The photos on this page were provided courtesy of Brad Denham of Bradford's Auction Gallery, Sun City, Arizona. They show an antique percussion full stock muzzle loading rifle that is attributed to the Bedford County, Pennsylvania gunsmith George Slonaker, Sr. (1797-1875) on page 137 of the 2001 Whisker & Yantz book "Gunsmiths of Bedford, Fulton, Huntingdon, & Somerset Counties". I am not sure what the basis of the attribution is, but it may be the "G" and the "S" that are engraved on the forward part of the lock plate.
The following picture provides an overall right-hand view of the rifle, with its distinctive high spur percussion hammer. The length of the full octagon barrel is reported to be 31 inches. This is very short for the barrel of a Bedford County rifle, and one may reasonably wonder if it has been shortened at some point in its service life. The fore-end of the maple stock exhibits only a slight amount of curly grain. The rifle has only one ramrod thimble.
The following picture shows the patch box
and lock area of this percussion era rifle. The unpierced side plates of the lightly engraved four-piece patch box are separated from the lid by exposed strips of wood. The release for the patch box lid is a projecting button at the rear end of the upper side plate. The Q-shaped finial is very common on Bedford-style rifles. The side plates and finial of the patch box are retained to the stock with brass screws. The low comb and substantially straight belly of the stock are characteristic of the Bedford school of rifle making. The image also provides a good look at the cresent buttplate. If you look at the belly of the stock, you can see that the toe area is protected by a toe plate. The metal cross-pin that retains the rear of the trigger guard to the stock is also visible in this view.
The next image shows the rat tail percussion lock and the mating raised lock panel of the wooden stock. The rifle is equiped with a double trigger arrangement. The set trigger (rear) is distinctly cresent-shaped, and the hair trigger (front) has very little curvature. The ding on the barrel is probably from a wrench that was used to remove the breech plug when the barrel was set back.
The next photo is zoomed in on the rat tail percussion gun lock, to better show its engraving. The head of the hammer retention screw is octagonal, and is also slotted for a screwdriver. Most of the peripheral edge of the lock plate is beveled. A vertical concave slash-like feature near the rear of the lock plate separates the beveled portion from the thinner unbeveled rat tail. The percussion drum, which lacks wrench flats, incorporates a vent screw with a slot that is worn from use. The long straight nose of the Bedford-style hammer is tangent to the distinctive forward curving hammer spur, and is recessed to telescope over the percussion nipple as a safety measure. The nipple is not particulary well aligned with the nose of the hammer. Several cursive initials are inscribed on the forward portion of the lock plate, but I am not completely sure of their significance. The first initial is a bit confusing, but is a reasonable match to the capital "G" on one vintage alphabet chart I found. The second initial appears to be an "S" and the third initial appears to be a "P".
The next photo shows the right-hand side of the rear portion of the forearm. The dovetailed rear sight is aligned with the rear portion of the entry pipe. From the multiplicity of holes for barrel retention pins, it appears that the barrel has been set back a time or two.
The next picture shows the forestock portion of the full-length stock, and provides a good view of the artificially striped ramrod, which is capped in brass. The metal cross-pin that retains the ramrod thimble to the stock is visible in the area above the thimble. The forestock of this antique firearm incorporates an incised line as a decoration.
The next picture provides a full length view of the left-hand side of this interesting 19th century Pennsylvania long rifle.
The next photo shows the cheekpiece side of the buttstock, and the left-hand side of the trigger guard of this Bedford County percussion rifle. The lower edge of the buttstock is decorated with a pair of parallel incised lines. The rear of the cheekpiece terminates in a simple relief carving.
The next photo is zoomed in on the apostrophe-shaped lock bolt washer and the mating panel of the wooden rifle stock. The gun lock is retained to the stock with a single screw. The photo also provides a good view of the left-hand side of the cast brass trigger guard. The tips of two tang screws can be seen projecting slightly from the trigger plate.
The left-hand side of the rear portion of the forearm is pictured below.
The next muzzleloader picture shows the left-hand side of the front portion of the forearm, including the ramrod thimble, the brass nosecap, and the low blade-type front sight. The pin that retains the thimble to the stock is visible.
The next photograph provides and oblique view of the pointed, exceptionally long barrel tang of this old gun, which retained to the stock with three screws. This view shows that there is wood missing on the right-hand side of the tang, just behind the barrel. The wood in that area of a percussion muzzleloader often becomes punky/weak from exposure to the flash of percussion caps.
Check out the Gunsmith Index for links to photographs of other antique Kentucky-style black powder rifles and biographies of the early riflesmiths of Somerset and Bedford counties.
