The Bedford County School is one of my favorites. The Bedford style is the slimmest of all of the Pennsylvania Rifles. Even its locks are slim being only about 7/8 inch tall. Pierced Patchboxes were common with many makers using the Double Loop and Q (my description) pattern.
The Bedford gunsmiths must have been proud of their rifles and its patchbox style as they maintained it well into the 1850s when other County gunsmiths were moving away from the fancy patchboxes of the Golden Era. As this was well into the Precussion era, I felt it was proper to make this gun as a convertable, that is, it has both a Flintlock and a Precussion lock which are totally interchangable.
This rifle uses a 42 inch, 13/16 octagon, .45 caliber Green Mountain barrel with interchangable L&R Bedford Locks. The triggers are from Davis. The stock is a #3 Curly Maple from Pecatonica River Rifle Co. The pattern is similar to rifles built by W. Defibaugh and J.Stoudenour.
I used the book "The BEDFORD COUNTY RIFLE and Its Makers" as a reference while building her. As a small point of interest, this rifle has 4 pins securing the forestock to the barrel which follows suit with the above mentioned gunsmiths. She was made in 1997.
The Bedford gunsmiths must have been proud of their rifles and its patchbox style as they maintained it well into the 1850s when other County gunsmiths were moving away from the fancy patchboxes of the Golden Era. As this was well into the Precussion era, I felt it was proper to make this gun as a convertable, that is, it has both a Flintlock and a Precussion lock which are totally interchangable.
This rifle uses a 42 inch, 13/16 octagon, .45 caliber Green Mountain barrel with interchangable L&R Bedford Locks. The triggers are from Davis. The stock is a #3 Curly Maple from Pecatonica River Rifle Co. The pattern is similar to rifles built by W. Defibaugh and J.Stoudenour.
I used the book "The BEDFORD COUNTY RIFLE and Its Makers" as a reference while building her. As a small point of interest, this rifle has 4 pins securing the forestock to the barrel which follows suit with the above mentioned gunsmiths. She was made in 1997.
