Hello:

A friend of mine has a rather unusual gun from Ferlach. It was made by a A. Antonitsch and has a few things I've never seen before.

Herta Laufe which I think might mean special run?

Extra Feine Wittener Stahl I know it means an extra fine steel but I don't know what Wittener means? I'm pretty sure the gun was proofed twice

What does this mean? 12295.1959.14.
Nicht Fur Kugel, 1143g, = 40.3 ounces,

In the second photo there is a proof mark with a crown above a shield or buckler. Do you know what that means? I've never seen it before and there is a crown in the image on top of the barrel. [img] [img]C:\Users\Jerry\Music\Pictures\Ferlach Mark[/img] \100_0355CC[/img]

Jerry:
From what I remember Anton Antonitsch, interesting first and last name, could be found in Klagenruft in the 1880s and early 1890s, possibly not much past 1891 but I don't know how far it would be from Klagenfurt to Ferlach. Maybe a day's ox cart ride??? But indeed he was in Ferlach by the mid 1890s and advertised as a luxury weapons maker in the back of this text: http://books.google.com/books?id=jncaAAA...sch&f=false (Early Sauer hammerless??)

He is listed as a Hoflieferant and was a supplier to a court inWien or Budapest.

The data string of 12295.1959.14 should indicate a proof date of 1914. Wittener was a German steel and I can find the info(Constans Lewis Berger) if need be. There should be a mark of a open circle around a "W".

Scatterguns during this period were actually proofed 3 times. The tubes 1st with a solid projectile and the intertwined "EF" stamp was applied. Then the joined tubes were proofed each with a solid projectile and for Ferlach a crowned shield stamp was applied. 3rd was a proof with shot, or an inspection, and a crowned 2 headed imperial eagle with a "1" on the breastplate was applied. September 13th/23rd, 1899 was the date of the Nitro proof and it was voluntary and is noted by a "NP" sub F. Later I believe that even with the Nitro proof the tube had to experience 2 black powder shots before the Nitro proof.

Any initials or marks on the tubes?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Hello Jerry:

Laufe (Läufe) means barrels, Herta is a female name; so Herta Laufe would mean "Herta brand barrels", I presume. Never heard of such a barrel brand BTW.

Nicht für Kugel = Not for ball

1143g = weight of barrels in grams

BTW I can't see the photos.

With kind regards,
Jani

Jani:

I emailed the two photos to you to load. Thanks much. There are initials on one barrel and it is JM. I've seen some initials on some other guns and didn't know why they are there. The Atonitsch family is still living in Ferlach but they are operating a Gasthof.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Raimey,
You wondered how far would it be from Klagenfurt to Ferlach. Ferlach is about 17 kilometers (say 12 miles) south of Klagenfurt. Another 20km or so south and you are on the Austrian-Slovenian border. Klagenfurt is capitol of Austrian province of Carinthia while Ferlach was hardly larger than a hamlet in 19th century and became a town not before 1930. BTW there was a railway in Ferlach up to 1951 so maybe Herr Antonitsch did not use an ox cart to get there in the 1890s afterall...
With kind regards,
Jani