11. Rifle Stocks 287 11. Rifle Stocks Literature Durdik, Jan, Alte Feuerwaffen, Hanau, 1977, DuJa Essenwein, August, Quellen der Geschichte der Feuerwaffen, 1871, EsAu Kist, J. B, Musket, Roer & Pistolet, Graz, 1974, KiJB Original firearms from private collections Historical Overview Apart from hand cannons, which fall more into the category of hand guns rather than long guns, one can only presume that a wooden stock must have been an essential component from the very beginning. The reason for this assumption is that a stock allows simpler handling, easier aiming and it automatically provides a greater distance to the user and therefore a higher degree of personal safety. The oldest existing firearms were discovered in excavations, as well as finds in old ruins or even from lakes and rivers. The wooden stocks were rarely still intact. There is nevertheless sufficient information from ancient chronicles, historical paintings as well as from other sources, which confirm the foregoing presumption. Weapons manufactured during later periods exhibit a large assortment of stock shapes. These vary greatly, depending on the area of origin, the period, the patron or the influence of the gunsmith and the stock-maker. The following is an attempt to bring a certain systematic reasoning into the classification of stock shapes. With a few exceptions, only European stock patterns are dealt with. This representation does not claim or make any attempt to be complete, but should provide an insight into the diverse stock shapes. Fig. 11-0 Ca. 1740: Ornate stock of hunting rifle, Suhl Private collection; Photo: KuPe 288 11. Rifle Stocks Wooden Mounts Pictures of Firearm Stocks Wooden Mounts During the first stages of medium to large weapons design, the barrel section was attached to a timber beam or board construction with ropes or leather straps. The mechanical integrity and weather resistance of such an arrangement was probably often inadequate. Fig. 11 – 1 Ca. 1430: Siege Cannon Woodcut by Roberte Valturio, Verona, 1483 Photo: HeRo, Page 19 Fig. 11 – 2 Ca. 1470: Cannon Mounting Switzerland Four wooden wheels removed Bernese Historical Museum Photo: KuPe Fig. 11 – 3 Ca. 1455: Breech Loader with Elevation Control, France Admiralty Library, London; Photo: PoDu, Page 27 Wooden Shafts 11. Rifle Stocks 289 Wooden Shafts In the style of earlier spears and pikes, many firearms were originally equipped with a wooden shaft section. This type of weapon is generally referred to as a pole gun. Wooden Shaft attached to Tang on Barrel In rare cases, the attachment of the shaft was designed in the form of a tang, forged or cast onto the barrel. This tang was driven directly into the end face of the wooden shaft. Although the shaft was usually reinforced with iron ferrules, it was nevertheless a weak point because it could lead to the breaking of the shaft during fierce combat. Pole guns with tangs can be seen in the Landesmuseum in Linz, as well as in the Cluny Museum in Paris. The Military Museum in Vienna also has a forged hand-cannon barrel from the Habsburg period with a shaft attached to a tang. Fig. 11 – 4 Ca.1390: Forged Pol Gun Barrel, Habsburg Wooden rod with tang and ferrules,wooden shaft attachment drawn in. Military Museum, Vienna; Photo: GaEr, Page 176 / KuPe Wooden Shaft with tapered Socket Attachment A widely used method to attach the shaft to the weapon was to press the wooden shaft into a slightly tapered socket, forged or cast onto the rear end of the barrel. A wooden or iron pin was driven in at a right angle to prevent the shaft section from falling out. These two installation methods were also used to attach the metal tips on quarrels (crossbow darts). These methods of attachment are to be found on guns from Tannen- berg, Hildesheim and Tabor guns. In most cases, the original wooden stock was unfortunately lost, and subsequently replaced by a new one. A bronze pole gun, which still had the original stock, was found during 1871 in Kurischen Haff near Schwarzort by Memel. The touch hole on the upper barrel can be closed with a swivel cover. An elongated hole to take a ramrod is situated in the octagonal oak stock. The ramrod is held in the stock with a rotating ring. This very interesting, and for the time quite advanced design, can be seen today in the Wojska Polskiego Museum in Warsaw. 290 11. Rifle Stocks Wooden Shafts Fig. 11 – 5 Ca. 1425: Wall Pole Gun, Hildesheim Shaft with Tapered Socket Installation Sketched in. Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim; Photo: HoAr, Page 6 / KuPe Fig. 11 – 6 Ca. 1370: Heavy Pole Gun Bronze barrel; reconstructed wooden rod Private collection; Photo: KuPe Fig. 11 – 7 Ca. 1350: Four-Barreled Pole Gun Barrels with iron bands attached to elongated socket Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: PoDu, Page 41 Fig. 11 – 8 Ca. 1400: Short Pole Gun, Kurisches Haff Excavated in Kurischen Haff Wojska Polskiego Museum, Warschau; Photo: HoAr, Page 8 Iron Rods 11. Rifle Stocks 291 Iron Rods There is a particular variation of the pole gun where an iron rod is forged together with a breech plug right into the barrel. Typical representatives of this design are the Regensburger gun on display at the Germanic National Museum in Nürnberg, the Vedelspang guns at the Trojhus Museum in Copenhagen, as well as a similar gun at the Musèe de l’armée in Paris. Fig. 11 – 9 Ca. 1410: Wall Gun, Tyrol Forged iron rod with eyelet Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Fig. 11 – 10 Ca. 1410: Vedelspang Wall Gun, Schleswig Forged on iron rod Tojhusmuseet, Copenhagen; Photo: HoAr, Page 9 Fig. 11 – 11 Ca. 1420: Wall Gun, Lake of Constance, Germany Forged on curved iron rod Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Fig. 11 – 12 Ca. 1450: Rod Wall Gun, Austria Curved iron rod with ring Military Museum, Vienna; Photo: GaEr, Page 182 292 11. Rifle Stocks Basic Timber Stocks Basic Timber Stocks A well preserved example of a timber shaft is the so-called Berner Büchse at the Bernese Historical Museum. It most likely originates from the last part of the 14th century. The short forged iron barrel is imbedded into a channel at the front of the stock and is attached to it with two iron bands which encircle stock and barrel. The shaft is flattened behind the barrel and tapers down to a round stock. It is thought that the hook, which protrudes through the flat section of the stock, was not added until the 15th century. Fig. 11 – 13 Ca. 1380: Bernese Hand Cannon, Switzerland The barrel is in a trough and is attached with two iron bands. Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Fig. 11 – 14 Ca. 1380: Small Bernes Wall Gun, Switzerland Hook was probably set in the stock at a later date Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Fig. 11 – 15 Ca. 1380: Stocked Hand Gun, Italy Stock design similar to those used on crossbows of the time Owner unknown; Photo: CiAl, Page 18 Stepped Timber Stocks 11. Rifle Stocks 293 Stepped Timber Stocks A hand cannon, built from two opposite spiraling forged tubes made from iron rods, additionally strengthened with several shrunk on iron rings, originates from the time around 1430. This weapon has a stepped timber shaft, partially supporting the barrel base so that the recoil can be absorbed better. This hand cannon is also in the Bernese Historical Museum. The so-called Tiber Hand Gun was found in the Tiber River near Rome. In addition to iron bands on the stock, iron cross pins have been added at a later date. Lugs with a hole were forged, cast or dovetailed to the underside of the barrel. Wall gun style weapons are often equipped with additional attachment holes in the hook. The pins were driven through the shaft and the barrel lug. A transitional solution with a band and three pins on a semi-wall gun can be found in a private collection. In some rare cases the barrel attachment is designed to use wooden pins as can be seen in the example of a wall gun dated around 1480 in the collection of the Museum Allerheiligen in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Fig. 11 – 16 Ca. 1430: Tiber Hand Cannon, Italy Found in the Tiber River near Rom Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Fig. 11 – 17 Ca. 1450: Hand Cannon, Mallorca Barrel attached to grooved wooden stock with two iron bands Patrimonia National, Madrid; Photo: PoDu, Page 51 Fig. 11 – 18 Ca. 1490: Brass Wall gun, Wirmund, Switzerland Cylindrical barrel attached to stock by iron wire Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu 294 11. Rifle Stocks Early Arquebus Stocks Early Arquebus Stocks For the arquebus stock, the breach of the barrel was fully supported by a step in the stock. Therefore, the recoil was transmitted completely to the wood. A very early example of this is the Lot rifle in the City Museum in Stockholm. It was found in 1953 on a ship wreck in Stockholm harbor. Further examples are the South German semi-arquebus rifles dated from around 1425, which can be seen in the collection of the Museum Allerheiligen in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Fig. 11 – 19 Ca. 1480: Long Semi-Arquebus, Lake of Constance Area Barrel attachment with iron bands and pins Private collection; Photo: KuPe Fig. 11 – 20 Ca. 1500: Arquebus Stock, German Reconstruction after Jan Durdik Private collection; Photo: KuPe Fig. 11 – 21 Ca. 1550: Arquebus Stock, German Bronze-barreled arquebus with emblem of Virmont Bernese Historical Museum; Photo: BHMu Double Wall Gun Stocks 11. Rifle Stocks 295 Double Wall Gun Stocks Large wall guns, also refered to as double wall guns, were usually supported on the parapet of a fortification.