Rifle for stalking, Jan Nelleman (I), c. 1680 - c. 1690
engraving, l 103.1cm More details
A rifle is a gun with a rifled barrel. This means that spirally wound grooves have been cut inside the barrel to make the bullet spin, thereby greatly increasing accuracy. During the 17th century rifles were fitted with this kind of short, heavy barrel to aid successful ‘stalking’ – the stealthy pursuit and ambush of large game. The name on the barrel, Samuel Ridderspore, is that of the gun’s owner, who was probably a Swede.
