about the jaëger

[coldtracker]

i do re-enacting about the seven years war and some friends said me that the jaëger rifle was there on the both side with the brown bess and the tulle rifle(et saint-etienne bien sur...)...

Is anyone able to tell me if it is true or false and if it is true...the year of production of this rifle and the coming of it in canada...

i did not find infos on this subject...

(i hope you understand my fench english..lol)

 

I have no doubt that germanic "jaeger" type rifles could be found here, there and just about everywhere else but I don't think they would have been an overly common sight. The jaeger styled rifles(and smoothbored jaegers) were built at least from the 1600s well into the early 1900s. I don't know as to their presence in Canada but I don't doubt it. I have one that I built from a kit and figure I'm good for any era between 1740 and 1800 or so.

 

[coldtracker]

Thanks for your answer..i would like to buy a jaêger instead of a tulle rifle ....
but i had to be sure it was good for the re-enacting of the seven years war..

il like this rifle...

 

[benvenuto]

If you can get it, have a look at "Jaeger rifles" by George Shumway. I just finsished reading it ... Its not really a book more a collection of photocopies and the photographs aren't too good, for the price - but they give a good selection of regional styles, different makers and most importantly accurate dates. Unfortunately some gun makers like to stretch dates backwards quite a bit, and you have to be careful your "early" jaegar is not really a model from the 1780's or 1790's. There are as many (or more) styles of jaeger rifles as american rifles.
Bon Chance!

 

[Birddog6]

If you can get it, have a look at "Jaeger rifles" by George Shumway. I just finsished reading it ... Its not really a book more a collection of photocopies and the photographs aren't too good, for the price - but they give a good selection of regional styles, different makers and most importantly accurate dates.

IMHO, just look at this publication & don't buy it. It is copies of copies of copies of copies of photos & just plain downright disappointing....
I bought a copy of it, looked thru it's poor contents quality & imediately sold it..........

 

[Henry]

... " I have no doubt that germanic "jaeger" type rifles could be found here, there and just about everywhere... "

So... who carrried them ? who sold them ? who imported them ? ( or made them ?)

Before 1759 , " Canada " was from the great lakes to Lousianna .

 

[netoleon]

Disclaimer - I'm not a French & Indian War ( Seven Year's War in North America )expert....Napoleonic is really my predominant area.

That said, I haven't seen any mention of Jaeger rifle use in Canada by continental French, or Canadien Habitants. That doesn't mean a few didn't find their way there, but if they did I reckon they were in rather small quantities. The noted Canadian author, Rene Chartrand, has written many excellent books on the F&IW with a concentration on the french soldier in N. America. A number of them are published by Osprey and widely available. I'd try to find some of those for a detailed answer.

My take - the Jaeger was a predominantly German rifle throughout it's historic existence. While made by some Pennsylvania gunsmiths of German extraction in the early period, it was soon eclipsed in production by a more characteristically American rifle. The American-made Jaegers didn't see much use by colonial and continental forces here. In military use it was employed by all Prussian Jaeger Regiments in Europe (during the 7YW and after, as far as I can tell). Minor German states used it for their light troops as well( for example, Brunswick Jaegers during the American Revolution ). But the French never took to the rifle for military use until after Napoleon. I haven't seen any reference to rifle use by Swiss or Irish regiments in French service either.

Hope that helps...

 

[Henry]

"... I have no doubt that germanic "jaeger" type rifles could be found here, there and just about everywhere... "

So if they were to be found , who found one yet ?
Who carried one at the time ? Has one been ordered,
sold ,bought or given ? Wich french army corp
would have used them ?

Has one been found in an allied Indian burial site?

 

[coldtracker]

i agree to say that this rifle was not in the french army , i thought to the "guides coloniaux"...or milicians..

 

[Henry]

"... I have no doubt that germanic "jaeger" type rifles could be found here, there and just about everywhere... "

So if they were to be found , who found one yet ?
Who carried one at the time ? Has one been ordered,
sold ,bought or given ? Wich french army corp
would have used them ?

Has one been found in an allied Indian burial site?

 

[Puffer]

i do re-enacting about the seven years war and some friends said me that the jaëger rifle was there on the both side with the brown bess and the tulle rifle(et saint-etienne bien sur...)...

Is anyone able to tell me if it is true or false and if it is true...the year of production of this rifle and the coming of it in canada...

i did not find infos on this subject...

(i hope you understand my fench english..lol)

I can not address the use of the Jager by the French, BUT the Brits had a large # of them ( the Hessen troops)
Suggest De WhittBailey's book "British Military Flintlock Rifles 1740-1840

Puffer

 

[Story]

Question is, what did a French rifle of the period look like? Nearest in time period I could find was this (wild stock):

A heavy flintlock target rifle

Les Soissons, Grenoble, circa 1680
Octagonal barrel, becoming sixteen-sided, with micro-groove rifling in 16 mm calibre. The muzzle is separated with a baluster, ends with four flats and has a dovetailed sight. There is a tube rear sight screw mounted on the tang. Lightly engraved flintlock with a hair set trigger and a cock safety. The cambered lockplate (somewhat blurred) is signed "Les Soissons a Grenoble". Walnut root wood stock with floral carving and a dark buttstock. Iron furniture. The finely engraved side plate has wing nuts for rapidly dismounting the lock. Length: 108.5 cm.
Les Soissons was a pseudonym for the gun making family Dominique, Arnoux and Francois Seillier of Grenoble.
[url] http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images49_gr/42052.jpg[/url]

 

[Stophel]

This is a VERY rare type of French target gun (I have photos of about 4 of them, and I'm not certain they're all rifled...) The stocks look like they would be very comfortable to hold and shoot.

 

I meant 1600s to early 1800s. Not early 1900s. Oops.

 

[benvenuto]

I agree, for $30 it was was disappointing...
however MOST of the photocopies were good quality...
I find it a bit dishonest the way its been marketed as a book...

 

[benvenuto]

North Italian rifles are similar, but the "pistol grip" is not as pronounced. These were made for target shooting, or shooting birds from a stand (same thing back then!).
I find some of the french rifles I've seen spectactcularly ugly... this one isn't that bad tho'

There is a French styled Dutch Jaeger in Shumways book (or March 1992 Muzzleblasts, p30) signed "George Alt 1670"on the barrel and "Marder zu Vianden" on the lock. Probably from between 1684 and 1693. Its .57 cal and has a 24 5/8" barrel.

This seems to fit in with the type of rifle that was being issued in very limited numbers to the English and French Cavalry as a sharpshooters weapon from the 1660's onward - except this example is obviously a de-luxe interpretation

 

[benvenuto]

All respect to Mr Shumway, but he needs a new atlas. Vianden, of course is in Luxembourg not Holland!