doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Kettner Drilling 16 ga SxS and 7x57

Matt,
More than likely, the gun was manufactured by someone else and marketed by Franz Kettner. A couple years ago, there was a nice article in "Der Waffenschmied", one of the publications of the German Gun Collectors Assn., about the two Kettner firms.You can obtain a copy from the home office.If you are not a member, I suggest you join. In addition to many other good things, a member gets a 10% discount on reprints.I could not find the 233 you mentioned, but a gun proofed in Suhl in Feb 1933 would indeed have such a mark. It is my opinion that the "S" after the 7x57 is for "spitzer", It was proofed for a 9,9 gram bullet, which would have likely been a spitzer. If it had been proofed for a 11.2 gram bullet, spitzer wouldn't likely apply.Markings like EK,L,and 3t are likely markings placed by different workmen to show they performed work and were entitled to payment, or manufactured the barrel.I don't claim to know who placed most such marks,but others do and one may be along shortly.The cartridge is the rimed version. 7mm cartridges are a little unusual in that the bore diameter as stamped by the proof house matches the nominal designation, some 6.5s also.
Mike