doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com GECO Hammer 12 Dbbl

1932 Mfg. Has anyone info re: who actually built this gun? Gustav Genschow was the distributor I understand and the piece may have actually produced in Suhl, Germany. Any help on the history would be appreciated.....

If you post pictures of the gun, especially the action and barrel flats I'll bet you will get an answer.

The GECOs of the time period that you mention, that I have acutally seen were Sauers - but others built guns for GECO.

Welcome, you are at the right place for answers.

Geco sold guns made by several good makers, including J P Sauer as well as Simson & Co. of Suhl, and a couple of not quite as good makers from Belgium. It'll all depend on what you have. Photos will tell the tale, as noted above.

Also if you have a serial number on the left side of the rear lug, as well as the serial number in general, will provide some insight and could indicate Sauer manufacture. Not all the numbers but say the 1st 3 and the total number of the data string. I think the Beglains to have had the ability to produce a comparable longarm, but price points precludes/prohibits them from doing so. What leads you the to the 1932 date, a stamped date code or letter that is connected with at date code? Are the barrel flat stamps of German origin?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

URL: Photobucket.com_Carnivore_2009
Hope this works for photos

It took a little searching but the site is: http://s442.photobucket.com/albums/qq150/carnivore_bucket/GECO/ . Some interesting marks on the Krupp tubes. I don't see a date stamp but there's a shadow on the barrel flats pics. I don't think it is dated, which would make it a pre-Sept. 1923 longarm and it has the "Eagle Nitro" stamp noting post 1912 proofing/proving. The stamp of "Germany" on the stock for export as the country of origin may narrow the date. I can't say yet whether Sauer made it or not but a pic of the area between the flats and the barrel lug as well as some light on the underside of the right tube. The left tube tube is choked and the right appears to not have any constriction.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I will get some more photos and post them as soon as I can -----Thanks

I have observed quite a few GECO shotguns, they were made by Sauer, Simson and FN. From the little information I have found it seems that GECO was/is a Sporting Goods Distrubiter in Hamberg, Germany.
May I suggest that you use a mat of white, gray or tan as a background for your photos, it makes viewing by us old guys easier.
Regards

I think Hamburg was a satellite office or subset division, along with Hamm, Koln(Cologne), Konigsberg, Suhl and Wien, where they may have sub-ed or farmed their work out, but also seem to have gunsmiths on staff. GECO had facilities, possibly factories, at Durlach, Wolfartsweier and Hachenburg circa the mid 1920s with headquarters at Berlin SW 68, Charlottenstrasse 6.

It could be a Simson forging. Is there a triple set of triangles with an "S" anywhere on it? Also the stamp of "Germany" could put it circa 1920.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

There is a stamp of a Crown with an S on it on the underside of each barrel ---also the likeness of an Eagle on each barrel [underside ] and on exposed on each side barrel "Nitro" and on the exposed on the lower right side the stamp, Germany.......