doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Your Opinion - Ed Kettner Hammer SxS 16 Ga

Good evening Forum friends. I just won at auction this 16 Ga hammer gun. Does anyone have any information on this maker and some opinion on the quality/age of the gun? The auction described it as Ed Kettner gun, however, I was not able to find any information on an Ed Kettner on a google search. I have not received the gun yet and thus, I do not have any pics of the barrel/water table proof marks. I will post those once I have received the gun. I assume it is an early 1900s gun, given the barrels are marked nitro, with 65mm chambers. I was intrigued mostly by the oak leaf engraving style of the action and the fact the screws have not been touched. Does anyone have a gun with similar engraving or from this maker? Hows does it feel shooting a gun with that type or unusual bone trigger guard? Any information would be greatly appreciated. BillK

Lovely gun seeming worthy of a light restoration given the interior of the barrels are not too badly pitted

Oak-leave engraving typical of German guns as is horn trigger guard

Hi Bill,

Very nice engraving! Sorry I can't help with the maker, but the guard isn't bone, but horn.

Imagine what that old girl looked like new!

SRH

BillK, this is a fairly typical example of higher end German gun making. Kettner was/is a large retailer of all things hunting in Germany. This gun was almost for sure made by one of their makers/manufacturers and not in an in-house shop. They retail a wide variety of guns. The engraving is not unusual for German guns. As for date, not earlier than the 1890's or later than WW I, most likely, maybe. The proof marks will tell the tail/tale. The trigger guard will not be a problem, IME.

Let us know how it is and what you think when it arrives. Nice find!

DDA

Here you go. Very nice!

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...true#Post447548

Just plug the word "Kettner" into the search box over on the left, then be prepared for hours of reading.

Regards
Ken

Very astute Ken61 & that's what is great about this site. I think most of the info was composed from an article by GGCA/Dietrich Apel(note Larry B. Schuknecht is the custodian so I wonder how Dietrich is: http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/). Anyway, the engraving is just lovely & from the few images it would date post 1912.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Very nice high quality hammer gun. Love the engraving. It will look fantastic with a light restoration if you choose to go that route.

Thank you gentlemen. I intend to do a light restoration to the gun. Any recommendations on gunsmiths to carry such an overall light restoration? In the past, I have used Kirk Merrington (for my English guns), Gunter Pfrommer (for mechanical issues on European guns). BillK

BillK,
I didn't see that anyone else mentioned it, but the gun was proofed in Suhl( witness block letters in "Nitro" mark), and was therefore likely made there or near there. If you can manage photos of the proof marks, we can likely tell you more. New England Custom Guns, Dutchman Woodworks, or Doug Turnbull can do very nice work for you, among others.
Mike

For a gun like this I would make a recommendation to Martin Hagn:
http://www.hagnrifles.com/About-Us.html
He has worked also for Kettner and has a big knowledge about old German hunting guns.
A trigger guard in horn is the best of all when it's cold weather, it's more friendly to touch it. Therefore it's used by high end hunting guns especially when a set trigger is installed you cannot use gloves.
Ger