Federal model 1842 carbine
This is a
Swiss federal percussion rifle, model 1842, with 16 right-handed grooves and
equipped with a very special bayonet. Already very rare, this set becomes
extremely rare when the scabbard is present. The weapon is equipped with
precision sights (diopter, tunnel front sight, adjustable rear sight). The
caliber of these rifles is between 15 mm and 16.5 mm.
Note: in
Switzerland, all weapons that have 2 triggers are called Carbines.
The origin of this rifle is not easy to determine based on the images present. The weapon and the scabbard have the same number 94. The lock bears a signature that could be that of the gunsmith Moser. This craftsman, named Samuel, was domiciled in Frutigen in the canton of Bern. He was active from 1828 to 1844. He also worked for the Bern arsenal. His trace can be found on the site.
However,
the inscription remains questionable, the photos do not allow a definitive
reading. For example, we can also read "Morges", like the city in the canton of
Vaud that had a gunsmithing tradition, see for example the history in the
following link:
https://www.westernguns.fr/armes-a-poudre-noire/armes-d-epaule/antique/770-bristlen-a-morges-pedersoli.html
The rifle
also has, like many Swiss weapons, a coat of arms on the barrel. This shows two
bands, one darkened by checkering at the top and a smoother one at the bottom.
This part is marked with the letter F. The only one of the 26 Swiss cantons with
this initial is that of Fribourg. Its flag is shown below with an enlargement of
the coat of arms of the weapon:
On the rifle
Coat of arms of the canton of Fribourg
The
letter F and the appearance of the coat of arms strongly suggest that the rifle
was used in the canton of Fribourg.
Chris, Max, HPH, Alain
