Swiss cantonal riffle ?

[Cerjak]

This riffle has a heavy octoganal barrel
Caliber circa 18 mm
Total weight is about 7 kg.
An interesting detail: the barrel has a bayonet slot for military use.
Any comment on it would be welcome.
Best
Cerjak

[fernando]

Hi Jean-Luc

There you have a Swiss target rifle, as you may see by the precision additions; reinforced multigroove rifling, set (adjustable) trigger, 'schützen' type butt plate and a block for an windage adjustable front sight ...not a slot for a bayonet

[Fernando K]

Dear namesake

I do not see any connection between the block to the right of the barrel and the front sigth. It looks like some kind of bayonet. The drilling in the bar is for some form of fastening.

Affectionately. Fernando K

[corrado26]

This is a privatly made Swiss rifle made after the design of the ordnance rifle M 1851, which was the first military rifle in whole Europe to have the small calibre of 10,5mm. The rifle shown was made by Siber Brothers at Lausanne/CH with a calibre of 18mm for private use. It has a block for adjusting a bajonett right of the muzzle, which was boltet by aids of a spring, whose clutch engaged in the hole of the block.
corrado26

[fernando]

I fully understand your surprise at my assumption that the barrel side block is not for lodging a bayonet but, i didn't think i would have to doubt the description of this rifle by a well credited house, which reads as follows:

A .700 CALIBRE SWISS PERCUSSION TARGET RIFLE BY FRERES SIBER A LAUSANNE, NO. 133, CIRCA 1845 with heavy octagonal twist multi-groove rifled barrel fitted with adjustable back-sight and with a block on the right of the muzzle for a windage-adjustable fore-sight, engraved breech with an eagle above a numbered oval, case-hardened tang, signed case-hardened flush-fitting lock, set trigger, highly figured walnut full stock, iron mounts comprising spurred butt-plate, trigger-guard, three ramrod-pipes, the rear extending to form a rest beneath the stock, and two sling swivels (patinated), two vacant German silver escutcheons, horn fore-end cap, and horn-tipped ramrod 89.0 cm; 35 in barrel The brothers Jean Frédéric and Jean François Charles Siber are recorded working together in Lausanne circa 1845.

[Cerjak]

Originally Posted by fernando

I fully understand your surprise at my assumption that the barrel side block is not for lodging a bayonet but, i didn't think i would have to doubt the description of this rifle by a well credited house, which reads as follows:

A .700 CALIBRE SWISS PERCUSSION TARGET RIFLE BY FRERES SIBER A LAUSANNE, NO. 133, CIRCA 1845 with heavy octagonal twist multi-groove rifled barrel fitted with adjustable back-sight and with a block on the right of the muzzle for a windage-adjustable fore-sight, engraved breech with an eagle above a numbered oval, case-hardened tang, signed case-hardened flush-fitting lock, set trigger, highly figured walnut full stock, iron mounts comprising spurred butt-plate, trigger-guard, three ramrod-pipes, the rear extending to form a rest beneath the stock, and two sling swivels (patinated), two vacant German silver escutcheons, horn fore-end cap, and horn-tipped ramrod 89.0 cm; 35 in barrel The brothers Jean Frédéric and Jean François Charles Siber are recorded working together in Lausanne circa 1845.

Dear Fernando ,
Please se the below pictures for swiss riffle with bayonet slot, some times even in reliable auction houses small omissions are possible.
Fenando k and Corado thank you for your comments.

Jean-Luc