6 antique long rifles stolen from Bedford County museum

Volunteers at a Bedford County museum are raising reward money in hopes of locating some lost frontier history: six antique long rifles stolen last week from the Old Bedford Village gunsmith shop.

“You really don't expect these type of things to happen. It's definitely stunned the board of directors, I can tell you that,” said Courtney Wessner, a director of the 18th-century, open-air museum about 80 miles east of Greensburg.

The rifles were taken from a display case that was forced open, state police said.

“We're looking for any information anyone may have heard about it. At this point, there's nothing new on it,” said Sgt. Jordan Spallone, the Bedford station commander. “We're definitely looking for any and all information at this point.”

Gun aficionados admire the so-called Bedford County long rifles for their unusual length and fine craftsmanship.

“If you're familiar with long rifles and go to a show, I can certainly say you could spot one from across the room. They have such a specific look,” said West Virginia gunsmith Brian LeMaster, a long rifle expert.

The guns were handcrafted primarily from the mid-1700s to the late 1800s “and even some into the early 1900s,” he said.

The Bedford style is distinguished by numerous engraved inlays of silver and brass decorating the length of the finest maple stock, he said. Pioneers through the Appalachian Mountains relied on the rifles to open and settle the frontier.

“They were not only handcrafted by gunsmiths only in Bedford County but from some of the peripheral counties around there, because the original gunsmiths' kids learned the craft and moved to neighboring counties. So they carried many of the same characteristics of the innate craftsmanship with them,” said Michael Simens, an antique firearms dealer in Willoughby, Ohio.

Police have narrowed the time of the burglary to between 1 p.m. Dec. 12 and 10 a.m. Thursday.

The museum is closed for the winter except for special events such as Christmas candlelight tours, according to its website. Volunteers announced the reward fund on the village's Facebook page.

“Sadly, all 6 of our original Bedford County Longrifles were taken from the building. Several members of our staff are willing to contribute to a reward for information leading to an arrest,” the post states. “It is our sincere hope that these wonderful antiques and pieces of our Bedford County heritage will once again be in our possession.”

Wessner deferred further inquiries on details of the theft and the value of the guns to Bedford Village Executive Director Bonnie Miller, who could not be reached for comment.

Simens said their value would vary widely depending on the “architecture, artistry, embellishment and individual conditions.”

“One that's pretty worn and without the spectacular artwork ... you're probably talking about $1,500 to $2,000. But some could go for $25,000 to $30,000, depending on a lot of factors,” he said.

Volunteers hope the thief will have second thoughts.

“If this information happens to find the person who committed this act, we implore you to do the right thing. Please either contact us to return the rifles or the state police to turn yourself in,” they said in the post.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860 or ppeirce@tribweb.com.