Hi, Ok gun fans, here is a gun mystery for you. This may be more of a gun owner question than a Browning specific question (I am a proud Browning .308 owner) . So, I was fishing up near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada and hooked on to this very old rifle. The lake (Lac Dasserat) is located about 500 miles north of the Canada/US border. The remote lake was part of the fur trade route between the 1700's and 1800's. Later, gold mining in the area. Its not a musket and rusted beyond repair, but I am curious if anyone might know its make and how old it might be. Any idea what type of rifle it is, and age? Thank you - David
Awesome find. Looks like some model of Vetterli to me, with the bolt handle and shroud gone. Added some pictures for comparison.
Might be a M69/71 but hard to tell. If you take a picture of the left side of the receiver as well as the butt plate it might be possible to determine.
Thank you Kumpe! Mystery solved! Now I would love to know the story behind how it ended up in the bottom of a lake in the James Bay frontier. That one will remain a mystery (and perhaps a good start to a historic mystery novel if there are any writers out there) I'll try to find a local museum or something and donate it. They might like to have it on their wall.
Found this on Wikipedia regarding civilian use of Vetterli rifles; "Surplus Vetterli rifles were used in "surprising number" by civilians in the U.S. for hunting deer through 1972." Could it have been the same In Canada? Or maybe visiting hunters brought it?
I like the Swiss invasion theory. .......Its 1870, the world's two most peaceful countries go to war. The Swiss show up with one rifle, the Canadians have none (of course). They meet in Northern Quebec and over some friendly beers and moose meat decide the "war" thing isn't for them, so they toss the Vetterli in the lake. Both head their separate ways to focus on their real passions, maple syrup and chocolate making........
