19th Century Schuetzen Rifle *Many Pics*

[Yankee John]

Thanks for all the input on my previous post about my friends friend's screw barrel pistol. Hopefully they can be reunited.

Here are some pics of a Schuetzen-type blackpowder rifle owned by the same person. The caliber is approx. .45 . The buttplate is magnetic. There are no markings or stampings of any kind on this rife. Most unusual is the carved wooden trigger guard. There is a square hole in the stock behind the mechanism; I assume that this may have been for a sighting device of some sort?

Most appealing to me about this rifle is the wooden carved trigger guard. I have never seen this myself on a Schuetzen, and this one is very nicely done!

Any and all information and observations about this rifle is much appreciated!

Thanks again in advance!
John

 

[4v50 Gary]

I've seen wood trigger guards before and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site has a wood trigger guard jaeger on display. The square hole was for an aperture that helped you focus on the rear sight blade. The plain buttplate suggests to me that you gun may be a jaeger than a Schutzen. There's also a lack of holes in the muzzle for a false muzzle. But then again, it wasn't a German-American militia jaeger as many of them had a bayonet bar. I've got a book on the German-American militia gun and I'll see what I can dig up some other time.