Jager Zouave

[BPJONES]

I came across this rifle for sale and couldn't resist. It's a Jager Italy Zouave made in 1976. Other than some tarnishing to the brass from age and a couple of minor marks from storage, I kind of think this thing was never shot. I haven't removed the nipple yet to look but there is no powder residue, discoloration or pitting anywhere around the nipple or breech. The bore also looks like it has never seen powder go through it. If it has been fired, it must have been only a few shots and well cleaned afterward. I don't know how good these Jager Zouaves are but it appears to be not too bad.

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j470/picadilly1/1861%20euro%20arms/Jager%201863%20zouave%20003_zpslwtbspyn.jpg (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/picadilly1/media/1861%20euro%20arms/Jager%201863%20zouave%20003_zpslwtbspyn.jpg.html)h ttp://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j470/picadilly1/1861%20euro%20arms/Jager%201863%20zouave%20004_zpsu68rbqzn.jpg (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/picadilly1/media/1861%20euro%20arms/Jager%201863%20zouave%20004_zpsu68rbqzn.jpg.html)

[Tatume]

Looks like a very nice rifle! Congratulations.

[Nobade]

Perhaps someone else has a better memory than I do, but I recall some of the early Remington repros having brazed on breech plugs instead of being threaded. Not sure if that is one of those but you might want to make sure before you fire it.

-Nobade

[BPShooter]

The early Hy Hunters had the brazed bolsters.

[BPJONES]

This one is threaded.

[Nobade]

The early Hy Hunters had the brazed bolsters.

Thanks - I couldn't remember which one it was.

-Nobade

[bedbugbilly]

It's been a lot of years but if I remember correctly, Hy Hunter was notorious for dangerous designs. I remember seeing a flintlock pistol - and this would have been in the early '60's, where they used an unthreaded tapered breech plug fit in a matching taper in the breech with a single light cross pin to hold it.

I don't remember the "Jager" Zouaves. My fist one I bought in the early '60s and it has no makers mark - only a serial number. Beautiful walnut stock and very well made. I just added another one a couple of months ago - a Zoli Navy Arms - a good rifle but probably a couple pounds heavier than my first one (which I still have) - the Zoli N.A. has what looks like a birch stock so that probably contributes to the extra poundage.

The Remingon Zouaves are a nice looking rifle and I have always found them to be excellent shooters once you get a minie matched to the bore size. PJONES - thats a mighty fine looking rifle and you should enjoy it greatly! Thanks for sharing!

[Argentino]

I bought one of these about a year ago.

3-grooved Zouave replica, made by Armi Jager. Got it in almost new condition, since previous owner never really got interested in muzzleloaders.

I did some internet search on the manufacturer before buying it and from what I recall it was a large Italian firearms company with several firearms types in production until 90s.

Very well finished rifle and yes, the breech plug is threaded on these ones. All mechanical parts are nicely fitted too.

Mine is a real tack driver with both Lee Modern Minies and .58 REALs.

Woodwork is perhaps the only thing I don´t really like about it. Stock seems to be of some lightweight-light coloured type of wood, well fitted to the barrel & lockwork, but not too nicely finished. Barrel band retainers are somewhat crude also.

Other than that it´s a very well made replica, and quite accurate too.


Argie.

[BlackPowderBen]

Very nice rifle! I passed one up I saw for sale a few months back, and I wish I bought it. Live and learn.
Let us know how it shoots!

[BPJONES]

Thanks guys. I'll have to dig out the BP supplies and take it out here one of these days and see how it performs. It appears to be fairly well made.

[Argentino]

Thanks guys. I'll have to dig out the BP supplies and take it out here one of these days and see how it performs. It appears to be fairly well made.
BPJones,

yes, they are of a good quality indeed. And they are getting hard to find, lately. IIRC, Pedersoli is the only manufacturer still making them. I like the Zouave design a lot; it´s a light short rifle, with a good weight balance and mine has also a very nice trigger pull. Really nice rifle when shooting from standing position.

You might want to make a flash shield to wrap around the nipple since the blast from the caps tends to erode the wood behind it. I´ve learnt this the hard way with mine.

I load mine with real BP (50 to 70 gns. by volume, depending on BP type used) behind either a .58 REAL or a Lee Modern Minie.

Using a drop tube and cleaning between shots I get 10 round groups of about 2" to 3" when shooting from a bench at 50 yards. I´ve found the POI to be very close to POA (using the smallest leaf sight), specially when shooting .58 REALs, both POI/POA are almost coincident at that distance.

Zouave replicas are very common in european competition under MLAIC rules due to its adjustable sights (rear leaf sights).


Hope that helps,
Argie.

[pietro]

.

Now you NEED a Buffalo Hunter to go with it.....


http://www.gunlistings.org/uploads/l1_rifles_navy_arms_buffalo_hunter_.58_cal_carbine _50074_2.jpg

.

[fgd135]

I bought one of these about a year ago.
I did some internet search on the manufacturer before buying it and from what I recall it was a large Italian firearms company with several firearms types in production until 90s.


I believe that Armi Jager and Antonio Zoli were the two largest manufacturers of replica Remington 1863 Zouave rifles; Zoli made them for Navy Arms, as well as Sears and some other large catalog retailers, not sure if AJ did that as well. Antonio Zoli's website says they produced 200,000 for the US market. No wonder there are so many used ones, of both manufacturers, for sale. Zoli also manufactured some of the Hy Hunter Zouaves, with both brazed and then welded bolsters.
Hy Hunter was a Los Angeles firearms impresario, selling surplus war arms through catalogs and an impressive shop in Burbank, and importing reproduction old west revolvers, etc. In a 1955 Guns Magazine biography he was noted as WWII veteran and then 29 years old. Hy Hunter ads in Guns Magazine issues show Zouaves for $84.95 + $5 shipping, which I think was probably a lot of $$ in those days...

[Argentino]

I believe that Armi Jager and Antonio Zoli were the two largest manufacturers of replica Remington 1863 Zouave rifles; Zoli made them for Navy Arms, as well as Sears and some other large catalog retailers, not sure if AJ did that as well. Antonio Zoli's website says they produced 200,000 for the US market. No wonder there are so many used ones, of both manufacturers, for sale. Zoli also manufactured some of the Hy Hunter Zouaves, with both brazed and then welded bolsters.
Hy Hunter was a Los Angeles firearms impresario, selling surplus war arms through catalogs and an impressive shop in Burbank, and importing reproduction old west revolvers, etc. In a 1955 Guns Magazine biography he was noted as WWII veteran and then 29 years old. Hy Hunter ads in Guns Magazine isues shows Zouaves for $84.95 + $5 shipping, which I think was probably a lot of $$ in those days...

Interesting information, thank you. I knew about Zoli rifles being the most common to find (they also have a reputation for being quite well manufactured), but didn´t know Armi Jager was also quite popular.

Actually, I had some concerns before buying mine since I ´ve never heard about Armi Jager and it took me a long time of web searching before deciding to buy it. It was a good purchase anyway.

I´ve compared both my Jager and a Zoli replica that belongs to a friend of mine. Both of them looks quite similar in quality although the Zoli seems to be a little better fitted & finished than my Armi Jager.

The woodwork is definitively better in the Zoli (birch, if I´m not mistaken).

Argie.

[Southern Son]

I had one of them, Armi Jager made. I enjoyed it a great deal. The outside of the rifle was very pretty and it shot better that I can with open sights. The Trigger pull on mine was fairly heavy (at least 9 or ten pounds), so I pulled the lock off the side of the rifle and was surprised to find that a lot of the insides were cast, and cast VERY rough. I wasn't game enough to try working on the trigger, so I put it all back together, and kept shooting it until I traded it in for my spaghetti Hiwall. Argentino in very correct when he said make a shield for the nipple, I didn't and the stock suffered for it.