I've read that in the late 1880s August Louis(Nov. 22nd, 1868 – May 1st, 1945-Berlin), son of Ernst Friedrich Schlegelmilch(1820-1881) & Friederike Luise Kessler(1826-1892), was dubbed Koeniglicher Ober-Buechsenmacher or the King's chief gunmaker at Spandau, which was a location near Berlin as well as Potsdam and in 1722 the King had persuaded some of the gunmakers of the utmost talent to relocate there. Later it became an arsenal. I don't want to too quickly elevate August Louis Schlegelmilch's status but he did make several bolt action arms for Kaiser Wilhelm I, I think. I'm not sure if the title of King's chief gunmaker was earned or given. But you did have to pay a yearly tribute or fee to the King or court(imagine that) to retain or use the title.
This may be a little off topic but I wanted to note it while it was on my mind, but in 1904/1905 Arthur Gleinich, who I assume also worked in Berlin/Potsdam/Spandau w/ August Louis Schlegelmilch, looks to have been responsible for the change from the military bullet diameter 8.09mm to 8.22mm(S-Patrone introduced April 3rd, 1903):
http://www.google.com/patents?id=hakiAAA...ad=0_0#PPA2,M1. I lifted this somewhere and it may have been from one of John Walter's texts:
The 8x57mm came out originally in 1888, for the German Commission rifle of that year. The cartridge was designed by committee. Original bullet diameter was .318" and the bullet was a about 196gr or around 14.7 grams and in a round nose configuration. This was the 8x57J. “J” begins the German word for Infantry or I(J)nfanterie.
8X57IR (Infantry – Rimmed)
Bullet Diameter: 8.09mm or .3185” (.318”)
Barrel Land Diameter: 7.80mm or .3071”
Barrel Groove Diameter: 8.07mm or .3177”
8X57IRS (Infantry – Rimmed – Spitzer)
Bullet Diameter: 8.22mm or .3236” (.323”)
Barrel Land Diameter: 7.89mm or .3106”
Barrel Groove Diameter: 8.20mm or .3228”
But getting back on the Schlegelmilch track, the Ernst Steigleder klan purchased the Reinhold Schlegelmilch facility from the heirs of Reinhold Schlegelmilch in 1917. As far as I know Reinhold Schlegelmilch was into crockery and not sporting arms. Ernst Steigleder's widow sold the facility in 1931 making deals with Gebruder Merkel & Sauer to source examples from them. Ernst Steigleder's(Nov. 1874 - 1929) father was a barrel borer at C.G. Haenel but I am not sure of his first name. But Ernst Steigleder's mother's name was Anne Dorothee Siebelist.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
