John Amos Bedford Rifle

 This rifle has a 42" rifled .40 cal. full oct bbl with 7 groove rifling that is signed in script by John Amos. This is an outstanding Bedford school Kentucky rifle. John Amos (1800 – 1867) was married to the sister of the gunsmith William Border. The last year Amos was taxed as a gunsmith was 1844. The 4-pc engraved brass patch box has six piercings and is similar to the Amos rifle pictured on page 45 of Whisker’s book “Gunsmiths of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties”. The silver wrist inlays, relief carving with silver inlay rear of the cheek piece and silver cheek inlay above a silver half-moon inlay are also similar to the rifle pictured in Whisker’s book. The brass side plate with its two piercings is like the Amos rifle on page 44 of Whisker’s book. There are 2-3/4" silver inlays inlet on each side of the rifle forward of the lock. There are several incised carved interrupted relief panels along each side of the fore stock. This is most definitely a rifle for the collector who wants one of Bedford’s best. In his book “The Bedford County Rifle and its Makers” originally published in 1959 as an addition to J.G.W. Dillin’s book “The Kentucky Rifle”, Calvin Hetrick notes “John Amos was a gunsmith of considerable skill”. His plate number 138 features an Amos rifle Mr. Hetrick considered “the best work of John Amos, one of the top rank Bedford County Makers”. CONDITION: Excellent. There is a minor glue line and crack visible on the lock side of the fore stock toward the muzzle and a very small circular crack at the toe of the lock and the tang. A very small bit of silver inlay is missing from the nose pipe decoration. Other than these rather insignificant items, there is really nothing to detract from the quality and beauty of this great Bedford rifle.

Copy and photos supplied by James D. Julia, Inc. This item will be in  their March 12 & 13, 2012 auction.