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Author Topic: Unusual Gun  (Read 4249 times)

Offline James Wilson Everett

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Unusual Gun
« on: December 10, 2018, 03:58:11 AM »
Guys,

Took a great vacation to the Czech Republic.  If you think that Germany is home to the "Jaeger" - think again!  If you like Jaegers, go and visit Zleby Castle - too many to count, but wear a drool bib!  If you love Jaegers, wear Depends!  Anyway, I saw there two collections of "poacher's guns", cut down and easily concealable hunting guns.  Apparently, only the rich nobility were allowed to hunt.  If you were a commoner you had to poach to get venison.  Thank God for our American hunting tradition.  Here is an adaptation of one poaching gun, not an exact copy - but in the style.  The barrel is a tapered octagon 0.50 caliber smooth bore 22 inches long.  Great for poaching the rich folks deer in the Czech Sumava mountains.

Jim





« Last Edit: November 30, 2019, 03:05:04 AM by James Wilson Everett »
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Offline Flint62Smoothie

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2018, 06:08:44 AM »
Wow, what year does that date to?
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Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2018, 06:42:25 AM »
Wow, that’s interesting (to say the least)!  I’d love to get back to Europe and see some of the places I couldn’t go before...I was stationed in Bavaria in the 80’s...iron curtain fully in place, had to wear Class A uniform and ride the “duty train” to get into Berlin. Spent some time guarding the border from the Russian hordes, and all that. Sure would be nice to just be a tourist...

Greg
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Offline James Wilson Everett

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2018, 06:55:00 AM »
Guys,

Most of the poacher gun in the collections I saw were percussion, but many appeared to be cut down from some really nice earlier flintlock period guns.  Imagine taking a hacksaw to a beautiful gun so you can hide it under the wagon seat!  So, I really don't know a lot of the history of the poacher's guns, just that they were interesting.  Here are some photos I was able to take, a little poor quality as I was not allowed to use a flash, and my hands are not that steady.  In the photos you can see the remains of nice guns, imagine what they looked like before they were shortened.

Jim



« Last Edit: November 30, 2019, 03:06:09 AM by James Wilson Everett »
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Offline Clowdis

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2018, 07:33:26 PM »
Looks like a really nice piece of walnut on that last gun. Must have been a beautiful piece in it's prime.
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Offline PPatch

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2018, 07:55:26 PM »
Interesting guns, thanks for the photographs. Pouching must be the third oldest profession. There is a lot of it going on here in N Georgia, there are a couple of neighbors who keep the deer thinned no mater the season.

dave
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Offline will payne

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2018, 02:05:18 AM »
I'd say that person does now how to make their patch box.
So that's to make the gun lighter. That weird hole in the butt of the gun.
That is a cool gun.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2018, 02:14:31 AM by Will Payne »
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Will


"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -Thomas Jefferson

Offline James Wilson Everett

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2018, 03:15:16 AM »
Guys,

Yes, a skeleton butt was not too rare in Europe.  Here is an original poacher's gun or takedown gun.



They also put then on pistols, like this.



Here is one that I made based on such European pistols with stocks.


« Last Edit: November 30, 2019, 03:09:15 AM by James Wilson Everett »
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Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2018, 07:01:43 PM »
Now I can’t decide which I like best, the takedown rifle or the pistol with the detachable butt stock!  I guess the well equipped poacher has to have both...  :o. Nicely done!

Greg
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Offline oldtravler61

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2018, 07:18:58 PM »
  An we keep thinking we have the newest idea...! Yep sure we do...lol
Thanks for sharing. But don't let Mike see this. He'll go 🍌.  Oldtravler
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2018, 09:07:42 PM »
Quote from: Clowdis on December 10, 2018, 07:33:26 PM
Looks like a really nice piece of walnut on that last gun. Must have been a beautiful piece in it's prime.

Looks like ash or oak to me.
The gun in the middle of the rack, same.
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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline will payne

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2018, 02:41:21 AM »
Quote from: Daryl on December 11, 2018, 09:07:42 PM
Quote from: Clowdis on December 10, 2018, 07:33:26 PM
Looks like a really nice piece of walnut on that last gun. Must have been a beautiful piece in it's prime.

Looks like ash or oak to me.
The gun in the middle of the rack, same.
what do you mean by ash?
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Will


"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -Thomas Jefferson

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2018, 03:31:54 AM »
He means the wood from an Ash tree.
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Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2018, 04:50:17 AM »
James,

Nice job on the short one!

I am always in more than two minds about poacher's guns.
Yes, those you show from the museum likely are, but English and such with a skeleton stock, I don't think so.
I mean, when did a poacher have money to get a gunmaker to build him one?  (some poachers were Very good with throwing sticks)

The ones I have seen are nearly all for sure coaching carbines, short and light and carried for security, along with a brace of pistols.  Griffin made a good few of these.

Thanks for the photos, James!!
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Offline shortbarrel

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2018, 01:18:01 AM »
James, what a waste of fine guns.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Unusual Gun
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2018, 01:57:29 AM »
Quote from: Dennis Glazener on December 14, 2018, 03:31:54 AM
He means the wood from an Ash tree.
Yes- tks Dennis, exactly. The bottom rifle (bottom picture) actually appears to be Red Oak, virtually identical wood to a bow I made, decades ago.
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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V
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