THE JACOB RIFLE

THE 19th century saw huge strides in rifle development, moving in some 50 years from the muzzle-loading rifle to the bolt-action cartridge rifle we would recognise today, a development that often crossed back and forth between the military field and sporting field. The percussion double-barrelled rifle was developed for military use by the then Major, later Brigadier-general, John Jacob. It represents this crisscross development; being designed and developed for the military it also found use on the sporting field.

Jacob was a larger-than-life character who made a name for himself on the North-west Frontier. He was born in 1812, the son of a Somerset vicar. Age 14 he enrolled in the Honourable East India Company’s academy at Addiscombe, and graduated some two years later to serve in the Bombay Artillery. He died in 1858 just as his new rifle was being introduced.

During the First Afghan War (183942), Jacob was attached to the Scinde Irregular Horse, where his natural leadership and easy manner with the native troopers under his command was noted. In late 1841, he was offered the command of the regiment, which he accepted. Over the next 17 years he became a successful soldier and a renowned administrator, so successful in fact that the town of Khangur in Scinde province was officially renamed Jacobabad in his honour in 1851 (it is now the capital of Jacobabad District in North West Pakistan).

Jacob, who had an interest in ballistics, was also intent on improving the arms carried by the Indian soldier. He thought he could improve on the then current rifle, the two groove Brunswick. He proceeded to design a new barrel with an increase in the number of grooves from two to four. Becoming at the same time obsessed with the concept of twin barrels he designed a double rifle with his new four-groove rifling that would take a studded conical bullet also of his own design. It is said this rifle was accurate out to 1,200 yards, the rear sight is certainly graduated for that distance. He would follow this up with a new design for an explosive bullet that consisted of a pointed, copper percussion tube filled with fulminate of mercury that fitted into the nose of the bullet. In 1858, the Birmingham gunmakers CP Swinburn & Son were contracted to produce about 900 rifles and so almost all Jacob rifles post-date his death, being dated 1859, 1860 or 1861. Although made for military use, Swinburn and other gunmakers also produced these rifles for the sporting field with both solid and explosive bullets supplied.

Explosive loads were vigorously marketed as being useful against thick-skinned game. A contemporary sporting writer of the period noted: “The recoil is by no means pleasant. This rifle does not seem to have any advantages at sporting ranges; but for military purposes it has been strongly recommended. Especially in reference to the explosive shells, which are used with it… the shells… require a short, stout barrel. For killing large animals they are particularly qualified; and I should strongly recommend elephant hunters to examine the merits of this rifle.” The Jacob rifle outlasted its designer by a considerable period, especially in the hunting field, with calibres as large as eight-bore being fielded.

The Jacob rifle can be viewed in the Oriental Gallery at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, the national museum of arms and armour. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Pre-booking essential. Tel 0113 220 1916; royalarmouries.org