Cheek shaft
The cheek stock, also known as the German stock, is the name given to the wooden stock in earlier hand rifles , which was not struck on the shoulder, but was only held on the right cheek of the shooter. It was adopted by the straight-lined "pillars" of the crossbows .
history
In the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, the left side of the shaft was increasingly worked into a sloping cheek, so that the shafts assumed a triangular shape when viewed from the rear. This cheek also protruded deeper than the rest of the shaft. Behind the barrel, the shaft fell down in a curve and then merged into a straight line. Often there was a shallow depression for the thumb of the right hand, while the shooter's middle, ring and index fingers reached into the often semicircular depressions of the large trigger guard, which protected the trigger from unintentional contact. Another characteristic of most cheek shafts is a long, narrow compartment with a sliding lid on the right side of the shaft behind the lock mechanism. This is where the shooter usually kept the plasters, pieces of greased fabric or leather that were placed over the muzzle during loading so that they enveloped the pressed ball. They protected the barrel's features from lead deposits and allowed a slightly under-caliber bullet to be loaded . Most of the weapons with this shaft shape had a wheel lock and were used for hunting. Magnificent weapons often have stocks that are almost completely covered with engraved inlays made of ivory , mother-of-pearl , stag horn or simple cattle bones. Especially in Germany and the entire Alpine region, the Radschlossbüchsen delighted with cheeks stem still a favorite, while parallel already shotguns and rifles with the flintlock were manufactured. The last of these splendid hunting weapons show relief carvings from the Baroque and Rococo. While the early pieces were mostly made of fruitwood ( pear tree ), lively patterned walnut trees dominated from the beginning of the 18th century .
See also
literature
- Wendelin Boeheim, Handbook of Arms, Nachdr. D. Ed. Leipzig 1890, Fourier Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985, pages 449 to 467 and 404 to 425, ISBN 978-3-201-00257-8