# Zimmerstutzen



## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

Can someone explain this to me. Is this an air rifle? It has nice wood on it whatever it is.

http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20americai ... j%20gb.htm


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## Ambush Hunter (Jun 29, 2009)

Hehe, looks like a .177 percussion cap rifle. Not exactly a firearm and not exactly an airgun. There are some folks who still shoot them on competitions, I think at 50 feet or so...

You can also google it and see what you come up with.


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## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

But is does not have a percussion lock on it. It puzzles me. The caption says it was probably the only one made by the maker and possibly the only one known in America.


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## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

Well you may be right. I just wouldn't think that a rifle this early would have internal ignition. Unless the ramrod looking thing is part of that. I have seen photos of early air rifles from the 1700's or earlier. They are interesting.


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## blowgunner62 (Nov 23, 2008)

Neat gun. It does look like a percussion cap gun and doesn't appear that there is a reservoir for air.


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## bluesman (May 25, 2009)

Yes you are right. My mistake. The cap is loaded in the slot and the projectile is loaded in the muzzle. The sling attachment cocks the mechanism which is tripped by the trigger. Only the front of the barrel as long as the ramrod is used. I should dig up a photo of a really old air rifle now since I mentioned it. There was mention of air rifles beinmg used in the Lewis and Clark expedition but it goe's back way further than that.


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## Ambush Hunter (Jun 29, 2009)

Yep, Lewis and Clark, Napoleon...the history of big bore airguns is no less fascinating that the history of firearms...


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