doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com JJ Reeb German shotgun

I've been able to find very little on this maker,or examples of his work.any information would be greatly appreciated. My camera just flat blurs when trying to get any photos of the proof marks. one barrel is marked 16.2, the other,16.8. the watertable is marked "not for ball" (in German) . It is not marked "nitro". There is one proof of the letter "m" with a star above,and one with three letters in a pear shaped circle. A 4 digit serial number,"JB", and four marks i can not make out on the barrel rib also. seems like very few proof marks compared to "modern" firearms.
http://s1281.photobucket.com/albums/a504/tauber1911/

I picked this up in trade for one of my handmade guitars,with intent of refinishing(home gunsmith)to hang in my gun room,but once i had it in my hands,well, she might be rare and i would hate to mess up some history.
thanks for any help,
Matt

Someone should be along shortly to tell you more about your gun. It is a pretty nice old gun. I would proceed with caution befor doing any home gunsmithing until you see just what you have.

"Johann Jakob Reeb (1843-1924) started his business in 1870 at Josephstrasse 49 in Bonn, taking over the business of Ewqld Becher. In 1872 he was located at Dreieck 6 in Bonn and in 1877 added an additional workshop and major retail business with guns and accessories in 1877. In 1883 he moved to M�nsterplatz 17 and is listed as Hofb�chenmacher since 1887 and as a gun manufacturer. He outfits two expeditions for the Africa explorer Schilling. He retires from the business in 1909."

I believe the above to be correct. Reeb mainly sourced the mechanics in Zella-Mehlis and Liege with yours being sourced from Liege. JB will be a Belgian craftsman. I'm curious if the sporting weapon wears REBO or some other trademark.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

No sir, no trademarks that i could find," Hofb�chenmacher" is on the right crest around the hammer, "JJ Reeb Dunn" around the left. I of course won't do anything to her until researched much more(was originally thinking it was just some old sears or such,as it has sat in the corner of a buddys garage for over two years that i know of...) . Curious, anybody shoot these old pieces? she looks capable. any source for load information? does this take brass shells?
Thanks again,
Matt

Hofb�chsenmacher is just a marketing title and warranted a yearly fee to a court, most of the time just a figure-head court, where he had previously submitted examples in order to be dubbed the title. Bonn was where he hailed from. Is it a 20 or 16 bore. Equate the service pressure at the time with a current 65mm cartridge and it should be fine but you may want to have it inspected by someone who knows and may save your fingers.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I have had 2 of them in my shop over the years, both of exceptional quality.

Raimey do you know where that quote came from? I have seen it in German but wonder who wrote it. We have a JJ Reeb boxlock double rifle in the family and it has been difficult to find much on the gunmaker. I remember reading somewhere that August Pachmayr was trained by Reeb. This website might help.

http://myplace.frontier.com/~reedfamily142/id1.html

Channing

Channing:
I have seen it several times and think it to be from Der Neue St�ckel by Heer - See GGCA Nr. 33(Summer 2007) at page 23. Freddie Brunner I think worked for Pachmayr and should be able to confirm that. After the 1887 dubbing I don't think they applied much effort on their wares but mainly sourced from Liege.

This German:

"Zu Reeb: Reeb Johann Jakob, Bonn 1843-1892. Beginnt 1867 seine Tatigkeit; 1870, Josephstr 49 als Nachfolger von Ewald Becher. 1872, Dreieck 6; fuhrt 1877 zus�tzlich zur Werkstatt ein grosses Gesch�ft fur Waffen und Jagdzubeh�r. 1883, M�nsterplatz 17. Seit 1887 Hofb�chsenmacher. Betreibt eine Waffenfabrik. R�stet zwei Expeditionionen des Afrika-Forschers Schilling ("Im Zauber des Elelescho" - lesen!) aus. Zieht sich 1909 aus dem Gesch�ftsleben zuruck. Seine S�hne Philip und Hans fuhren das Geschaft weiter. Hans wird 1911 Meister und �bernimmt das Gesch�ft in Bonn mit der Bezeichnung "JJ Reeb jun., Hofb�chsenmacher, Bonn". "

I've seen him listed as Johann Jakob Reeb, 6 Gangolf strasse; and Reebo, 19 Poststrasse. Nuremberg and think that to be post WWII.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

1902 Listing and it appears he won a silver medal, or something similar, for his wares in the same year. I would guess his telegraph to be Rebo or Reebo:

Reeb, J. J., Hofb�chsenmacher; Waffen - Fabrik; Jagd- und Sport - Ausr�stung, M�nster�platz 2. Tel. 637

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Apparently Johann Jakob Reeb hung out his shingle in Bonn in 1870 and was at Drayek 6 in 1877. Being born in 1843, he should have been on his walkabout in 1867 when he arrived in Bonn, where he must have worked for a local gunsmith(Ewald Becher - acquired business in 1870/1872?) until he hung out his gun making shingle(makes you wonder if he married the daughter of Ewald Becher). For now I don't know which court, but in 1877 he was dubbed Hofb�chsenmacher. I believe it was at the 1881 International Hunting Exhibit in Kleve, Netherlands that J.J. Reeb won a silver medal for his wares. During this same time he advertised as have a myriad of quality sporting weapons with tubes/tubesets from Britian & Liege noting his address was at M�nsterplatz 17a. So early on he established sourcing lines to Britian and Liege and the Liege theme continues pretty much unabated.

He had 2 sons, Phillip & Hans/Johann Jakob, Junior?? Hans was born in 1883 and obtained his master's brief in 1911, about the same time when Johann Jakob Reeb retired in 1909. The Boys Reeb continued the firm for a couple of years and in 1911 they divorced and split the Reeb gunmaking sheet. On his walkabout, Hans gained experience in shops of the skilled craftsmen in Liege & Suhl. Typically at the age of 24 one would attain the rank of master but in 1907 & 1908 Hans went on a couple of expeditions with Alexander Koenig to Greenland & Svalbard. By 1913 Prince Frederick William dubbed him supplier to the court. In 1937 a Carl Gehtenberg, brother-in-law of Hans?, purchased the concern while Hans was a gunsmith at Potsdam to support the war effort. After WWII Hans Reeb used the trademark Reebo at a hunting haberdashery store at the corner of Poststrasse & M�nsterstrasse. I believe it was referred to as Reebo-Haus.

Info on Phillip Reeb is scarce & it appears at some point he was appointed Hoflieferant or Hofb�chsenmacher. There is a Phillip Reeb example that looks to have been made for Kaiser Wilhlem II and it was forwarded on to his nephew, Duke Robert or Duke Phillip??? The sporting weapon lacks triggers as well as a triggerguard bow and may have been made for rabbit hunting. D.R.G.M./Gebrauchsmuster 245452 of 1905/1906 seems to cover it. If it has the initials WB twice on the water table and I would venture a guess that concern Willibald Barthelmes might have been involved. But it does have that uniform engraving on the top of the frame as seen on may Reeb examples so either of the concerns might have added adornment but the bulk of the effort was sourced. I can lift some images if anyone is interested in seeing the action and I'll try to find to whom D.R.G.M./Gebrauchsmuster 245452 is assigned. Hopefully the split of the Boys Reeb will explain the trademarks Rebo & Reebo.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse