Fruwirth jaeger questions

[Habu]

Has anyone built a rifle based on Mr. Harrison's drawings of the Fruwirth jaeger?  I'm curious how the build went, any changes you might have made, and how the rifle handles. 

Anyone actually handled or seen the piece?  any pictures you'd care to share?

Thanks

[Ron Scott]

I have not attempted to copy that particular rifle. However, I have made several that utilize the same stock architecture and the carving designs a couple times.  The rifles handle very nicely assuming you choose a swamped barrel with similar profile.
I have some Jaeger photos posted on my web site. If there are none with Fruwirth influence, I may be able to find them in my other files.

ronaldscottflintlock.com

[Scott Bumpus]

You just have to find a 18" swamped barrel.   That is a great gun, I really like the carving, and hope to "copy" it to my jeager. 

[Habu]

Scott, finding an 18" swamped barrel isn't a problem.  The problem is finding someone to split a 42" barrel 1 1/8" across the flats with.  I've got lots of files . . . .

Thanks for the pics Ron.  They give me a better idea of what I'm doing, or should be doing.  I've been playing with sketches but haven't really decided to do the build or not.  I like the architecture, but am still figuring out how much to lengthen the forend after lengthening the LOP. 

Mostly, I stare at the Fruwirth drawing, then sketch for a while, then go study Shumway's Jaeger Rifles, then it's back to sketching or staring . . .  I alternate this with sketches of a British gun I rather like. 

LOP of 13 7/8" with a 22" barrel looks close.  Paper's cheap, but I think I'm about ready to cut some mockups out of scrap ply. 

[volatpluvia]

Hmmmnnnnnnnn...
When I built my yeager to harrison's Fruwirth drawing I thought the barrel was 28 inches.  Oh,  well.  I ordered a 28 inch swamped barrel from don Getz, waited eight months and received the usual 31 inch heavy yeager barrel.  I decided to go ahead and build it anyway.  Later I was glad that barrel was 31 inches.  The yeager I built was the sweetest handling gonne I have  ever handled, barr none, even modern guns.  I tried to build it as faithful to the drawing as I could (thinking of course that the barrel was 28 inches).  However, I did not engrave it.  I simplified the tang of the buttplate so I could inlet it with my amateur skills.  Also I simplified the carvings because, a.  I didn't have the skills, b. didn't have the tools, and c. didn't have the european walnut that fruwirth did.  But I was impressed by how well I did build the gonne because of having a full size drawing to follow with all four profiles and side drawings of various pieces of the gonne.
Just before I moved to Mexico I made sure that just the right man got that one, because I wanted it to be fully appreciated.  It is.
The investment for the drawing, which I still have, was worth far more than what I paid for it.  I highly recommend buying the drawing if you want to build the rifle.
volatpluvia

[Ron Scott]

After reading some of the later posts, I realize that you were interested in the smaller Fruwirth.  There are two Drawings the Huston made. I was making reference to the larger. The one you are interested in would be much easier from the standpoint of fabricating the butt plate and trigger guard.  Should you need a piece of European Walnut, I might have a piece just the right length.

Ron

[welafong1]

where can i find fruwirth jaeger drawings?
thank you
Richard Westerfield

[Habu]

Ron, I didn't realize there were drawings of more than one rifle from the same maker.  Thanks!  I'll have to get a copy found of the second one as well.  

Richard, both Dixie and MBS carry at least some of the Harrison drawings; I got the drawing of the short Fruwirth from Dixie.  Dixie at least has Harrison's drawings of a couple of other jeagers, but they describe them by caliber, not by the original maker.    

[Stophel]

I actually saw the smaller one (or one just like it) at a gunshow somewhere not too long ago...

It's a boy's gun, so is a little smaller in overall dimensions than normal, but not by a lot.

[Habu]

I kinda wondered about that, 12" LOP seemed awful short--about like my first BB gun.  Too short for me to shoot!  Still working on how far to lengthen the forend . . . 

[welafong1]

what is mbs trying dixie frist dont know of a mbs?thank you
Richard Westerfield

[Habu]

"MBS"=Muzzleloader Builders Supply http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/