doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need Help In Identifying A German Shotgun

Hello Everyone,

I was hoping there might be someone who can help identify a German Shotgun that I have had in my family for some time.

I've set up a website with detailed photos, but up till now have not been able to get an ID on this beautiful gun.

http://germanshotgun.blogspot.com/

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,

Anthony

Hello Anthony,
This 16g double with German Krupp barrels was proofed in 1929 in Weipert/Vejprty, Czechoslovakia.
Kind regards,
Jani

Hi Jani,

Thanks so much for the quick response. Could you tell me more? How did you come about with the identification?

Thanks,
Anthony

NPw .... Nitro Proof Weipert, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary,1891-1918; Vejprty, Czechoslovakia, 1918-1931 (?)
29....... 1929
These are common Austro-Hungarian markings which were also used post-WWI for a number of years in some of the countries that were constituted in 1918 when Austria-Hungary ceased to exist.
Weipert/Vejprty was an importand gun making center; probably the most well known maker was Gustav Fückert with his patented Kronengewehr (Crown Gun).
Regards,
Jani

Interesting - I agree with Jani, looks like a gun built in Weipert in 1929 by the NPw and numeric string, and yet the barrels show the German Eagle-crown-over-S 'smoothbore' proof mark along with the Weipert marks without any other German marks visible in the photos.

If the complete gun had been built in Germany there would be more German proofs on both barrels and action. The lack of any German proof on the action makes me think that the gun was built in Czechoslovakia and used a set of tubes out of Germany.

Like so many of these pre-WWII guns, establishing just who made it is unlikely, particularly in this case where any German marks on the barrels are unlikely to relate to the gunmaker and the only marks on the action body are Czech.

It's always a wonder to me that whomever made a fine piece like this wouldn't mark it. Unfortunately common, but still a wonderment.

SM, in the day these guns were made, guns were made by the village/town gunmaker, of course. If you had the money and wanted a gun that is where you went. Everyone within his sales area knew him and knew his products. Signing would have been superfluis and ostentatious. I doubt that he ever considered that someday somebody in USA would wonder at his work; quite beyond his imigination. The norms for distribution of goods was vastly different from today. Hard for us to imagine he wouldn't sign his work and equally hard for him to imagine craftsmen of his skill level now vieing for global distribution.

Very Interesting, Thank you all so much for the input. Has anyone noticed the Initials on the butt of the Gun? It looks like "HK" I wonder if this was the owner or the maker?
[img]http://tinyurl.com/5mw92f[/img]
Any idea on the gun's value?

Here is the link to the better photos which may help identify the crest. Click each photo to enlarge.

[url=http://tinyurl.com/6dhf2w ]Close-up photos of crest[/url] http://tinyurl.com/6dhf2w

Thanks so much!
Anthony

The "crest" under NPw actualy seems to be the Czech standing lion mark.
-Jani

Jani is correct. The rampant Bohemian Lion was the mark of the 3rd proof that replaced the double headed eagle. The Weipert Lion has a 2 on his breast plate while the Prague Lion has a 1. Some sources give that the Lion replaced the 2 head eagle in 1931 but there are sources and examples that point toward a replacement date as early as 1928. On the underside of the left tube is that a "R.S." in an oval? The tubes are more than likely from the Sauer plant and were proofed/proved in Suhl hence the German proofmarks and the action(Model 17 less overhanging scears??) could also have been forged at the Sauer plant. Another name of speculation for source or assembly is Robert Schlegelmilch or H&K Schlegelmilch. Although I have seen a drilling with the name of Schiwy of Berlin which had similar pin/screw configurations and I realize yours is a double. Interesting front pin/screw configuration.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
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