doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help with a German double rifle (photos included)

Steven:

I too thank you for the effort in managing and posting the pics. I first thought the white dots to be pearl but I'm now leaning toward ivory. It was made by Valentin Funk. I'm curious if the 8 groove rifling is straight. It's a wonderful piece and the only thing I see missing is the Prussian/Berlin nipple safety which is apparent by the 2 screw holes and the rectangular notch in the lock where the spring would have rested.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Hi:

Thank you for the help and information provided.

I will take photos of the barrels flat as Raimey asked; also will check if the rifling are straight and measure the caliber.

The owner does not have any interest in selling the rifle, but do you have a guess about the monetary value of that piece in the USA?

Best,

Jose

Raimey:

I just sent to your e-mail the barrel flat photos and the information you asked about.
I am not sure, but seems that 1844 is the year of manufacture !!!

Best,

Jose

Jose:

I've viewed them and they beautiful tubes with interesting marks. I would of guessed circa 1840 as per other examples of the period so I'd say 1844 is correct. There looks to be the old Suhl mark of an ax and sole mark along with a "BL" or "RL"(tube maker or barrel drawer) and a couple of large "P"s. It looks like you can feel the tube pattern from the acid dip; can you?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Added pictures:









I would agree on the 1844 date, also.

Last fall Puglisi offered another ornate V.Funk percussion double rifle of about the same bore size for somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000 if I recall correctly. Here's one picture from that listing:



That rifle is no longer listed, so evidently someone thought it was worth that much. I certainly lusted after it!

I’m almost positive that Valentin Friedrich/F.R.(?) Langenhan of Mehlis made the tubes. Friedrich Langenhan commenced in 1842 as a gunsmith/metal working business and by mid 1850s had moved to Zella St. Blasii. Circa 1886 Hermann Langenhan had the reins and soon after F.R. Langenhan was involved in the 1890s bicycle craze. In the 1930s they made the F.L. – Selbstlader Armee Modell pistol and ceased to exist in 1949 due to a seemingly forced merger to VEB WERK METEOR – Zella-Mehlis with other metal works/barrel making firms such as Andreas Jopp, Wilhelm Wagner & Sons, Franz Schmidt, A. Ansorg, Otto & Gustav Barthelmes, Artur and Karl Buchel, Hugo Funck/Funk?, Heinrich Wissner and others with Max Horning as manager. These firms were primarily metal working companies with an emphasis on tubes and possibly forgings.


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

beautiful piece! I am amazed at how helpful everyone is and astounded at the knowledge everyone that has posted has.

beautiful piece! I am amazed at how helpful everyone is and astounded at the knowledge everyone that has posted has.