This full stock Bedford County, Pennsylvania long rifle is signed "D. Defibaugh". The owner describes this antique gun as having been made by the riflemaker David Defibaugh of Everett circa 1870. I agree that the maker was David Defibaugh because the engraved signature on the lock matches the signature on a rifle that was passed down through his descendants.
The following photo provides a full-length view of the right-hand side of this slender and attractive 19th century cap lock muzzleloader. The back sight is located rearward of the ramrod entry pipe and the front sight is mounted over the rear half of the nose cap.
The next picture provides a closeup view of the right-hand side of the buttstock, which incorporates a crescent buttplate and a long toe plate, but no patch box. As typical with Bedford County rifle stocks, the belly and the low comb of the buttstock are substantially straight.
The next picture shows the trigger guard and lock area of this Bedford County percussion rifle. The gun has a double set trigger arrangement. The hair trigger (front) is much less curved than the set trigger (rear), allowing the triggers to be distinguished from one another by touch. The adjustment screw (aka "set screw") projects from the trigger plate in between the two triggers. The rear of the trigger guard is held in place with a transverse pin. If you look closely, you can see that the rear of the trigger plate is secured to the underside of the wrist with a wood screw.
Notice how the stock panel for the lock fades into the wrist. I wish that producers of Bedford County rifle kits offered stocks shaped like that, or at least left enough wood that this subtle yet beautiful lock panel transition effect could be achieved by the builder. The slender rat tail lock, with its tall hammer, is one of the most recognizable and desirable elements of the Bedford School of gunsmithing.
The next picture shows an oblique view of the trigger guard area, highlighting the decorative aspects of the guard on this Bedford County style rifle. Forward of the bow, the part of the guard that contacts the stock has non-parallel sides. Looking at the gun lock, the angle of the picture provides a good view of how the thickness of the hand-wrought lock plate steps down in thickness in the rat tail area. The step-down in thickness is accomplished in conjunction with a slash-like decorative element that crosses the width of the tail. The hollow nose of the percussion hammer telescopes over the drum-mounted nipple to protect the shooter's eyes from cap debris. The nipple is mounted on a simple drum that does not incorporate a vent screw. This picture also shows that the lower edge of the lock panel is established by an intersection with the underside of the stock. Additionally, this picture provides a decent look at the trigger plate that supports and locates the triggers.
The next picture features the signed percussion lock, with its tall and graceful Bedford County-style hammer and its beveled rat tail lock plate. Notice the integral flash guard of the lock panel, to help to protect the shooter's eyes and the the stock from the damaging effect of percussion cap flash and detonation-related flying debris. Also notice the subtle downturn of the tail of the lock, for improved harmony with the bend in the wrist of the stock. The beautifully styled percussion hammer on this rifle has a curved nose, whereas the hammers on some Bedford County rifles have straight noses. Notice how the convex curve of the nose flows smoothly into the deep forward-facing concave curve of the hammer spur. Also notice how smoothly the bevel on the forward part of the neck of the hammer continues along the underside of the hammer nose. The lack of cap ignition-related erosion suggests that this rifle did not experience extensive use.
Based on the recess in the stock behind the hammer, I strongly suspect the hammer has a built-in stop shoulder that overhangs the lock plate and prevents excess hammer rotation when the lock is removed from the stock. Assuming the stop-related overhang is present, the hammer has to be as tall as it is to clear the integral flash guard.
The next picture features the ramrod entry pipe on this Defibaugh muzzleloading rifle. To me, the smooth, non-abrupt transition from the grooved part of the forearm to the drilled part is very desirable from an aesthetic standpoint.
The next photo provides a more oblique view of the ramrod entry pipe on this old gun.
The next image shows a portion of the fore-end of the Defibaugh-made Pennsylvania long rifle. Two ramrod ferrules and a barrel retention cross-pin are visible.
The next picture provides an enlarged view of a ramrod thimble on this Defibaugh-made long gun, to highlight the decorative aspects of the thimble. The underside of the central portion of the thimble is faceted, and both ends of the facets terminate in raised ridges. The metal cross-pin that secures the thimble to the rifle stock is visible above the center of the thimble.
The following picture provides a view of the portion of the forestock that includes the forward ramrod thimble and the long brass nose cap. About halfway between the forward barrel retention pin and the nose cap, the forestock steps down in size ever so slightly to match the cross-sectional size of the nose cap.
The next picture provides a closeup view of the right-hand side of the brass nose cap of the Defibaugh gun.
The next photo provides an oblique view of the muzzle and the nose cap and a good look at the eight-groove cut rifling on this antique black powder rifle. By having eight grooves at this bore diameter, the lands become relatively narrow. The front of the nose cap has separated slightly from the body, revealing the sheet metal construction of the nose cap. The nose cap is grooved to accommodate the ramrod. The step in the size of the forestock is visible in the area to the rearward of the nose cap.
The next picture provides a closeup view of the muzzle of the full-octagon barrel on this classic Bedford County-style rifle, showing the form of the cut rifling.
The next image provides a view of the left-hand side of the buttstock, including the cheekpiece and the well-aligned and fitted crescent-shaped butt plate.
The next picture provides a closeup view of the left-hand side of the buttstock, highlighting the curly maple wood grain and the cast brass buttplate.
The next photo features the long protective toe plate on the stock of the Defibaugh-made Pennsylvania long rifle. The toe plate is retained to the gun stock by four wood screws. As this photo shows, the toe itself is quite pointed.
This picture provides an oblique view of the top of the buttplate on the Defibaugh gun, showing the double screw configuration. This isn't the only David Defibaugh gun with two screws securing the top of the buttplate.
The next picture provides a view of the lock bolt plate and the mating panel of the stock, and a view of the trigger guard.
The next photograph provides a closeup view of the lock bolt plate on the Defibaugh black powder rifle. The plate is flat, unengraved, and unbeveled, and has a rat tail. The middle and forward screws retain the gun lock to the stock. The rear screw retains the lock bolt plate when the lock screws have been removed from the rifle.
The next picture provides an oblique view of the three-screw barrel tann. The pointed shape of the tang is typical to the region. The picture also shows that the top edge of the rear portion of the stock panel is established by an intersection with the top of the stock.
The next photograph shows the dovetailed notch-type rear sight of the Defibaugh rifle. It also provides a glimpse of the fit between the stock channel and the barrel of the rifle.
The next picture provides a larger view of the rear sight on this antique muzzle loading rifle. The lateral extremities of the sight base are beveled, mimicing but not precisely matching the barrel profile.
The next photograph provides a view of the left-hand side of the entry pipe.
The next picture provides an oblique view of the left-hand side of the entry pipe.
The next photograph features the dovetailed blade-type front sight on the Defibaugh-made long rifle. The sight base appears to be substantially flush with the upper three facets of the octagonal barrel.
The next picture provides a left-hand view of the fore-end of the full-length stock on this antique rifle.
The next photograph provides an oblique view of the left-hand side of the nose cap and a good view of the deeply cut rifling in the bore.
The next picture provides an oblique view of the muzzle of the Defibaugh rifle, taken generally from the left. If you look closely, you can see the excellent fit between the end and body of the nosecap. You an also see the partial remains of a decorative circle formed from small O-shaped or U-shaped shallow elements.
The following photo does a good job of showing the diminutive size of the Defibaugh rifle by comparing it to the ultra-rare but regularly sized breach-loading combination gun by Sheridan Leach. I edited the photo to remove a third antique firearm. Although simple and largely unembellished, the classic Bedford County style of the Defibaugh rifle make it aesthetically pleasing and a desirable collector's item.
Return to the Gunsmithing Index for links to more Bedford County longrifle pictures and gunsmithing history.
Return to the Korns family genealogy home page for additional regional history.