Bedford County, PA Flintlocks

[jimbo15563]

Dave, my gunsmith is restoring two old flintlocks, one of which was partially burned in a fire. The 200+ year old wood looks very delicate and probably wouldn't withstand shooting. The lines of these rifles are very clean and graceful. They're going to be wall guns. I'll try and post some pictures of them as the work progresses.

What I found interesting is that Dave said Bedford County, PA (the next County east of where we live) was noted for producing high-quality flintlocks. He also said that they were produced later (up until the Civil War)than most other areas of Pennsylvania.

I'm going to contact their historical society to see what info I can come up with. We would appreciate hearing from members of this forum about Bedford County. Our county, Somerset, was formed out of the eastern part of Bedford, which means that some of these rifles might have been produced right where we live.

Jimbo

 

Bedford Co rifles are some of the prettiest of the late flintlock and percussion eras. They have a unique style. If you go to a website that sells books about the old guns (try TOW for one) you will find some specifically about Bedford Co guns...Shumway may have published one--I know several other books that include rifles from that county as well.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Pictures definately!

The Bedford style is a very recognizable longrifle. Whole books have been written about just the Bedford and it's makers.

 

[THORNAPPLE]

James Bisser Whisker is the man to contact in Bedford. He wrote the books. The hist. society or the Old Bedford Museum will have his contact info. Last time I was at the museum (1990)I was disappointed they only had ONE Bedford BARN rifle on display.

 

[GobblerKnob]

Pictures definately!

The Bedford style is a very recognizable longrifle. Whole books have been written about just the Bedford and it's makers.

Very recognizable, indeed!. Don Getz described them best. He said, "Tape a barrel to a hockey stick and Viola, you have a bedford!" :crackup:

 

[quinnconner]

I live right here in bedford county.Old bedford village has the whisker books.He and his father did at least 3 books just on bedford county rifles.They were almost all percussion though.Not flint!If you check your local bookstores in somerset they might be able to get you the books.Old bedford village should be able to fix you right up.I have all of them as far as I know.Whisker has a book on bedford and somerset county rifles...Beautiful!!!
...Rifles by Stoudnour,Peter White, or Defibaugh are very beautiful, very expensive works of art.....
J.J.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I was thinking of the book by Calvin Hetrick, but I see that Whisker also has one among his whole series.

Not my favorite style, but a hockey stick?

Well, now that you mention it . . .

People tell me my favorite, the Lehigh style, has a reputation for harsh recoil. I always thought the Bedford looked like it would be worse. Very angular wrist with a lot of drop.

 

[Zonie]

I can't get Photobucket to respond so I can't post any pictures right now. Maybe later.

Many consider the Bedford to be the slenderest, most graceful of all of the Pennsylvania rifles. Even the lock is slender, my L&R sideplate being .865 tall X 5.5 long. Many of these sideplates have a distinctive "rat tail" shape at the rear somewhat like a rat-tail file tang.

Many Bedfords have pearced patchboxes with a double hoop on the top and bottom and a Q shaped finial at the front.

The Bedford rifles kept the tradition of the fancy patchbox, carving and inlays and rifles made well into the mid 1800s still sported these long after this style of furniture was being replaced with cap boxes and uncarved wood.

Although many of the Bedfords are Caplocks, there are quite a number of them which are Flintlocks which were made in the late 1700's and early 1800's.

Perhaps it is because of the thin fore-end of the stock but it is rather common for the rifles to use 4 underlugs and pins rather than the 3 more commonly used on other Longrifles.

As for the Bedford rifles stock's drop, yes there is quite a bit. My rifle has over 4 1/2 inches, and the gun does rotate up a bit when it's fired.
The lack of a high cheek piece results in no smack in the cheek from this rotation so, I find it a little less damageing to my face than many of the other stock styles.

The August 2005 issue of Muzzle Blasts (the NMLRA magazine) has one of James Whiskers articles about Jacob Stoudenour (1795-1863) and shows three of his rifles.
As is usual with Dr Whiskers works, he spends a bit more talking about the man, rather than the guns, but it's an interesting article.

A good, rather inexpensive book about these guns is "The BEDFORD COUNTY RIFLE and Its Makers" by Calvin Hetrick.
Dixie gunworks has this booklet (41 pages) #BO0467 and was asking $10 in their 2005 catalog. IMO, it's well worth the money.

 

[dlemaster]

Stumpkiller
I don't think recoil would be much of a problem in Bedford rifles, all the ones I've seen are in pretty small calibers.LOL
I did own an original sometime back. It was made by a gunsmith named John Pringle. A very fancy rifle even for a Bedford, lots of relief carving. This was the nicest Pringle most collectors have seen. I always thought it may have been his personal rifle since the carving on the cheek piece side was a set of initials highly stylized "J*P".

Regards, Dave

 

[jimbo15563]

I talked to Dave and he said it was ok to come take pictures of these rifles. I'm headed there today after work. They are only in the beginning stages of restoration. He has a lot of other jobs that take precedence and these are done as time permits.

I'll try to get closeups of any proof marks or engravings that might shed some light on their history. I hope to post these pictures later tonight or in the morning.

Jimbo

 

[jimbo15563]

Here are some pictures of one of the rifles:

This is the good side, the other side was badly burned in a fire. It has been rubbed down with steel wool and a finish applied:

This is the burnt side. Filler will be applied and the engraving on the other side will be duplicated. It will always look charred. What a shame.

The lockplate has some primitive engraving and the letters JD on it.

 

[jimbo15563]

Here are some pics of the furniture:

Jimbo

 

[Stumpkiller]

Oh! :boohoo: That brings tears to the eyes. :cry:

Attrition strikes again.

 

[crockett]

Jimbo: I'm no expert on flintlocks so I usually want the fastest, easiest way to ID something. It's my understanding that the Bedford has a very slender cock(flintlock) or hammer(percussion), that and the rattail at the rear of the lockplate are the fastest ID sources.
If you like Kentucky rifles buy Henry Kaufman's book,"The Pennsylvania/Kentucky Rifle". DGW has it for around $20.00. It has hundreds of photographs(all black & White). It explains the various periods and then examines all the Pennsylvania counties, etc. For the price it is a good reference.

 

[jimbo15563]

Stumpkiller,

Dave will do his best to preserve this piece of history. I will post pictures of his progress. I think we will all be pleasantly suprised. He does beautiful work.

Jimbo

 

[jimbo15563]

Crockett,

The lock was disassembled, and I didn't want to disturb it. Dave was busy with customers. I'll go back next Tues. and try and get pictures of the cock and rat-tail, as well as the barrel.

Jimbo

 

[kettenburg]

What a great rifle. That piece has got to be John Dunmyer/Dunmeyer - Somerset County. Probably one of his earlier pieces too, ca. 1850-60. Aside from the initials on the very characteristic lock, the box is pracically a signature in an of itself. And the sideplate design screams Somerset also. Watch out, the hockey sticks will grow on you! I personally think the Somerset sub-school in many instances are more attractive than the 'proper' Bedford pieces.

 

[jimbo15563]

OOPS!

I have a bit of egg on my face. Since these were dissasembled when I saw them, I assumed they were flintlocks. In talking to Dave last night, I discovered they are actually percussion rifles. Should I restart this thread in the percussion group? :redface:

Jimbo

 

[Gaze]

OOPS!

I have a bit of egg on my face. Since these were dissasembled when I saw them, I assumed they were flintlocks. In talking to Dave last night, I discovered they are actually percussion rifles. Should I restart this thread in the percussion group? :redface:

Jimbo

:nono: A foul with a hickey stick; you could end up in the penality box!
This could be the biggest scandal since Monica-gate