Author Topic: My German Jaegers (Read 5996 times)

Dan Fruth · « **Reply #25 on:** July 12, 2021, 04:49:14 PM »

Oh My!! Thanks Chris for sharing. I recently purchased Erhard Wolf's book on Jaegers and have fallen in love with these great old pieces. Especially the iron mounted pieces. Great stuff and part of our American rifle heritage.

Chris_B · « **Reply #26 on:** July 12, 2021, 04:55:39 PM »

Wolf´s book is a work of art in itself!
Do you have the original German book or is there an English copy available?
Mine is German, of cause

Dan Fruth · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2021, 05:52:42 PM »

I have the original in German, and a copy of the English translation. As a gunbuilder and blacksmith, I am looking forward to forging some wrought iron gun mounts for a Felix Meyer rifle. Great stuff

Monty59 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 12, 2021, 11:00:58 PM »

I have also a few jeager rifles in my collectioni know Erhard Wolf personally and a friend of mine has a very large collection, some of which are also shown in Erhard's book just great to handle these weapons from him and to see them again in the book at home.

Monty

Keith Zimmerman · « **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2021, 03:35:05 AM »

Do u have any clear pics or close ups of the stamps/permits stamped in the barrel behind the names?

Chris_B · « **Reply #30 on:** July 13, 2021, 04:30:12 AM »

I did not take close ups of the stamps.
Can do if I find a little time after work in the next days.

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #31 on:** July 13, 2021, 02:44:08 PM »

Chris, thank you for posting these beautiful rifles. I have one "in process", but several other projects are ahead of the Jaegerf.

That middle rifle, from Kuchenreuther, does that look as though it was made for a person who is right-handed, but left eye dominant. A very-much "cranked over" wrist, large cheek rest. Wish I had the ability it took to make any of these.

Chris_B · « **Reply #32 on:** July 13, 2021, 03:37:39 PM »

Quote from: Craig Wilcox on July 13, 2021, 02:44:08 PM

That middle rifle, from Kuchenreuther, does that look as though it was made for a person who is right-handed, but left eye dominant. A very-much "cranked over" wrist, large cheek rest.

Craig, that is exactly what it is, like I wrote in the description: A "Krüppelschaft"

Ron Scott · « **Reply #33 on:** July 13, 2021, 04:03:57 PM »

Five of eleven Germanic flintlocks here are unsigned. The now dispersed collection of Jack Lewis had a similar proportion. It's surprising that some of the best of these were not signed.

Chris_B · « **Reply #34 on:** July 13, 2021, 04:43:39 PM »

Quote from: Ron Scott on July 13, 2021, 04:03:57 PM

Five of eleven Germanic flintlocks here are unsigned. The now dispersed collection of Jack Lewis had a similar proportion. It's surprising that some of the best of these were not signed.

As already mentioned: Most of those I saw are signed, but , to be honest: I did not see that many...
Several students have mentioned that American riflesmiths did not sign their rifles because they did not
want to brag with some talent that was given by God.
Probably it was the same thing with some Europeans, too, since they were the people who became the
first American gunsmiths after all.

Keith Zimmerman · « **Reply #35 on:** July 13, 2021, 04:47:56 PM »

Both of my original Jaegers are not signed.

Monty59 · « **Reply #36 on:** July 13, 2021, 05:30:35 PM »

I have five in my collection two are not signed and every now and thenI saw in museums jeager rifles that were not signed.

Monty

alacran · « **Reply #37 on:** July 14, 2021, 01:12:02 PM »

Quote from: Chris_B on July 13, 2021, 03:37:39 PM

Quote from: Craig Wilcox on July 13, 2021, 02:44:08 PM

That middle rifle, from Kuchenreuther, does that look as though it was made for a person who is right-handed, but left eye dominant. A very-much "cranked over" wrist, large cheek rest.
Craig, that is exactly what it is, like I wrote in the description: A "Krüppelschaft"

In the "Jaeger Rifles" book of collected articles by George Shumway, there is such a rifle. It was signed Johan Georg Dax in Munchen.
Sadly Shumway's book is hardly the quality of Erhard Wolf's Masterpiece. However it does show a lot of different Jaeger styles.
By the way I am quite taken by the Rosee rifle. Appears to have been made in the second half of the 18th century. Is the lock dated? Would it be possible to see a close up of the lock and the tang carving?
Thanks for sharing.

Chris_B · « **Reply #38 on:** July 14, 2021, 03:43:45 PM »

Is the lock dated?
No, at least not on the outside.

Would it be possible to see a close up of the lock and the tang carving?
I will take some pictures this evening

Chris_B · « **Reply #39 on:** July 14, 2021, 07:17:45 PM »

Some details

WESTbury · « **Reply #40 on:** July 14, 2021, 08:28:59 PM »

Chris,

I am very glad that you started this thread. I've learned a great deal about the German Jaeger and now have a great appreciation of them.

Many thanks to you and the others that have responded.

Kent

Chris_B · « **Reply #41 on:** July 14, 2021, 09:42:21 PM »

Kent, if you don’t have them; try Wolf‘s and Shumway‘s books.
Even if there are worlds between them , both are a great source of information!

WESTbury · « **Reply #42 on:** July 14, 2021, 09:46:15 PM »

Chris,

Technical question.

Per Kindig, 95% of American Longrifles were percussion altered to extend their working life. What is the prevalence of that situation with the Jaegers?

Kent

Chris_B · « **Reply #43 on:** July 14, 2021, 10:05:43 PM »

Kent, I lack the experience to answer that definitely.
But I am pretty sure that only a small amount of the flintlock Jaegers were altered to percussion.
These usually were the weapons of the royalty , the rich or the hunters that worked for them.
If this clientele wanted new guns, they had them made.
When the percussion system came into use, new percussion rifles were made and purchased, the flintlocks put aside in collections or simple storage.
This explains the good condition of most of the guns contrary to the hard used rifles in America that were more tools of survival than status symbols.

WESTbury · « **Reply #44 on:** July 14, 2021, 11:13:18 PM »

Chris,

Thanks for your insight, appreciate it.

Kent

Keith Zimmerman · « **Reply #45 on:** July 15, 2021, 01:11:38 AM »

My buddy Stan collects and restores Jaegers. He has one with a horse on the top flat. He says its a permit to hunt from a horse. Maybe the same with yours.

Chris_B · « **Reply #46 on:** July 15, 2021, 04:53:48 AM »

The members of the Kuchenreuter family used horses as their stamped signature, as did other gunmakers occasionally. I will add a picture of some from Dirk Götschmann‘s „Die Kuchenreuter und ihre Zunftgenossen“. Nr. 9 is by Joseph II, who made my rifle.
I have never heard of the horse-hunting theory.
Most of the Jaegers were used in the Southern part of Germany, the Palatinate, Austria and Switzerland in the (Alps) mountains where it is from hard to impossible to hunt from a horse‘s back.

Keith Zimmerman · « **Reply #47 on:** July 15, 2021, 06:57:01 AM »

Ill have to find a pic of his signed top flat. If I cant find it I will get one. Pretty cool info.

alacran · « **Reply #48 on:** July 15, 2021, 02:48:07 PM »

Thanks for the closeups.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #49 on:** July 15, 2021, 03:37:20 PM »

From the responses here, it would seems that there are a number of Jaeger Rifles that are are owned ALR members. Would there be an interest in creating a library of photos and details?

I would suggest information of ownership be be restricted for security . I have several groups of photos of Jaegers I used as models for my NMLRA seminar that could be available.

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Author Topic: My German Jaegers (Read 5996 times)