the company of Otto Bock Berlin seems to be somewhat of a mystery - have been searching the net for some time now and apart from the info that he 'invented' the 9.3x62 cartridge in 1905 there is very little that I was able to find.
-apparently as a 'german' big game cartridge for the boys in the colonies - if I understand correctly as an equivalent to the 375 H&H Mag. (before WW1 there was 'Deutsch Süd-West', now Namibia, and Tanganyika, now Tanzania) - and of course he would have provided the rifles in that caliber, not a bad business plan!
If I remember correctly, the reason for the new cartridge was that the abundant Mauser actions of the time were too short for the longer cartridges like .375 and the 9.3's i.e. 72 or 74mm
therefore those calibers were only available in expensive double rifles (break action).
By shortening the cartridge to 62mm he could use the Mauser action and produce a relatively cheaper gun.
I found an address somewhere as:
Kronenstrasse 9, Berlin
google earth shows that address right in the centre of Berlin, near where the Imperial Palace ('Stadtschloss' I think) used to be (the East Germans blew it up (what was left of it after WW2) in the 50's or 60's.
Otto Bock was imho most likeley 'Hoflieferant' to Kaiser Wilhelm II
The action of this gun reminds me of a Merkel 213 which I used to own (20b/.243) so perhaps the action was made by Merkel?
Difficult to say, but perhaps someone on this forum might have some idea.
I noticed that you already have some german-speakers on this forum, but if I can ever be of help with a translation, I'd be happy to oblige.
regards
Gunter
Last edited by Gunter; 04/30/12 08:49 PM.
