John Schreit barrel

[Ryan McNabb]

Does anyone know the approximate dimensions of the Schreit barrel?  I know the breech is given as 1 5/16" and it's almost 44", .52 calibre.  A delicate, slender little thing.  How swampy is it?  Pretty dramatic?  Thanks for any help.

[Ryan McNabb]

Ain't nobody got nothin?  Mainly need the waist and muzzle diameters, approximately.

[Joey R]

See if you can drum up MikeC or G.T. on this site. They both recently built Schreit rifles. Good Luck.

[Dan Fruth]

Al Martin built this rifle a while back...Rattle his cage.

[Mike C]

The info I have on the Schreit rifle has the barrel at 1 5/16 across the flats at the breech, 43 5/16 long and .60 cal. No waist or muzzle dimensions. I asked Wallace Gusler a couple of years ago if he had ever handled it. He described it as a "heavy gun." I can imagine. I have a jager with a .60 cal barrel that is 34" long and 1 1/8 at the breech and it weighs 8 3/4 lbs. Add 9 1/4 inches to the barrel and it would probably top 10 lbs.

My rendition of the rifle is scaled down somewhat to make a handy deer rifle. I used one of Rice's transition barrels in .54 cal and C weight (1 1/16 at the breech). It is a bit over 8 lbs. and handles quite well.

Mike C

[Acer Saccharum]

The Musician's Rifle, which is an estimated early gun, has a breech that has to be 1 3/8 across the flats at the breech. Heavy, man.

[Ryan McNabb]

I thought we'd dated that to about 1820, some time after the London Bridge?   

Originally I assumed it had a pronounced taper and flare, but looking at this photo it makes me wonder if the shape isn't more straight...look how it seems to have no taper going forward.  That would also help account for the great weight.  I'm not saying its a straight barrel, just maybe not a dramatic swamp.

[Gary Tucker]

I wish I could help, but the rifle I built was representing something Schreit might have built about 10 years later.  It is slimmer and has a brass patchbox.

[rich pierce]

Looks to taper quite a bit right at the breech, then gradually if much at all forward of the lock panels.

[sscrm13]

Ryan
I can get you the barrel dimension tomorrow, I have a barrel Getz made for me.  PM me and we can catch up.

Thanks
Scott

[Eric Kettenburg]

Ryan it's a heavy-a** gun.  As in really heavy.  I'm almost positive John Getz has the dimensions.  As mentioned above it's got a monster breach, then a good taper (with a lot of weight in, say, the breech 12" to 16" of barrel) but the remainder of the barrel does not have the big ridiculous taper/flare you see on a lot of modern stuff.  I think I have the dimensions every 2" stashed away somewhere but it would take me some time to find them.  I'd ask John - I feel pretty positive he has them.

[Ryan McNabb]

thanks everyone...this is a rifle i have to get out of my system for some reason.  file it under "rifles built on spec guaranteed not to sell."

[Acer Saccharum]

This Schreit and the Musician's(Fessler) guns are extremely heavy, yet they are not wall guns in architecture. I can't imagine someone carrying one of these through the woods. What is their purpose?

[Ryan McNabb]

This Schreit and the Musician's(Fessler) guns are extremely heavy, yet they are not wall guns in architecture. I can't imagine someone carrying one of these through the woods. What is their purpose?

I think we forget how different life is if you ride horseback in the woods.  Carry all kinds of doodads all day long.  I hear "Trekkers" exclaim how they would never have carried "all that" and I think, no, but the horses would.

Plus a heavy barrel means less recoil, which means the ball hits harder.  Any dang fool knows that.

[SmokePole Dave]

Mr Geo. Shumway give the specs of the rifle in Rifles of Colonial America on page 84. Its not much help. I plane to build one to some day. dave