What The Heck is This Thing????

[poconoauction]

I'm a new poster on these forums and figured somebody here HAS to know what the heck this lunker is! Huge bore - unusual side bayonet mount and it appears to be early military. I'll include a link to the photos of all the close - ups. All parts numbered 1873. There are some proof marks as shown. Thanks for any help you can offer. It will be great to finally figure out what this thing is.
Here is a link to photos:

http://home.ptd.net/~caric/bprifle.jpg

[gew8805]

You have a good one, it is a Norwegian M1821/41/51 Kongsberg jäger rifle. They are not at all common and especially hard to find in the US. For more information on Norwegian military firearms from 1685 - past WW2, see:

Norwegian military small-arms (http://norskevaapen.wordpress.com/)

Excellent information and fantastic photography by a very knowledgeable collector in Norway.

[poconoauction]

Bingo! Right on! For the life of me I could not figure out what kind of bayonet went on this thing....that thing is crazy looking. I'm now well on my way in researching this most interesting rifle. Thanks for the help with the ID. I would never have found that in a hundred years.

[gew8805]

You know, you can find all kinds of interesting things on the internet, by accident or on purpose. I just stumbled on an earlier version of the current site a few years ago and it has come in handy on several occasions. Other than Krags, Norwegian arms are not common in this country. Glad to be of help. :wave: