Bedford

[mongrel]

This is a style of rifle I wouldn't have ever thought I'd be building. The lines of Bedford County Pennsylvania rifles just don't appeal to me. However, they appeal to a customer who just wants the stock shaped to where he can sand and finish it, the brass hardware installed but not cleaned up, and the steel left in the white.

The Bedfords are a somewhat odd school of rifle building. They date primarily from about 1820-25 on into the percussion era, with examples existing that were built around the time of the Civil War. They were handmade, including their very unique locks (mostly percussion), at a time when store-bought'n locks and guns produced on a semi-factory system became the norm. They're contemporary to Hawkens and Tennessee mountain rifles -- and none of the three types are remotely alike. Each evolved in response to very specific needs and wants, and when correct examples of any of the three are examined it's easy to see that there was nothing else really like any of them, built anywhere.

I will admit to being surprised, though I shouldn't be, by how graceful, well-balanced, and handy this rifle is turning out to be. It shoulders beautifully, almost aims itself (it helps that the customer and I are of like height and very similar build). It still strikes me as a somewhat awkward-looking design, but there's no denying how it feels or that it should be deadly accurate.

Barrel is a 42" x 13/16" .45 caliber Green Mountain. Lock is an L&R Bedford pattern. Triggers are Davis. The sand-cast hardware is correct Bedford pattern, and everything is inletted into a nicer-grade piece of curly maple that has revealed one mineral streak in the righthand surface of the wrist once it was worked down. All parts were provided by the customer, who acquired them from Mike Eder of Flintlocks Inc.

I haven't posted on this one till now so the pictures will show its progress from early on till being very, very close to the point where the customer will take over the finishing of the gun.

[beowulf]

nice , very nice ! had one almost identical to this   mine was a .40 cal flinter ! curly maple stock , a heck of a shooter !

[CampbellClan]

NICE!

[mongrel]

I'm not entirely certain how it happened, but I agreed to inlet a correct Bedford patchbox. Note to other "frugal" builders who figure it's easier to expend labor than spend extra money -- a four-piece (finial and lid, two sideplates) brass patchbox kit, all parts rectangular, completely unshaped, is roughly $18. To buy a finished brass patchbox in a huge variety of regional styles (including a Bedford very similar to this one) is a little over $30. The finished item is well-worth the extra $$$.

Anyway, despite my swearing off any sort of fanciness, here's what I've been up to on this project.

[beowulf]

dang ! that`s kind scary ! now its even closer to my old rifle  same patchbox !

[Black Jack]

In spite of my usual preference for plain, simple rifles, I really admire the Bedford rifles, especially in percussion with their distinctive  locks.

[pathfinder]

My Favorite gun! I've built more Bedford's than any other style I've done,and loved everone! My best one was built along the lines or the one in John Schippers engraving book,(I've almost worn out my copy!)

My first build for ME when my shop is built(weather pushed it back another week! AAARRRGGG!!!),is a bedford with less of a break at the comb,and a bit more drop. The piece of wood I have has curl like the teeth of a fine toothed comb.

Good job on this one Mike! Doing guns "in the white" would drive me nuts! I HAVE to see what that woodlook's like all finished up!

Plus,being a life long wood finisher,NOBODY does it as well as I do! LOL!!!

[CampbellClan]

That patchbox looked like it wasn't easy to inlet. How does one go about the inletting process?  Anyhow,thats going to be a fine looking rifle when your done Mike! I can't wait to see the finished pics.