doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Opinions Please

Your action looks much like the late Haenel K-Sport action used in the early 1960's. I had one in .22 Hornet years ago.

The action in the photos looks very much like the previopusly mentioned Kettner rifle described by deHass in his single shot book. Another photo of an action like that shown is in J. J. Grant's Boy's Single Shot Rifles where he identifies it as a Schmidt & Habermann. In a later book deHass identifies the action of a rifle made by Kommer and similair in appearance to the one in the Photos as Schmidt & Habermann. As Vall mentions, the, the action has some of the characteristics of The Haenel K-Sport.

It appears unlikely that the action is a Hauck as this action is somewhat bulky, appears to be deeper through the action and did not have a top tang. Have only seen one a number of years ago but it had no safety and one had to push the finger lever foreward prior to it swinging down. Avilable photos of this action show no tang and no safety - although some specifications for this action do list a safety as available as an option.

The action does look very Germanic. Depending on what era Shelhamer did most of work one might be able to eliminate one or more of these actions.

My best guess is that this was an action manufactured in Germany or possibly Austria and made available to the trade after WW1

Bill

If that's a Hauck, it would be the very rare (like unseen...) "miniature Hauck"! The Hauck's I've seen are much beefier, plus the other differences as noted. Very German, and very neat.

Personally I wouldn't chamber it for REALLY hot ctgs. without knowing a lot more about it (including the 5.6x50R), but maybe .25-35 for an all 'rounder? Loaded right, it's a gopher to deer stalking rifle--call it a 6.35x52R for consistency? Could the present barrel be rebored to .25-35 (another fix the old guys approved of)?

How about 28-30 just for being a bit different?

Brent

Gasgunner, If you want to go really weird, but with historical precedent, I have a Niedner rifle (44 1/2 action) with a .23 caliber barrel, the cartridge being a necked .28 - 30 case. It happens that Michael Petrov has some tooling for that cartridge, so I sent it up to him, and he has shot it a bit. I don't know if that small increase would clean up your bore and chamber problems.

Personally, I'd be more inclined to go with a rebore to something like .2 - 35 or any of the .25 cartridges mentioned above. However, since Niedner was a wildcatter, maybe you should consider making it into something like .25 Hornet just to keep his spirit happy.

The action in your rifle is NOT a Hauck. I have one in my safe and could take snap shots if anyone wants to see it. There are similarities, but the differences have been pointed out by others. Hauck is much bulkier - I used to own one with an Elmer Herman .45 slug gun barrel (chambered to .45 - 70) whose proportions looked about right. The barrel must have been 1.5" diameter or greater. It may have been stocked by Shelhamer - at least I thought that at the time. I sold it about 35 years ago, so can't check my memory.

John,
Pull that pin on the left, drop out the breechblock and tell me if there is something like DRGM and a number?

If you decide to go bigger then .22 you might consider the timeless .25-Krag.

.25 Hornet, now that's a thought--a 'cat but the right pedigree. .25 Krag is too, but will the action take the upper end of loads for that, which are .257 or even .25-06 levels? As an old fart, I always wonder what the next--"post me"--guy MIGHT do.... And I do love those "little guys". If I lived in Alaska, I'd probably "think bigger"!

Aren't all of these just the nicest kind of quandries/decisions to have? Especially in the middle of a "Decession"?

Michael,
No markings of any kind on either the breach block, receiver, or the barrel other than the poorly and more recently stamped 5.6x50.

John

Hello gasgunner - new guy here - very much enjoy reading all the posts. I have an original german stalking rifle that my dad brought back from ww2. The action looks identical to yours and is also not marked. The barrel is 8.15 by 46R and is marked T. H. Kommer. Like WJW, I have also heard it referred to as a Schmidt & Habermann. My action has no link from the lever to the breechblock, but uses an unusual (to me) camming action. Is yours similar to this? My rifle was made in Zella Mellis (sp?)
and was proofed in May 1939.
Regards, Joe

Yes, I'd call this a linkless action. The block is actuated by a lever or cam protruding from the lever. Very simple design. Hammer is contained within the block.

John