Hunting Carbines?

[Seth Isaacson]

Found this while looking into an Austrian pistol this morning. Anyone have anything like this either antique or contemporary? If so please share. I find this form particularly appealing. It looks like it would handle really nicely, but you must lose a lot of velocity out of that short barrel. Lovely gun. If I am not mistaken, these short barreled jaeger style carbines were meant for hunting from horseback. The shortest one I've seen in person had a 16 inch barrel if I recall correctly. I've seen some shoulder stocked pistols that weren't much smaller than the rifle shown here.

[rich pierce]

Interesting but not appealing to me. I’d not like loading it and doubt I could shoot it accurately. Nowadays I consider a 36” barrel a carbine.

[Pukka Bundook]

These short wee chaps appear rather specialised.

Some auction photos I saved some time ago, but do not own any of them!
Richard.








I really like the first one shown. Looks a good project!

[rich pierce]

The carving on the top one is relatively unsophisticated and would look good on an early colonial piece. Carving behind the cheek piece looks a lot like the tulip rifle.

[somehippy]

I've been tossing around the idea to build one of them lil guys after seeing the same pic as the op's.  There's a video of a guy shooting the wee rifle on YouTube.  Figured I'd use it to take with me horseback as they were originally intended (would make a dandy "truck gun" as well).      Not alot I've found on the web to be read about these "jaeger stutzens", I understand they aren't all that practical, but they are neat, and It would be something to go with my German heritage lol.

[ddoyle]

 
Austrian Calvary Carbines were sold in Alaska to hunter's who used them from Kayaks to hunt sea otters.   I am sure they would have been handy when a moose or a hoard of Caribou was spotted crossing a lake/river as well. People who like long rifles to hunt are people who never spend time in small boats or climbing steep hills LOL.

Basically you get a noisier, kickyer, less aimable arm in those short lengths BUT you get a gun that is far more likely to be at hand when you need/want it and you get an arm that can be loaded with out standing up. Fair consideration considering how comfortable it is to sit on the ground with your back to a stump. I can see being able to reload one of those carbines and get away with it when loading a 42 inch tube would send missed or wounded game into 'never find' land.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Tom Curran made a nice short Jaeger a few years ago...really a neat rifle!!  The shortest I've made and used had a Getz 31"  .60 cal barrel, and I found it to be a very handy hunting rifle.  The concept is good.

[Mike Brooks]

I made a English rifle with a 29 1/2" barrel in .58 and I have a 25" barrel by Hoyt in .58 with a 1 in 34 twist I need to get a gun around. They are pretty much like handling a modern gun when they get that short and light.

[Lucky R A]

        The short Jaeger rifles that you are referencing are called a "Stutz."  They generally had a short barrel of 12-22" length and usually around 60 cal.   The rest of the architecture was much like a regular Jaeger.  they were designed specifically for hunting from horseback or hunting Russian boars in heavy cover...
Ron

[Justin Urbantas]

would they be smoothbores or rifles? I don't imagine rifling would make ant difference at the ranges these would be shot at. I may have to make one of these. They look pretty fun.

[Daryl]

would they be smoothbores or rifles? I don't imagine rifling would make ant difference at the ranges these would be shot at. I may have to make one of these. They look pretty fun.

It is amazing, how accurately you can shoot at what many might consider REALLY long range, with a muzzleloading rifled, pistol OR revolver for that matter, when well loaded.

A rifled carbine, however short would have the potential to be  considerably more accurate than a smooth-bore, more accurate than the rifled pistol, just as a rifled pistol it MUCH more accurate than a smooth pistol.

[WadePatton]

... People who like long rifles to hunt are people who never spend time in small boats or climbing steep hills...

I much prefer the long rifle expressly for climbing steep hills, it functions as a staff when needed. All my hills are steep, and I use the rifle to help me negotiate these ups and down. Also, the steeps make it rather easy to load the longest of rifles- position the butt down the slope as necessary.

carry on.

[Justin Urbantas]

Here is the video of the rifle in use.  I love it.
Pretty good accuracy for rough roundballs and off hand shooting at 25M. I'm sure it would be plenty accurate on game out to 75M.