jaeger, yager, ?

[6thtexas]

I read a lot of early Texas history. One type of rifle often spoken of from 1836 to 1860 is a "yager". Anyone have a clue to what exactly was meant by that term? I am thinking the term was used generically for about any short barreled, large bore rifle. I have seen 1841 Mississippis referred to by that term. Could the term originally come from the early German settlers in Texas? In the great book "The Texas Gun Trade" the majority of gunsmiths listed seem to have German surnames. I wonder what would constitute a proper "yager" for the Republic era (1836-1845).

 

[Grenadier1758]

@6thtexas, "yager" is the German pronunciation of "jaeger". By the 1840's any short barreled, large bored rifle could have been called a "yager" after the large bored, short barreled German hunting rifle of the 1750's. In German, jaeger means hunter.

 

[6thtexas]

Appreciate it. I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has ever seen an example of such a rifle that was actually used during the days of the Texas Republic. What specifically was a yager in that time and place? If one was to have a authentic rifle built, what would it look like and what features would it have (apart from, of course, a short barrel and a large bore)