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

I picked up a German shotgun today at a gunshow. The barrels are marked " O G Scherell - Berlin W-35". The floorplate is marked "Herold eingth schutzmarke"

Very highly relief engraving. 16 ga., Nitro barrels. Horn trigger guard and butt plate. Cocking indicators and greener style crossbolt.

Any info would be appreciated.

Sounds like a nice gun. Photos of the proofs would help. You might also try http://www.germanguns.com.

Oswald G. Scherell was a well known - or even "the leading" - Prussian gunsmith in the early 20th century, but the origin of Sherells as gunsmiths goes back to 1834 (or possibly earlier). Soon after WWI he developed and marketed Shaftol, even now the leading German stock oil. Known from the 1930s are guns marked "Waffen Scherell Berlin" (Waffen = arms). Some years ago Shaftol was offered by Hans Scherell, Mainz, but is now owned by Klever (Ballistol).
With kind regards,
Jani

Thank you gentleman. I will post as soon as I get photos.

After Hans Scherell, and before Klever, Scherell's Shaftol was offered by Andrea Berger-Scherell of Mainz, grand daughter of gunsmith Oswald G. Scherell. So I beleive Hans Scherell was Oswald's son, who seemingly emigrated from Berlin to Mainz after WWII.
BTW I bought a couple of containers of Shaftol at the IWA Nurmberg International Arms Fair maybe twenty years ago, from an older gentleman in his 70s I would say, and now I'm quite confident that I was in fact dealing with Hans Scherell himself. I still use that same Scherell's Schaftol to good effect.
- Jani

Yes, pics would be nice. This is the 2nd O.G. Scherell peddled example, http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=163521#Post163521 , posted in a week. From what I've gathered, I too think the O. G. Scherell firm began in 1834. I would assume that he obtained his master's brief before founding his firm so he was born circa 1810. I've read also that he was a top notch gunsmith but I find it difficult to put him at the top considering all the other makers. I haven't seen a trade label but I would assume he was sourced by a Royal Court or 2. Here is a pic of his shop in 1934 from an oil peddling advert.: http://www.schaftol.de/English/english.html .




I think that after his death in the 1880s or 1890s, both a wild guess, that his company heavily sourced Suhl and that he either advertised he had a shop there or they had an office there to acquire longarms and/or components. Prior to mechanization pretty much all of the gunsmiths excelled at the craft as many of the components were made inhouse. And your example of the Herold, Franz Jaeger's patent, also confirms the Suhl sourcing. Does it have 2 locking lugs on the outside? Could you check the spelling on eingth of "Herold eingth schutzmarke"? It means something of the sort of Herold protected brand. Simson purchased some of Jaeger's patents or they were shared so I expect to see Suhl proofhouse marks and Suhl maker's marks and possibly sourced from Simson. It seems that in the 1930s the name Waffen Scherell Berlin was used and after 100 years they may have adopted that tradename.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I love this place. I ask for info and even get a picture of the guys shop. Unbelievable. I will post pics soon. Two locking lugs? I don't understand I do know it has two separate hooks spaced an inch or so apart that show through the floor plate. Even the area between the tips of muzzles is engraved.

Sounds like Jaeger's design as found in a circa 1910/1911 catalogue here, http://www.germanguns.com/books/R013.html , which would make a good pairing along with a GGCA membership, that is if you aren't already a member. Somewhere I picked up the term for the muzzle crosshatching as a menancing muzzle.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I have to post pics..this is getting tantalizing.