Jaeger rifles and its style.

[vegard_dino]

Hello all.
Hope some can help me with the Jaeger styled muzzleloader.
As I am new to muzzleloader, I need all the help and tip I can get.

Had a look at some guns in a museum, some eye candy that was
But, some questions........

The brass trigger guard/hand grip, some guns have it made in wood, looked like it was carved out of the same pice as the rest of the stock. Was that just a design thing, or another style?

What was the original sights on the Jaeger? Seen some with sights, and some without. Guess the one without sights was of earlier dates?
Or just different needs from the costumer?

Was the Jaeger rifle a rifle for hunting big game in the tick forests?

Thanks for helping.

[Longknife]

Vegard, The Germans were famous for useing wood and even animal horn for their trigger guards, I believe it was just their frugal nature. There are many 19 century German breechloading guns that carried on the tradition and were fitted with horn guards and sometimes they were fitted with horn fore ends.  Most rifled Jaegers would carry front and rear sights. Sometimes the rear sight would be of the folding leaf type. If you see one without a rear sight it is possibly a smoothbore. It is my understanding that the Jaeger was mainly a hunting gun, for boar and other beasts that roamed the German forests.... I think...Ed

[T*O*F]

I don't know what your name is so I will just call you Dude.

Jaeger is just a general name for a certain style of gun.
That style is broken down into military and civilian guns.
Those two categories are further broken down into different countries.

So, within all those broad categories there are specific styles and characteristics for each.  As I recall, there are some military jaegers used in various Nordic countries.  You may want to concentrate your search on those if you want a gun from your area.

Go to this website   http://www.svartkrutt.net/  run by Oyvind Flatnes.
Tell him Old Fox sent you.  You may want to also buy his book. 

[msmith]

In Erhard Wolf's book "Steinschloss Jegerbuchsen" he calls them "Capuchin stock....: a stock in which the trigger guard is made of wood and simply carved from the stock, thus forming a single piece with it." He also states that the "Capuchin stock seems to have originated at the beginning of the 18th century. This style was less popular toward the end of the 18th century , but again became popular  in the percussion era...This is true because I have seen several percussions with the wooden trigger guard...If you are interested in Jaegers, I suggest you try to find a copy of Erhard Wolf's book...I got mine from Jim Chambers awhile back, since I am unable to read German I  got the 'English Translation" from him also...Wonderful book..

[jeager58]

the book just mentioned is 145.00    If you want a less expensive book that will tell you about the differences of the jaegers order a book by George Shumway
called jaeger rifles.    35.00 from www.shumwaypublisher.com
It has a lot of good info...Phil

[vegard_dino]

Thanks all for helping me.
I sure need it.

But, the sights, was the folding one also adjustable for wind and elevation? Or was it fixed, from the gunmaker?
I did se one Jaeger with two folding sights, but was told it was for two different loads, one for longer range shot at deer and one for short range wild boar/beast shooting.
I find that hard to believe, how do you know what game to meet? I mean, you load your muzzleloader, and thats it. Not like a modern gun, just open the chamber and change out the round. Or, I am way off now??

Did they have barrels that was de-tachable? For access when cleaning? Or is that only added on reproduction guns?

So, the book, yes, I need that one, so the order is on its way. Thanks for the tip.

Have a good day all.
Vegard_dino

[Longknife]

 The folding leaf sights are not adjustable. They are ususually made too tall by the gunmaker and filed down to hit at a certain distance. They are drifted rt and left in the dovetail for windage, there is no adjustment necessary after zeroeing  them in. The folding sights are for shooting short and long distances useing the same load. I can not say that there were no "detatchable" barrels on the Jaegers but one would be very rare.....Ed 

[vegard_dino]

Hello and thanks for helping me.
Good information

[JCKelly]

Of 45 rifles listed in Wolf's book, the range of calibers is 12.5 - 19.5mm, average 14.46 mm (.49 - 77 cal, avg 56 cal). Barrel lengths range 59 - 110 cm, average  75.7cm (23.2 - 43.3 inch, avg 29.8 inch)

My shooting Jaeger is a very humble Pedersoli flintlock, 71.1 cm (28 inch) barrel length, 13.7 mm (.54) caliber. With enough work, using brass & set triggers available from trackofthewolf.com  one might make it look a bit more authentic.

I went to Bolk's once after  a week of technical sales calls in Germany. Here is what came home with to me, after Mrs. Bolk served coffee & cakes.

[vegard_dino]

Thanks for the information.

Oh, what a nice thing. When was it made?
I have been talking with Mr. Bolk to, about a original Jaeger rifle...They sure have some great guns there.