doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 4 Pete M-Krupp bbl mk

Don't know what happened to your 1902 VLD? posting about bbl markings by Krupp, but this is a slightly earlier version of their "C or special steel" mark

A few sidenotes to aide in the timeline:


Friedrich Alfred Krupp(2/17/1854 to 11/02/1902) experienced an early, untimely and suicidal demise in November 1902 and left his oldest daughter Bertha Krupp, a minor, as the heiress(?). The Company was converted into a stock corp in 1903 with Bertha having the largest share of stocks. In 1906, and after finishing school, Bertha Krupp marries Gustav von Bohlen und Halbalch, a highly politically connect fella due to his father’s position. Under special Prussian decree, he had his name altered to reflect Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Krupp_von_Bohlen_und_Halbach . That’s why you see that trademark/stamp change; that’s why Krupp steel was written into law; and that’s why Krupp AG was an industrial steel powerhouse. Everything is tightly interconnected in a cottage industry.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I pulled it. Did not feel it really belonged in that thread. Any way, here it is again.



So often we get into who was faking damascus that I thought this was interesting. I sometimes feel that I, for one, place too much importance on a few marks to determine who made a gun or a set of barrels. In a production environment, you do what is economically profitable. In some cases, it seems no legal or ethical methods were beyond breaking. Some one mentioned the Krupp stamp appearing on barrels with SB&C marks.

Nice set of barrels by the way. Some one really should document the various Krupp markings on guns meant for both the German market and export guns.

So, Raimey, tell us about Krupp's "Big Bertha".

Pete

An excellent book on Krupp is: "The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968" by William Manchester. Covers the entire history of this family owned Company, and it is very interesting. Well worth the time and effort to read about a thousand pages!

Peter:

Well, I don't know about "Big Bertha"(although she did consider Skoda to be an arch rival - - http://www.quel.nl/Toeleveranciers/skoda-steel/19041 ) but I do know that circa 1847 Krupp sent a 6.5 cm cannon to the Spandau Arsenal to be tested and they let it sit out in the weather for almost 2 years. When Krupp pressed the Spandau officials about the testing, they replied that on brass versions were to be accepted. A historical note that circa 1882 the railroad connected Suhl, probably with Krupp steel, and it is then that one can see the market to explode. Also, Emil Skoda, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_%C5%A0koda , was in charge at Skoda: http://www.pilsensteel.cz/en/historie/ .


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Big Bertha was a 420mm howitzer built for WWI.


This is Bertha and Gustav


Pete