Stock drop

[tallPercshooter]

Not sure if this Bedford rifle is original or a contemporary build. But how could anyone shoot it? How could you sight down the barrel with this amount of stock drop?

 

[oldwood]

See if there is any old hard caked grease in the patch box , also , ya could carefully take the barrel out , and check for mfg.ers marks. Might figure out the story of the rifle .

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Not everyone is built the same. Could have been someone with a longer than normal neck or possibly someone who was extremely taller. What is the LOP if it is longer could give an idea? Follow oldwood's advice to see if old or new.

 

[Sam squanch]

I had read that in the early days, wildfowlers didn’t shoot with their cheeks on the stock. They shot with heads erect. So maybe this was made for such a person. Or maybe this person was a giraffe….

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

This is an Australian Boomerang Muzzleloader. If you miss you just throw the rifle at the game animal.

 

[Notchy Bob]

That is a remarkable stock. I'm sure there must be a story behind that, whether the rifle is old or recently built. Maybe the client who ordered the rifle had an injury of some sort that demanded that the buttstock be clamped in his armpit instead of pulled against his shoulder. I think most of the Bedford rifles were of fairly small caliber, so recoil should not be an issue.

I'm short, by today's standards, and I don't like a lot of drop. If it's much more than about three inches, the front sight drops so low I have to hunt for it. Oddly enough, the old Civil War Springfields and the trapdoors that followed fit me like they were custom built to my specs.

Notchy Bob

 

[The Crisco Kid]

It looks like it was made in the Bedford County style. Do you have any more information on it?

 

[rusty]

it looks like a hockey stick.

 

[ETipp]

That’s one of those rifles made for lazy people. The trick is to lay feet down on a hillside to shoot.

 

[LME]

Not sure if this Bedford rifle is original or a contemporary build. But how could anyone shoot it? How could you sight down the barrel with this amount of stock drop?

View attachment 305009

All I want to know is just how long was the persons neck that used this rifle? LOL!

 

[tucosink]

Neck has to be real long

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Made for shooting around corners.

 

[morehops52]

The obvious answer is that it was made from a bent tree. It was well known that Bedford had maples that weren't as straight as in Lancaster and further east.

 

[WonkyEye]

Is this one meant to have the butt on the bicep instead of the shoulder?

 

[Phil Coffins]

That type of rifle is held differently than we are accustomed to. The rifle is held across the body and your head is more up right.

 

[oldwood]

Rifle made for a very tall person , with long ength of pull and neck.