m1869 werder

[bigtrucker06]

HELLO, I HAVE AN M1869 WERDER RIFLE AND I AM TRYING TO GAIN INFORMATION ON IT. THE RIFLE I HAVE IS A WERDER RIFLE WITH OPPOSING TRIGGERS, HOWEVER MINE HAS AN ADDITIONAL SET TRIGGER WHICH I HAVE NEVER SEEN. ALSO IT IS SPORTERIZED. THE OTHER THING I NOTICED IS THAT IT IS A SMALL CALIBER (30 - 32 ). LOOKS LIKE A 38-56 WINCHESTER CARTRIGE BUT SMALLER CALIBER. cAN ANYONE TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS RIFLE. IT IS IN GOOD CONDITION, AND LOOKS SHOOTABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND AMMO FOR IT AND WHAT IT MAY BE WORTH. I CAN PROVIDE PICS IF NEEDED. THANKS.

[Jim K]

There is a lot of information here

http://www.militaryrifles.com/Bavaria/Werder&Aptiertes.htm

but it sounds like you have a "sporterized" one. It might have been sporterized in the U.S. for an American cartridge, but Austria and Germany had a lot of sports shooting and hunting and obsolete military rifles were often converted for sporting use. The set trigger was part of the conversion.

The current caliber would be anyone's guess, but mine is the 8.15 x 46R, a very popular target round in Germany and Austria. It would be smaller than the .38-56, but in the same general category. You should try to get a chamber cast (use wax for a first try) and maybe the dimensions will work out to something that is available or can be made from another cartridge.

Jim

[bigtrucker06]

Thanks for the info. Any idea what it may be worth?

[bigtrucker06]

I made a wax cast of the chamber and came up with a .308 bore, .575 neck width, .505 case width, 2.10 case length, 1.10 case length to beginning taper and 1.30 case length to end taper. Any ideas with these measurements of what this could be?

[Jim K]

Can you explain what you mean by neck width and case width. The neck can't be .575 in diameter if the bullet is .308. If the terms mean rim diameter and case diameter just ahead of the rim, it sounds something like the old .33 Winchester.

Jim