Need help identifying this old front-stuffer:

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  • tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    A buddy of mine recently came into possession of a percussion-fired half-stock rifle that his grandfather apparently "restored" some time ago. Stock appears to be of American origin (curly maple?) and the engraved inlays certainly have an frontiersman quality to them, but there are no other identifying marks. The barrel has no proofs, stamps, or names. Same goes for the rest of the metal pieces with the exception of a very worn brass lock plate that appears to have some writing left, though the middle of the word is obliterated. I'm assuming "Jager-something" but am unsure. Underneath is possibly "Canada?" Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Trying to get an idea of when it was made.

    Pictures attached to help.
     

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    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    The inlays seem nearly identical to the same ones DGW sold in the late 80's. They were available in German silver and brass. Ditto for the butt-plate nose-cap and tubes for the rammer tg etc. The large oval in the cheek rest should have a thin oval outside of it. Very hard to inlet so the builder may have just left it off.
    TG is a popular brass copy that should have tabs on it to be pinned to the stock.
    Looks like an early attempt- scratch built rifle from DGW parts by someone who was getting interested in rifle building and did a pretty good job.
    I used some of those DGW parts myself around the same time so they are pretty easy to recognize. Lot of in-letting done here to the stock so you kind tend to remember stuff like that for the time it takes to get it done with respectable results.
    I bet the catalogue they were ordered from had Johnny Cash on the cover.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    It's worthless. I will give you $10 for it.

    Ain't mine ;)

    Thanks Doco Overboard. The original owner's daughter said she last saw it over 40 years ago, so that's going to put it at least into the 1970s. Her dad either built it, or refinished it and handed it off to her first husband. Her son is my age (40) and from her second marriage, so I know that dating to be true. I'll try to track down the DGW info that might give some provenance. It's not in shooting shape at this point mainly due to the stock and the condition of the double-set trigger. Stock was obviously not cared for, just kept in storage for 4+ decades without any proper humidity controls. Lots of check-cracking in the barrel bed and hairline cracks at the tang running back towards the comb. trigger currently doesn't drop the hammer reliably. Not worried about the barrel. It's pitted, but jebus is it HEAVY. No way it'd fail.

    I think it was stored disassembled. That's how it arrived at least. Missing at least 1 tang screw, and the cross-bolt to hold the lock plate on is incorrect for the hardware. It works, but it doesn't match. All said, it'll be a wall hanger for my buddy, but it's his grandpappy's gun, so that makes him happy.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    Ain't mine ;)

    Thanks Doco Overboard. The original owner's daughter said she last saw it over 40 years ago, so that's going to put it at least into the 1970s. Her dad either built it, or refinished it and handed it off to her first husband. Her son is my age (40) and from her second marriage, so I know that dating to be true. I'll try to track down the DGW info that might give some provenance. It's not in shooting shape at this point mainly due to the stock and the condition of the double-set trigger. Stock was obviously not cared for, just kept in storage for 4+ decades without any proper humidity controls. Lots of check-cracking in the barrel bed and hairline cracks at the tang running back towards the comb. trigger currently doesn't drop the hammer reliably. Not worried about the barrel. It's pitted, but jebus is it HEAVY. No way it'd fail.

    I think it was stored disassembled. That's how it arrived at least. Missing at least 1 tang screw, and the cross-bolt to hold the lock plate on is incorrect for the hardware. It works, but it doesn't match. All said, it'll be a wall hanger for my buddy, but it's his grandpappy's gun, so that makes him happy.

    Soak the timber in RLO until you see some of the checks close up and maybe the double-sets will start to work which would be a good indicator.
    Barrels can be bored out and re-rifled if you want to keep it or even re-placed with offerings from more than one source these days.

    The lock plate looks possibly original which could also be why the triggers aren't working especially if a lock plate bolt is missing or the mortise is shrunken/loose. It was probably hard for the builder to get the trigger and striker sears lined up when it first put together, a scosch is all it takes to have a little misalignment for them not to work smoothly. The original lock bolt may have just interfered with the trigger trappings or fell out when the stock dried out.
    Replacement parts are very affordable and available so I think that getting a rifle like that back together so it would function is a worthy effort and an enjoyable experience and would give a lot of satisfaction. Its rifle building and not just assembling from parts. The stock and the triggers are the most expensive parts and you already have them. You would be surprised how well you get it to shoot even with a rough barrel-good luck and have fun is what its all about.
     

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