Valentin Häfner/Haefner Büchsenmachermeister in Kassel hung out his gunmaking shingle in 1804 and I'm fairly confident that a Häfner heir continued the craft and was dubbed by a royal dog catcher/handler in someone's royal court in 1884. So the longarm will date post 1884 with the Königl. Hofbüchsenmacher advertising atop the tube. Circa 1928 he passed the wand to a Carl Spangenberg.
I'd hazard a wild guess the chambering is some 11mm variant but some measurements & a chamber cast will ferret out the demon cartridge. It is a Lefaucheux platform with a sculpted barrel.
Cheers,
Raimey
rse
battle,
Is this a rifle? You didn't say and the photos don't show a rear sight, or front sight for that matter. If it is a rifle, what condition is the bore in?
Mike
No rifling, its smooth bore.
battle,
The gun has a single set trigger, which is not appropriate for a shotgun. It is my opinion that the smooth bore barrel is an extra barrel and the gun likely was made with a rifle barrel as the primary one. If you don't have the original rifle barrel, it is not likely that you can find one.
Mike
Does it have rifle or shotgun proofs?
Might have been a bore out with the new British gun laws?
Mike
skeetx,
It is German, looks pre 1893, so no proof marks.
Mike
After much research this rifle is Birmingham proofed.It started out as a rifle and bored out to a 32 gauge shotgun. The proof is a crown over a scripted b p also a 32 over a C within a diamond. 1887-1896.
Hum, so a re-bore & British reproof for the period of 1887-1896?
Cheers,
Raimey
rse
Raimey:
If you click on the first forum then go to page 2 there is a thread titled 1855 British bore size proof stamp. Birmingham proof 1887-1896 shows the same proofs as are on one of the flats of this gun. The serial number was added at this time I believe.On another flat is stamped F,E 430 which is original to the gun. I should also mention the frame is also Birmingham proofed.
Bob
Raimey I failed to mention it is a 32 gauge it is a 32 over a c in a diamond.
I seem to be lost. Are we still discussing the Häfner? Where are the British stamps? Are they visible in any posted images?
Cheers,
Raimey
rse
As I gather from the above, this piece started life as a German rifle circa 1890 or earlier, retailed by the B'macher signed on the barrel, to be later acquired, not unlikely as a war souvenir, by a Britt who brought it home. As was not unusual with such antiquated rifles in obscure calibers it was bored out smoooth for a suitable generally available cartidge, and proofed.
As a side note, a single shot rifle made in Ferlach in 1945, under British rule and by their order, was originaly chambered in 7x57R and so proofed, but was later converted to .22 Hornet in UK and re-proofed in Birmingham.
With kind regards,
Jani
thank you that said it all.
