This is an acquisiton of Clay's and of course ole Engeleert Clever from Cologne on the Rhine was a firearms merchant, but at one time had to have been a master. I think it was made in Zella-Mehlis circa 1920 by "H.F." as stamped on the frame, right tube in Fraktur and on the forend lug. A question I have, and I'm sure I have many more, is why are the initials on the tube in Fraktur while the others are standard. In addition to Fraktur, script is sometimes used. Was it related to the early inspectors' marks on military examples from the arsenals like Potsdam, marks which were a "Crowned" Fraktur letter? Was there some unwritten, or written, rule that stated the letters on the tubes were different than on the frame or forend lug?

Each tube has the Louis Kelber stamp, somewhat worked off, of a "K" in a jagged circle(set) below the "Imperial Eagle" "Crown" over "S" stamps. I don't know the tube steel type. Also the stamp on the bar on the frame looks to be "K. SL". The "D" on the lower rib just might be for Zella-Mehlis component source Brothers Decker. I like the "Lindner" style safety bar.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Very nice Raimey,
love those early loaded indictators and the engraving.Scary to think how many nice guns like that where ground up by tank treads when ZM was taken the turned over to the Russians in 45.

A few images of sporting arms peddled by Engelbert Clever Nachfolger Cöln:









Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

But what started this resurrection of the thread was a find by Marc of an interesting BBF with what looks to be touchmarks from the Frankfurt proof facility.













Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

That BBF has to be really old. The bird engraving looks like an archaeopteryx.

Why the "Greener safety" on this, and other, German guns I've seen?

Engelbert Clever in Köln am Rhein on Comödienstraße 3 had some sort of patent in December of 1891. I'm curious when his successor(Nachfolger) took over.

Guess would be that the Greener safeties were easier to incorporate into the system? Don't know that they held an edge over other safeties.


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Dale's DR that was missing a forend and had a damaged stock. His father rectified the above and rechambered from 6.5X58R Sauer to 30-40 Krag with a 100 grain bullet. Has pre-1912 marks along with those typical of the Frankfurt facility.












Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Hey EllenBR- how do you get your computer typewriter to put the Umlat where it is needed-?? My dell won't do that. And nice usage of the bent capital letter B- for the German ss-- strasse, ya- das ist korrekt!!

Naw- it's just a Kraut version of the famous Parker 'flying turnip"- just better executed by the graver is all. Me, I am looking for a Phila. mfg. AH Fox with the engraved -famous and renown- "Flying Philadephia Fig"-- scarce!!

Fox, your Dell will; therefore, it is user error on your part. On a Dell laptop hold FN & Alt while pressing 128(ju8) for ö, 149 for ü and 225 for ß, with the numbers being on the overlaying number keypad. Otherwise just hold alt and the numbers on the number keypad. There's a listing somewhere.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Ah, Fox your A.H. Fox with the Belgian Krupp steel tubes won't hold a candle to one of the Germanic variants.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I've seen a lot of the Greener safeties on drillings, particularly where the button that would be a tang safety was used instead for barrel selection. Speculating here, maybe the makers were set up for Greener safeties in the drilling realm and, rather than having to rework their jigs and setups and workflow, just went with the Greener for their doubles. It would also be something which could be sold to the buyers - always have the safety in the same location regardless of whether it's a drilling or a double.

But that's just speculating on my part.