Hunting rifle from Finland

[Philip]

Originally Posted by rickystl

Hmmmm.....where have I seen a similar butt stock style ? Then it hit me. See attached photo of a gun in my collection. While it is a flintlock made somewhere in the Balkans in the 19th Century, notice the general shape of the butt stock. What a coincidence. LOL

Anyway, thanks again for posting this great rifle. Just when I think I've seen everything. LOL

Rick

Rick,
True, the butts on both are of essentially triangular shape but... note that the Balkan gun is designed to be held against the shoulder when aimed, whereas this Finnish gun has a cheek-stock, in 16th-17th cent. Germanic / Scandinavian style.

If you can, in your mind's eye, overlay the outline of a 17th cent "tschinke" (Silesian hunting rifle, the kind with a wheellock with big external mainspring) onto the profile of Ulrik's gun, you'll see a similar pull length and the comb is in about the right position for the same kind of hold.

Both those guns are small-bore and rifled -- called birding pieces. During that era, birds were generally shot on ground or roost. Wingshooting was a sport originating in Italy or France with the development of shotguns with lighter barrels, late 17th cent. The English really carried the ball from there on with their magnificent double shotguns perfected in the late 18th cent.

Say, Rick, since you like making shootable copies of interesting old guns, how about this for your next project? I'm sure Ulrik would be glad to provide key measurements.

Philip