Was GECO the conglomerate the East Germans formed after the war for sporting guns?

I know Gustov Genshow and Co. was around in 29 and 31 as I have the catalogs from those two years. The catalog shows dozens of buildings that look as though the occupy two city blocks, so I suspect Genschow (the company) was around long before that, and maybe Genschow (the cartridge manufacturer) may have started first, before manufacturing guns.

If you no one knows the history of GECO off hand, I will dig up the catalogs and post the info...but it's probably in German

Robert:
Please accept this in the spirit it is intended.
Gustav Genschow, as a 25 year old man, commenced business as a wholesaler in Berlin in 1887. He was a seller of primers, shot, shot shells and rifle ammunition.His reputation was excellent and his business grew well. He commenced to buy up competitors in the early 1890s. Expanding rapidly, he opened a branch in Vienna in 1912 and renamed his business Gustav Genschow and Co.
In 1924 be bought out Deutsche Werke AG in Berlin-Spandau and started to build 22 cal. target rifles.
His business grew to several German cities and is still known as a brand of ammunition manufactured by a subsidiary of Dynamit Nobel AG.
I hope this little info is helpful.
Best,
John

Wasn't "GECO" just a name put on Sauers and Simsons to extend their respective trade areas--like Pontiac, Buick and Chevy? I have had a few of these and they are great, if basic no frills, workhorses. I think they are all in 12 gauge. If this topic went totally over my head, I apologize.

Gil et al:
I seem to remember that GECO's name was on shotguns. But, I have no real knowledge of any shotgun production by the company.
The Nazis did take over the German gun companies and we all know what they did to Simson.
It was the USSR that stole and moved most of the machinery from Germany, leaving very little when compared to what was there before their rape of the industrial equipment.
Hopefully others with more knowledge will post more/better info.
But, I do not think that the original GECO built any shotguns. But as Russ would say-----
Best,
John

GECO was stamped on the barrels and butt plate. I have one and it is a pre-WWII Sauer. They may have finished some from Sauer & Simpson, but I think that they just peddled hunting and sporting guns in Hamburg, Frankfort, Nurnberg & Konigsberg.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

John,

The only thing I'm sure of is that they were around in 29...and the only reason I know that is because of the catalog...

Thats not the first time I've heard about their association with the cartridge industry...

The Geco's Ive owned (2) had cocking indicators on top where Sauers never (or rarely) had them..

I own a nice 8mm rifle by GECO. Paid almost nothing for it. I think it's quite nice and more than adequate rifle.







I have no idea why it has two safties.

Today, Geco is known in Germany (and Europe in general, including Slovenia) mostly as a brand of ammunition. A fresh Geco .308W ammo box I have is marked Dynamit Nobel, Fürth, Germany.
Regards,
Jani

Geco was mostly a trading company? that mostly had the guns built for them by other German manufacturers. They sold by mail-order catalogues and had great turnover. They went out of business either with Hitler's coming over or with the start of the WW2, can't remember exactly, but they didn't revive after 1945

There were numerous East German unions of sporting arms manufacturors, following several organisations, including the Autovelo Trust, Ernst Telman cooperation, and something else I can't remember at the moment.

John Mann - I strongly recommend you to be less free with words like "rape" and "stole" when talking about what happened with the gun manufacturing facilities in postwar Germany. To note, there wasn't really that much equipment taken - which can be proved by the numbers of post-war East German gun manufacture, if nothing else. But the fact that you seem to overlook is - what you describe as a theft, was actually done under a legal reparation agreement, ratified by all the Allies, including the United States.

GECO did NOT go out of business after 1945 and I have proof right here in the form of a S&W Victory model 38 revolver.
I acquired this several years ago complete with web belt and holster and was puzzled with the GECO stamp on it.
I susequently was able to find out the following:
After the War the military powers in the American sector wanted to minimize the availability of all types of firearms to the population. All police departments were order to turn in their issued pistols primarily Lugers and P38s. They we re-issued S&W Victory revolvers chambered in 38 S&W Long. The choice of this revolver and caliber I have been told was due to the ammunition being largely unavailable so this allowed effective control.
This apparentely was handled thru GECO hence the markings on this pistol.
Jim

Mike,
Your rifle has two safties so you can release the set trigger. I think the greener style saftey is for pulling the set trigger to release it without a discharge. I had one once.
Ross

My first "classic" side by side was a pre-war Sauer 16 with the "snail's ears" cocking indicators on top, much like the early Ithaca NID's. But I'd guess that on Sauers, more of them probably had the cocking indicators on the sides of the receiver. At least based on the ones I've seen.

Thanks Ross.

The Geco marked guns often seen were simply retailed by that very large firm under an arrangement similar to American firms that marketed such guns as the Revelation, Western Field, J C Higgins, and Ted Williams brands of guns. They were simply provided in bulk by another known maker and roll stamped with the name the retailer used, in the case above: Geco. They had trade agreements with and retailed guns made by both Simson and Sauer, I have had both, maybe have some in now, I'll have to look. These two particular lines are often seen and usually sell for less than the identical gun with the true parent company name on it. They also sold a lower priced line or two of Belgian made guns with the Geco name. There is a good bit of information available on the Geco firm through reprints available from the German Gun Collectors Association.

Thanks all, then what's the brand name of the East German conglomerate that was comprised of Simson and others, post war?

Also, isn't Sauers trademark a man with a hammer? Would Sauer made Geco's be marked such?

Recoil:

I believe the GECO Sauers have either 2 offset "S"s side by side with an overstamped small "u" or 3 intertwined "S"s with a circle at their base. Yeah, "man with a hammer": I've been corrected a few times that it is Hercules with a staff.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

It would be a very rare, if any at all, Sauer gun that did not have a Sauer mark. Those barreled actions that they sold to other makers possibly did not, but the finished guns did.
Best,
John

I almost forgot...Chief reminded me..

GECO sold their Belgian shotguns, for at least part of the time, marked "GECADO"...during the same period they also sold German boxlocks marked GECO

I'll try to dig up the catalog and verify that spelling...I'll post the info in the form of a photo, for the guys who want save it for their records

The Russain translation of it sounds something like "Ernest Thelman's Suhl firearms manufactoreres union", can't get the German original at hand now. At a time, it was also called the "Autovelo trust".

H-D, little off.
Your name Jury? Did you buy 16G Sauer SL from me?

The Fortuna-marked guns (East German Sauers) were made at VEB Ernst Thalmann Werk. The sale of those guns, along with other East German-made shotguns (like Buhag and Merkel) was handled by Deutscher Innen & Aussenhandel. I expect one of those names is the conglomerate you were looking for.

Last year at the Louisville show, a dealer I've done business with had a Geco 16 ga. boxlock with the cross bolt. Asking i think 350.00. I didn't buy it, but i think i should have. Would have been a good donor for a double rifle conversion.

Here's the GECO marking on the S&W Victory revolver I described in a previous post:
Jim

No 8-)

GECO was (at one point) based in Durlach, aka Karlsruhe, which I believe was not in East Germany but close to France.