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
