Just got a new Jaeger!

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wisconsin

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Just picked up this jaeger rifle on gunbroker for an absolute steal. The Ad said its was from the mid to late 1800's and I see no reason to doubt that, but please correct me if I am mistaken. The barrel is lightly rusted throughout, but the rifling is strong. It looks like it does one full twist down the barrel, so about 1:27 or 1:30, but thats my best guess. Even if its twice that thats still pretty quick. The bore appears to be .68 and i have not had a chance to slug it. I cleaned the rust out of the lock and the hammer snaps hard with just a light breath on the set trigger. And now for the part you came here for!

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Also, does anyone know where i can find a replacement screw like this one?

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Any suggested starting loads would be greatly appreciated. The twist seems fast for round ball and I haven't really dabbed my feet in conicals.
 
This rifle was made to shoot roundballs, even with the fast twist. Many original jaeger rifles had twists ranging from 1 in 20 to 1 in 30, and they shot roundballs with telling effect.

Unless its a modern build or a gun assembled from old parts, I'd say it's older than mid-1800s, and it's probably converted to percussion from flintlock.
 
Are wood screws to hold the tang typical on the older vintage guns?

Good luck finding one but just in case you can I'd take that one with you and try to find ANY counter sunk screw that is the right thread count and root size. The head you can cut down and re-slot.

If you end up doing what I think you'll need to do you'll end up finding a larger size that'll cut new threads into the wood and then perhaps harden the threads with a bit of a soaking with thin CA glue to give them a fighting chance of a long life.

The other option if the screw still fits the hole in the wood quite well is to TIG weld a glob of metal on the head and then turn it down and recut the slot for the driver. Or if it's a little loose to TIG the head and trim and use epoxy in the hole to harden up and fill in any bad spots. Wax the screw liberally and be sure to bust it loose before the epoxy hardens up really hard.

I don't know about you but when I clean my barrels after shooting there's always LOTS of teh water flying around. So I remove the barrel before any cleaning. A wood screw isn't going to survive for long with all that removal and inserting. If this gun is intended to be a regular shooter I'd suggest that you consider a brass or steel threaded insert and replace the broken screw with a suitable trimmed down to fit machine screw for the tang.

It's all dependent on how original you want to keep it.
 
I want to keep it as original as possible, but I am also a practical man and would like to use it regularly. So maybe a metal insert and a period correct looking screw. You think conicals can be loaded? The rifling doesn't look right for them.
 
You don't replace anything on an antique. Keep it as it is.

Too bad the sliding wood patchbox lid has been lost and the patchbox filled in.
 
Well, I did manage to get that screw in and out while broken. If I could find a period one that'd be great

As for the light.... Well it's a big bore so an led flashlight and camera flash had room to work
 
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It is so devoid of relief carving or other embellishments, it makes me wonder if it's Prussian? The Prussians were noted for their austerity.

Is there a hole for a button along the toe line for the sling?
 
Handsome rifle. Do you think lapping or just JB-ing the barrel would help.

I don't know the German custom, but there are a number of British muzzle loaders with large bores and fast twist. The load was a big ball but a light charge.
 
The barrel needs more than a lapping, I was thinking some evaporust and a wire brush
 
I'd suggest that this would be a fine job for a home machinist that wants to help out. A new screw could be cut that is slightly oversize so it fits the threading in the wood a bit more snug and the head shaped to correctly fit the existing recess.

I'd also at that point flush out the hole with some brake cleaner and compressed air and harden the existing wood with a couple of drops of the thin water like formula CA glue to avoid future wear on the wood.

Or a more period correct solution would be to use boiled linseed oil in the hole to soak into the wood and to some extent harden and bond the wood grain into a more firm consistency. The screw should be waxed lightly about every other time it's removed and inserted as a further aid against corrosion and wear on the wood fibers. And NEVER tighten it to more than a moderate pinch.

One thing I will caution against just in case you're considering it. And that's the "just drill it out and put in some dowel" fix. From a wood working perspective this is a VERY BAD idea. I know it's common but it's still a bad idea for a screw which will be removed and replaced often. Hell, it's not even all that great for a one time fix that is never taken apart ever again. Why you ask? While it's an easy fix it puts the grain fibers of the wood along the line of the screw. So the resulting threads are ALL short grain across the thread roots and the threads WILL shear off easily the very first time anyone uses the slightest excess of torque.

For a hole that is totally badgered out and where there isn't room in the tang for an oversize screw without drilling out too much metal a far better fix would be to use a mortise chisel and take out a long "key" of wood from the stock and then form a long grain piece of wood to fit neatly into the mortise with glue setting it into place. Or with a suitable jig to hold the stock and guide the tooling a router could be used to cut the mortise. The grain of the key then runs along the same axis as the existing wood. And when the new hole for the screw is drilled the threads it cuts will be along the grain and into firmly supported end grain. Both of which will support the threads far more effectively than a long grain dowel.

OK, wood worker's rant mode off now.... :D I just wanted to offer this so you know there's a "better way" of making what is more likely to be a period and gunsmithing correct fix if you need to go that way.
 
That bore DOES look like it could use some extra help. I'm thinking that a start with Evaporust or some other option to remove the crusty stuff first. Then perhaps a lapping slug of lead or babbitt metal cast in place then used as a lap on the end of a cleaning rod to lap at least some smoothness into the bore.

As the lap gets loose due to relieving the high points it can be hammered "flat" a touch from back to front to expand the diameter for the next cut. A little goes a long way with this since you're only working with a thou or so at a time. So light taps only.

I think I'd also want to remove the breech plug for anything like this. It's really a job where you want to have full access to the entire length of the bore.
 
I've yet to remove the breach plug and I'm lucky that the rear screw still locks tight. Also, my hardware store has no 1800's screw bin either... Hmmm
 
Then I think you're looking at a delicate bit of TIG on the head of the screw and a touch of lathe work to restore the one you have.

It's a lot of trouble for a screw. But it IS a rather important screw in this case. LIke you say they don't keep that sort of thing hanging around much anymore.

Also there were no thread pitch standards back then. So the chances of finding a close enough match with something new are going to be rather slim.
 
Clean the bore, but don't polish it.

It's an antique, not a shooter.
 
I do plan on shooting it (assuming its safe). I actually feel bad for old and antique firearms that never get used anymore. Too much like gun hospice. Now I'm not saying it'll be my primary range toy, but I will proudly say that I own no safe queens.

I don't plan on polishing the barrel, but I do plan on making it presentable.
 
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