaho Sharpshooter says...there are always people pushing the envelope for personal gain.