qsy-complains-a-lot:Egg Jäger rifle with ‘Bowie’ knife bayonetManufactured by Swiss-born British gun
qsy-complains-a-lot:Egg Jäger rifle with ‘Bowie’ knife bayonetManufactured by Swiss-born British gunsmith Durs Egg in London c.late-18th century, based on German or German-inspired British military rifles - no serial number..62 caliber rifled barrel, flintlock mechanism, brass-handled clip point hunting knife bayonet.Jägers were light infantry troops recruited from the German middle class and lower nobility starting in the 17th century, used efficiently as marksmen and scouts due to their hunting background which provided them with very accurate personal weapons and the skill to maintain them, at a time when the average soldier had a smoothbore musket and very little knowledge on how to care for it.The employ of Hesse-Hanau Jägers by the British around and during the American Revolutionary War led to German rifles being directly imitated by the redcoats, leading to the Pattern 1776 rifle and a number of commercial examples made for the civilian market back in Great Britain, like this example above.This rifle is a good example of an English Jäger rifle, as it is clearly based on the Hessian design - notably with its octagonal barrel that tapers after the powder chamber before coming to a very slight flare at the muzzle - but with a simplified stock design, brass trigger-guard/grip and patch box. It also features a bayonet bar which was a newer feature on similar military rifles in the late 18th century, in this case to fit a large Fenton&Shore ‘Bowie’ knife. -- source link