New Rössler Signature Stutzen rifle, a very special bridge between a modern manual cocking system and a traditional hunting rifle

When the term "Stutzen" is used in hunting circles, it refers to compact, short-barrelled and lightweight rifles, be they break-barrel or bolt-action rifles, characterised by the so-called full stock, which extends forwards to the muzzle. Traditionally, the Stutzen has its largest fan base in the German-speaking Alpine region. This is no wonder, as these easy-to-handle and not overly heavy hunting rifles were and still are very popular for mountain hunting, especially for chamois and red deer. Many traditional hunters, especially in Bavaria and Austria, love the pleasing silhouette of the full-length stock and regard the Stutzen as a piece of home – and for them it is as much a part of their own culture and custom as traditional Alpine dress. It is therefore no wonder that some well-known gun manufacturers nowadays also market their modern break-barrel or bolt-action rifles with a full stock as a Stutzen. One of these tradition-conscious gunsmiths is the Austrian family business RöWa (Rössler Waffen, Austria) from Kufstein am Inn. Rössler is now also offering its "Signature" bolt-action rifle model with manual cocking, which we have already presented and tested in detail on all4hunters.com, with a stock that extends up to the muzzle and is appropriately called the Signature Stutzen.

The new stock of the Rössler Signature

For the stock of its new Signature Stutzen, the manufacturer relies on tried and tested walnut wood in the traditional manner. In typical Alpine style, the buttstock is fitted with a pig's back and a Bavarian cheek piece with double fold. On the pistol grip and the contact surface for the front hand, a non-slip and elegant checkering provides the necessary grip.

Hunting bolt-action rifles with one-piece full stocks sometimes have problems due to heating when several shots are fired in quick succession or due to wetness, both of which can lead to stock warping. The barrel may then rest against the wood and cannot swing freely in the stock, which in turn has a negative effect on accuracy. In order to eliminate this problem, Rössler has split the stock for the Signature at about half the length of the barrel and attached the short front end of the stock directly to the barrel, while the rest of the barrel protrudes from the receiver embedded in it with sufficient distance to the wood, as with a standard half stock. The two-part stock of the Signature stock is designed in such a way that the oscillation behaviour of the barrel is not negatively affected.

This also makes sense to us because Rössler is probably one of the first manufacturers to equip the Stutzen rifle with a muzzle thread for silencer mounting as standard. When using a silencer, the barrel naturally heats up faster and more intensely than without it when firing rapid strings. However, if you wish, you can also do without the silencer thread, in which case the standard barrel length of 51 cm for the Signature Stutzen is reduced by around 1.5 cm, i.e. by the area that would otherwise necessarily extend beyond the end of the fore-end to accommodate a silencer. The buyer is also free to order the Signature stock with or without open sights. Like all Signature models, the new full-stock version is supplied with a steel Picatinny rail factory mounted on the receiver, so that there are plenty of options for the personally preferred aiming optics and their mounting.

Caliber range and scope of delivery of the new Rössler Signature Stutzen

As the action of the Signature is designed to easily accept interchangeable barrels and all 51-cm long and 17-mm thick barrels designed by RöWa for standard calibers fit into the stock, the range of calibers available for the new full-stock model also matches the previous range for the Signature in standard calibers. These are the .308 Winchester, 8x57 IS, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55 SE, 7x64, .30-06 Springfield and 9.3x62. A removable 3-round magazine made of sturdy stainless steel sheet is used to supply ammunition. The Signature Stutzen comes in a sturdy RöWa gun case made of impact-resistant polypropylene with a custom-fit foam insert together with detailed operating instructions and the Allen key required for changing the barrel. Even with this tool, Rössler pays attention to quality and user-friendliness – it is a high-quality key with a T-handle. In Germany, the Rössler Signature Stutzen is available at a non-binding recommended retail price of €2,885. As usual with RöWa, the Signature Stutzen is also available as a genuine left-hand version at no extra charge.

Rössler Signature Stutzen technical specifications and price

A detailed test report on the new Rössler Signature Stutzen will follow soon here on all4hunter.com. We are testing the rifle pictured at the beginning of this article in .308 Winchester, with a Manul M6 2-12x42i scope from Nightpearl and a Hausken silencer model SK156 MK2 .30 attached using an I-Swift Quicklock adapter set – so check back with us from time to time.