F. Koenig blackpowder .46 caliber target rifle

[Grimhiker]

I have an old percussion cap target rifle from around 1870. Lock marked F. Koenig. I will try to include pics. -any information on it would be helpful.ThanksLooks like seven lands and grooves.

[Plastikosmd]

Is there any provision for a false muzzle?
Rear sight looks similar to a couple of my schutzen rifles

[Edward]

What is the bore condition ?

[BlackPowderLove]

Mind if I save photos of this for my files on old germanic rifles?

[bedbugbilly]

Beautiful! That's the kind Ned Roberts talked about! Do you have the original mold for it? How is the bore on it?

[Grimhiker]

No, not at all. Feel free. Any others that would help?

[Grimhiker]

Bore is great. When I did shoot it, I shot .457 cal. Round balls, with a .015 patch, I think.

[Grimhiker]

No idea what a false muzzle is and how to provision for one.

[pietro]

.

Most target rifles of that period were equipped with a false muzzle to preclude muzzle wear from repeated loading, and to ensure that the projectile entered the bore squarely.

Most false muzzles had an integral short starter that matched.

Additionally, false muzzles had a protrusion that blocked the line of sight when it was mounted on the rifle's barrel.

A rifle set up for a false muzzle will have holes drilled into the muzzle face around the bore to accept the pins/studs on the rear face of the false muzzle.

A rifle with no holes = never had a false muzzle.







.

[nekshot]

Looks like a gun I could be envious of in a hurry!

[oldracer]

After I increased the size of the picture of the muzzle it appears to be like a Pope type of grooves or whoever he got the idea from with very narrow lands so the diameter of the barrel interior would be an even size. I have two rifle like that and they shoot amazing!

[Grimhiker]

Thanks, it does shoot very good.

[bedbugbilly]

Just curious - have you ever tried to determine the twist rate on this rifle? It would sure be interesting to know the history of it - who owned it throughout the years and what type of shooting they did.

[Buzzard II]

WOW. what a beautiful old rifle. I hope you enjoy it and keep it beautiful for the next generation(s).

[charlie b]

Is it a fast twist barrel? Bore looks great.

Very nice rifle.

[oldracer]

Finding the twist rate of the barrel will give a close idea of what weight bullet to use. As an example a couple years ago I got a barrel with false muzzle and bullet starter and the breech plug had been put in enough to mark the tightness point. Anyways the twist kept looking really strange so I measured it from muzzle end and it is 1 in 15, hummmm, so I measured from the breech end and it is 1 in 18 so here I have a gain twist 45 caliber barrel!

John

[Grimhiker]

I finally made it back down, and it looks like the barrel is a slow twist. 1 in 40 maybe? The barrel is 32 1/4 and it does not make a full twist. It shoots round balls great!

[Grimhiker]

1 in 40 or so

[Plastikosmd]

With new pics, bore looks nice and obviously no false muzzle set up. Not necessarily a bad thing, it was felt to be important before it was felt to be not important,lol. I have a few with and without.
Enjoy it, looks fun