Zug? Zeughs? Shotgun

[cchase]

Hi all,

Recently acquired this shotgun from a family member. I am not sure of the age of it other than it is potentially over 100 years old. The only markings on it are on the barrel, as shown in picture.

What I can get out if it is ZEUGHS, ZUG 381, and The Tracker.

I'd love to find out more about this but so far I have come up dry in everything.

 

[Ron James]

It looks to be a converted military musket or also called a Zulu. During the 1860-1880's there were millions of left over European long arms which were surplus. No one wanted these old muzzleloading guns . Solution, use a French version of the British Snider breech loading action. Very inexpensive way to make a buck on these old guns. Sold mail order for 3-4 dollars in the 1880/1890's. We did the same thing after the Civil War with the Springfield 45-70 Trapdoor, Except the Springfield was much better quality. There's not much interest in these old Zulu guns except as a display piece.

 

[cchase]

Thanks for the quick reply,

Did they fire a ball or shot? I know next to nothing about guns and am not interested in selling this or anything, just curious what the heck it is.

 

[Ron James]

They were converted to fire a shotgun cartridge, usually 10 or 12 gauge, black powder. I know I don't have to add this but what the hey, This old warrior shoud not be fired. The steel is old and tired after a hundred and so years.

 

[Jim K]

It obviously started out as a military type rifle/musket of some kind. With a lot of work, I might be able to find out more, but a quicker way might be to look at the lockplate for any markings, or provide a photo of the lockplate.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

The usual Zulu is a side opening design like a Snider; this gun looks like it opens forward like a Trapdoor Springfield. As Jim K says, it would take some looking to find its ancestry.

 

[CrashnBurns]

Cchase,

I have been searching the net for any information on the "Zeughs: ZUG" I could find. My father left me one of these that is still a percussion musket. Until finding these posts, I had come up completely blank. I was starting to think I had the only one!

I hope you have found more inforation in the past few months. If so, please post.

Thanks for the ray of hope!

Crash