Ken,
I think you are being rather kind and understate the distance from Branenburg area! ...It's about as far away as it can get and still be in Germany.
Without spending some time digging, I can not say why your fine rifle, that bears every mark of having been made in the Brandenburg area, should have been made by someone down in SW Germany!
Even the three ivory flower escutcheons around the sidenails are Identical to those seen on some Brandenburg guns, as is the muzzle cap and shape of the buttplate.
I do not have Stockel, but did Johann Michael Maucher serve his time under Elias Shintzel in Berlin by any chance? This work and the latter's are so alike as to appear made by the same hand.
The differing schools had influence over larger areas that at times overlapped, but this does in no way account for your rifle and where it was made. I could understand it if it had merely a n odd feature from N. Germany, but it has No features at all from the area where it appears to have come from!
I am please you have ordered George's book it may help you more than me!
What I can not find at present, is any reference to this maker, yet I Know I have heard of him well enough. Just can't find references at present.
There is no ES stamped into the barrel breech is there? (Still thinking how much it is like Elias Shintzell's work)
I will do some digging Ken, but a grand rifle!
Richard.
Edited to say;
Having re-read you posts, Ken, and I note you say "Attributed to ". Do I understand it correctly that your rifle (and Jaspers maybe? )do not have signatures on them?
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