MilsurpDan
Ultimate Member
As some of my friends here on MDShooters already know, one of my main collecting goals currently is to have an example of each model of Swiss service rifle and pistol from the 1800's until the current time period. I'm well on my way there, but still have a ways to go. I added two more rifles I needed badly for my collection a couple days ago. The other I'll put in a different thread.
The first is what is usually called the M.1830 Percussion Scharfschützen Rifle. 16mm or roughly .63 Caliber. I can't find much information on these in English, but from what I've gathered, they were used by the best marksmen in Switzerland at the time. Sharpshooter's were required to provide their own rifles, so there are many different variations since a variety of gunsmiths made them.
This one was made by Gunsmith Bosshardt in Zurich. I'm currently trying to research him, but I'm having a little bit of trouble finding information. The barrel has Belgian proofmarks on it, so I think that part was made in Belgium, or at least proofed there. The Swiss contracted with a lot of Belgian gunmakers at the time for muskets. I believe some gunsmiths would re-use older barrels to make these, so the barrel could have been made years earlier. I also believe this one was converted from a Flintlock to Percussion Ignition. There aren't any other markings besides the number "40" stamped on a few parts. No military proofmarks that I can see, but that would be correct since the men had to supply their own rifles.
Mr. Bosshardt put a lot of care into making it, and whoever owned it over the past 180 years kept it in good shape. The metal has definitely been cleaned, but not over zealously. The stock has a couple stable cracks in it, probably from the wood shrinking/expanding over the years according to another collector who I showed it to at the MACA meeting on Friday. He told me it's not serious, and that I should leave them alone, which I'm inclined to do. Everything functions and the trigger pull is very crisp and soft. The bore is in excellent shape, as to be expected with Swiss firearms. I'm tempted to shoot it, but I still haven't decided if I'm going too. Chances are I'll end up trying it out sometime in the future though.
The first is what is usually called the M.1830 Percussion Scharfschützen Rifle. 16mm or roughly .63 Caliber. I can't find much information on these in English, but from what I've gathered, they were used by the best marksmen in Switzerland at the time. Sharpshooter's were required to provide their own rifles, so there are many different variations since a variety of gunsmiths made them.
This one was made by Gunsmith Bosshardt in Zurich. I'm currently trying to research him, but I'm having a little bit of trouble finding information. The barrel has Belgian proofmarks on it, so I think that part was made in Belgium, or at least proofed there. The Swiss contracted with a lot of Belgian gunmakers at the time for muskets. I believe some gunsmiths would re-use older barrels to make these, so the barrel could have been made years earlier. I also believe this one was converted from a Flintlock to Percussion Ignition. There aren't any other markings besides the number "40" stamped on a few parts. No military proofmarks that I can see, but that would be correct since the men had to supply their own rifles.
Mr. Bosshardt put a lot of care into making it, and whoever owned it over the past 180 years kept it in good shape. The metal has definitely been cleaned, but not over zealously. The stock has a couple stable cracks in it, probably from the wood shrinking/expanding over the years according to another collector who I showed it to at the MACA meeting on Friday. He told me it's not serious, and that I should leave them alone, which I'm inclined to do. Everything functions and the trigger pull is very crisp and soft. The bore is in excellent shape, as to be expected with Swiss firearms. I'm tempted to shoot it, but I still haven't decided if I'm going too. Chances are I'll end up trying it out sometime in the future though.
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