Studying the longrifles of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, might cause you to imagine that time nearly stopped in Bedford County, or that this region was isolated from the world. How can we explain why these men continued to make Bedford County rifles for over 120 years, much later than we might expect? How can we explain these very odd locks, with long thin lock plates and "slash" molding decoration filed across a rattail? Why would the Bedford County makers laboriously hand file and hand fit each lock part, long after other makers were using purchased locks? Perhaps the answer is suggested in Calvin Hetrick's book The Bedford County Rifle and its Makers. The reason behind the success of any commercial enterprise is customer acceptance and demand.
We may never fully understand Bedford County rifles. We know that rifles were made in Bedford County as early as 1776, and many were made between 1800 and 1890. This span makes the Bedford County rifle contemporary to the Brown Bess musket, the Hawken plains rifle, the Colt revolver, and even the Winchester lever action.
Track's Bedford County longrifle stock is pre-inlet to accept a 7/8" straight octagon barrel up to 42" in length. Shaped and pre-inlet on the high precision Allen's Patent 5 axis pantograph, this slim fullstock is inlet for L&R's flint or percussion Bedford County lock. The lock panels are shaped with a tear drop at the rear of the lock panel. The buttstock is inlet for our wax cast buttplate and L&R's double lever double set Bedford triggers. Not cut for the tang, hand inlet a straight, flared or your own custom shaped breech plug. This slim fullstock is drilled full depth to accept a sturdy 3/8" diameter ramrod. The forend is squared to allow easy drilling and mounting in a vise. Shaped from the lock panels back the stock is shaped with a square cheek piece.
Specifications for pre-inlet stock:
Drop and trigger reach: Drop is 3-3/4" from the line of sights to heel, at 14" length of pull
Barrel channel size: 7/8" straight octagon, up to 42" length
Butt end: 1-1/2" wide by 4-1/2" high, cut for buttplate
Buttplate: #BP-BED-1-B brass, #BP-BED-1-S nickel silver, or #BP-BED-1-I iron
Lock, flint: #LOCK-LR-BED-F Bedford County flint lock
Lock, percussion: #LOCK-LR-BED-P Bedford County percussion lock
Ramrod hole & groove: 3/8" diameter, drilled full depth
Trigger: #TR-LR-BED L&R Bedford County double lever double set trigger
