Swedish firearms (and more)

[Snuffy]

Hi all,

I did a quick check, and though I"ve seen stuff here about German, English, French and other museums or pieces, I haven't seen anything posted here about Swedish firearms.  I ran across this this evening, and thought some here might be interested...

This website details objects which are not allowed to be exported from Sweden do to their importance as objects of national heritage. 
http://www.eoco.org/index_en.html  (English translation of main page)

http://www.eoco.org/vapen1.html 
(has 1 pair pistols, 1 longarm, 5 swords, powder horn and flask, and 1 cuirass)

http://www.eoco.org/vapen2.html 
(has 7 pairs of pistols, 2 single pistols, 13 longarms, various swords)

http://www.eoco.org/vapen3.html 
(has 3 swords, 2 pistols, 1 longarm)

I think some of the pistols are truly beautiful, and although the long arms aren't really in my preferred style, they're interesting...

There's also lots of period Swedish furniture if you follow the links from the main page. 

[Stophel]

I LOVE Swedish guns.  I have never seen one in person.  Now I know why.  How dare they keep them for themselves!!! 

Thanks to a Swedish member of the muzzleloadingforum, I scored a copy of "Svenska GevarsSmeder", which is VERY hard to get ahold of.  They are generally stylistically similar to north German rifles, and sometimes are indistinguishable, but usually they have just a certain look that shows that they're Scandinavian.  Generally stocked in walnut or elm.  Neatly carved, but usually not all that profusely.  The Swedes have a long rifle history much like the Germans.  I am told that Swedes have had the right to "free hunting" since 1791 (presumably, meaning on government land), and I'm sure that they were allowed hunting on their own lands long before then.

[mr. no gold]

Holy cow! Did anyone catch the close similarity between the long guns shown and our early Kentucky Rifles? There was a Swedish presence for a time in the colonies; could be a connection between their arms and the early Kentucky Rifles, and we will never really know because no one ever signed anything, (until Christian Springs). Just wondering?
Dick

[Stophel]

Too much time between "New Sweden" and the mid-late 18th century longrifle, though there could easily have been a Swedish gunsmith immigrant or two during this time.

[mr. no gold]

Much like the Dutch, not all of the Swedes went home when the colony was abandoned. Historians like to make proclamations that sound very profound, but often erroneous. I can think of two others: that all of the indigenous Indians of Florida were wiped out by disease and the Seminole occupied the land at a much later date. Apparently not so and many Indian people there point out that if they were Seminole (Creek, Choctaw, etc.) they should be speaking one of those languages, or a variation. They speak a totally different language as it happens, and they claim to be Colusa. Could be!
The other is the story of the Shawanoes going to Canada after the disasterous conclusion to the War of 1812. Some did and others went west to Indian Territory, but others just hunkered down in the brakes of the Ohio River Valley and took up farming like their white neighbors. There had already been a considerable number of intermarriages which made it a lot easier. A friend's mother is from Ohio and is a descendent of those people.
Anyway, those Swedish rifles are pretty fine and it would be grand to find one. Sweden would probably want it back, though.
Dick

[Elnathan]

Have a look at RCA 16 and compare it with this one:
http://www.eoco.org/lav02_6maj5550.html

Almost identical architecture, as far as I can see from the single picture, same method of attaching the sling swivels, carving on the patchbox is almost identical, octogon-to-round barrel. The Swedish one has a walnut stock instead of cherry.
As I recall, there are a couple other rifles in RCA that might possibly have been Scandinavian in origin. Does anyone know of any documentation inidcating that shoulder arms were imported from Sweden to the colonies during the 18th century? I know that Swedish cannon were widely exported at the time.

[Stophel]

AH, that gun also has some apparent "Scandinavian-isms", but I don't think they're strong enough to say anything definitive.  It's still just generic enough.

The other one in RCA is the birch stocked gun.  I can't remember the number.  I'm more sure about that one (though still not absolutely certain).

One thing to remember is that just because there is a gun that is here in America now, doesn't mean that it was here 250 years ago.

[rich pierce]

Have a look at RCA 16 and compare it with this one:
http://www.eoco.org/lav02_6maj5550.html

Almost identical architecture, as far as I can see from the single picture, same method of attaching the sling swivels, carving on the patchbox is almost identical, octogon-to-round barrel. The Swedish one has a walnut stock instead of cherry.

I saw that resemblance too.  Neat guns, all of them!