The guard currently on the Schreit rifle is a replacement. What would be a plausible guess for the original? TOW has 4 guards described as Berks/Reading. Don't know what Reaves Goehring might have. Would appreciate your insight.
Mike C
Good thinking to not replicate the current guard which is much too late in style. There is a long and obscure history of the Schreit rifle and how it has been modified over the years. One summary: The rifle originally had either a wooden or horn guard. This was replaced in England with a late style guard. This was replaced here with the current guard and at the same time the step in the wrist was visually altered through the removal of the slightest bit of wood.
So, we do not have a suitable replacement for the original guard if indeed it was not brass. However if you do not feel the need for a close copy, but can use the Schreit rifle as the basis for your build, I would recommend the double spur guard of Reeves as a suitable guard for a rifle of that time and architecture, or use a guard such as the one on RCA 20, 21, etc, which were made in Reading area as well as the Schreit rifle. Or contrive something with a spur like on RCA 19, but with simpler fore and aft extensions.
