Rifle with percussion lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, silver inlays, set triggers and octagonal barrel 42 inches long marked W. Defibaugh on the top facet of the barrel. The contour of the stock, the design of the patch box, the style of the lock and hammer, the shape of the lock-bolt plate, and the carved pattern in bas-relief are typical of many rifles made in Bedford County throughout the nineteenth century.
Rifle with percussion lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, and octagonal barrel with W. Defibaugh on the top facet of the barrel. The design of the patch box on this rifle is very interesting for it does not conform to the pattern generally used by gunsmiths in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Percussion rifle, curly maple full stock, octagonal barrel 39 inches long, back-action lock, set triggers, plain mountings, marked McKahan and Noble on the top facet of the barrel. The patch box on this rifle is an interesting variation of the common pattern used in western Pennsylvania by a number of gunsmiths. Many craftsmen made two piercings in each side plate while these have only one.
Double rifle with percussion lock, stock of curly maple, brass mountings, silver inlays, set triggers, octagonal rifled barrels 35 inches long signed Joe Long on the top facet of the barrels. The workmanship on this gun is of very high caliber. It has a large number of inlays which are distributed from the muzzle to the butt plate. The panels of wood along the barrels are an unusual feature of this rifle with a percussion lock.
Rifle with percussion lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel 37 inches long with J.F. Geherett on the top facet of the barrel.
Rifle with flink lock (now percussion), full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel with J. Hillegas in block letters on the top of the barrel. The piercings in the patch box, the barrel pin escutcheons, and the pleasing contour of the stock are desireable assets of this rifle. There were probably a number of gunsmiths named Hillegas but the products of J. Hillegas seem to be found most frequently.
Rifle with percussion lock, curly maple stock, plain brass mountings, set triggers, octagonal barrel 44 inches long with C. Estep on top facet of the barrel. The sharp curve of the butt plate and the early design of the patch box are incongruous but original to the rifle. The curved shape of the lock plate is not the typical pattern.
Rifle with percussion lock, stock of curly maple, silver mountings, silver inlays, set triggers, octagonal barrel 40 inches long with Jos. Gibbons on the top facet of the barrel. Some rifles made in western Pennsylvania after the Civil War have many silver inlays like this one. There is an obvious similarity between the two guns made by Gibbons. The lone inlay on the one is duplicated on the second rifle.
Rifle with flint lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagon-to-round barrel 42 inches long with John Derr in block letters on the top facet of the barrel. The pattern of the patch box on this rifle was also used by Mauger on a number of his products. It is likely that Derr was also engaged in another occupation, for not many of his rifles are found in collections in Pennsylvania.
Rifle with flint lock (now percussion), full stock maple with artificial grain, brass mountings, octagonal barrel with Holtzworth engraved in script letters on the top facet. The finial of the patch box in the shape of a game bird is quite unusual. The piercing in the side plates of the patch box and in the large toe-plate are also unusual features, but occassionally found on other Lancaster rifles.
Rifle with percussion lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, octagonal barrel 43 inches long with I. Guest engraved in script letters on the top facet of the barrel. It is impossible that this gun was made by the J. Guest who worked in Lancaster, but it was probably made by his son who probably worked in western Pennsylvania in the percussion era.
Rifle with percussion lock, full stock of curly maple, brass mountings, silver inlay, octagonal barrel 42 inches long marked J. Johnston on the top facet of the barrel in script letters. The form and ornamentation of this gun is typical of the time it was made. The inlays are attractively arranged and reflect the good taste of the maker in decorating his products.
Rifle with flint lock, brass mountings, full stock of curly maple, octagon-to-round barrel with H. Eckler engraved in script letters on the top facet of the barrel. The barrel on this rifle is much thicker than most octagon-to-round barrels. The drop of the stock and the pronounced "Roman nose" of the butt are also departures from the normal pattern. Although Eckler is listed as a gunsmith in 1860, this gun was made before that time, possibly by Eckler's father.
