Taking a look at a RARE Brass Barrel Flintlock Jaeger with the Rock Island Auction Company
Like many of you, I am a big fan of Jaeger Rifles. The short profile makes it an interesting section of muzzleloading history in a world dominated by long-barreled muskets and rifles. These tight twist stalking rifles made a name for themselves in the hands of Germans hunting for sustenance and sport.
This Jaeger, in particular, is peculiar for a couple of reasons, the first is the brass lock plate. Brass lock plates aren’t super rare, but I don’t see them often in original pieces. The lock on this rifle is fully decorated. The lock plate has a scene of a stag in the woods, surrounded by leaf and scroll engraving. The tail of the lock has a wonderful grotesque European mask reminiscent of the “Green Man” folklore. This combination of traditional folk tail and realistic fantasy continues around the face of the cock of the lock with more engraving and another mask on the cock bolt going into the lock. The engraving transitions into small relief cast or engraved leaves near the jaws of the cock. Even the frizzen spring has some engraving, the top jaw and frizzen feature very little decoration.
The second reason this piece caught my eye is the fully rifled brass barrel.
Rifled brass barrels are rarely seen, but examples from Continental Europe and the U.S. are known in limited numbers. While alloy barrels are not as strong as iron/steel barrels, they have the advantage of being resistant to corrosion. The barrel on this attractive hunting rifle has seven-groove rifling, a dovetailed blade front sight, notch rear sight with ornate finial (folding notch absent), and scroll engraving on the breech section inhabited by a bestial mask.
The lock has grotesque masks on the tail and cock screw, additional mask designs among the engraving on the cock, and a stag and scrollwork on the plate. Coordinating scroll and mask patterns are on the brass furniture, including on the heavily pierced side plate and the ornate wrist escutcheon which has coronet, classical figure, and martial trophies. beautifully figured, burl walnut stock has fine molding and some raised relief scroll carving. The patch box lid, cheekpiece edge, forend tip, and ramrod tip are horn.
