doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Looking for info on a Drilling

A friend of mine brought over a Drilling he inherited. I would like to see what some of our knowledgable German gun members can tell me about the Drilling.
I appreciate any help that can be provided.






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Also would the pad on the Drilling be a factory install or an after market add on. Also any thoughts on the make of the pad.

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Wonderful drilling 16ga x 8x57. Had been proofed again in Spain. Top end engraving with aftermarket pad. Definitely a higher end drilling that made its way through Spain on it journey to you. Congratulations

Thank you for the information. So is the maker the name on the barrel?

The retailer is listed on the rib or tops of barrel, the gun was made in Suhl. The retailer probably had the gun engraved and did some finish work. Other fellows here can identify the barrel knitters by initials and marks but not I.

the exposed nitro proof on the lower portion of the shotgun barrel chambers, was begun in april of 1912 at the suhl proofhouse, and from memory continued to be stamped in that area until sometime in early 1920's - when it was moved to the barrel flats, and the three or four digit dating stamp commenced. after looking at your photos again, i notice in the final picture what may be 8/24 stamped on the left side of the rifle barrel - which may be august 1924, but i can't clearly see the stamp. the mark "St.m.G. over 15gr." indicates the rifle proof was done with a steel jacketed bullet of 15 grains weight.

reality indicates that likely production during the great war would be significantly diminished, more so in the latter years of the war, so there would a quite small window before the war....and with sporting gun production increasing following the armistice.

best regards,

tom

I have attached a better picture of the date marking if this is what it is. It definitely shows 8/24.
I will do a chamber cast to just confirm the caliber but JTPlumb would the 8x57 be followed by a J ?



Do any of the marks indicate who the builder was? If I understand correctly a builder in Shul would build the Drilling and then the Distributer would send it to be finished, engraving etc.

I have a solid red pad I plan on having installed this week, then test fire. Barrels are excellent. Prior to the long term storage someone had cleaned the bores and then placed oiled patches in the barrels. Kind of a pain to get out but it seems to have worked.

The pad appears to be a six slot Jostam. I don't remember when the Jostam was patented, but it was a long time ago, 1914 or 1915. Various European makers used the American Jostam pads, one in particular Sarasqueta. Is that spelling correct? Regardless of that fact, your pad was probably aftermarket.

Gostrider,
The proof date of 8/24 indeed, indicates between the wars production rather than pre or wartime production. It never hurts to do a chamber cast, but you can check it another way. The 7.7/57 is not actually the caliber nominal designation. The 7.7 represents the proof house's actual measurement of the bore (not groove or bullet) diameter. The 57 represents the maximum length case that will fit into the chamber, regardless of shape or other dimensions. There are at least 3 nominal cartridges that would fit the proof mark 7.7/57, at certain times. The most common is the 8x57IR (aka 8x57JR), there was also 8x57R/360 and the little known 8.25x57R Hagen (aka 8x57 Express), both of which were based on the British 360-2 1/4" case. Since the 8x57IR was based on the 8x57I m88 case a 30-06/308/270 case, upside down, will fit into the chamber, but will not fit into the other two. An upside down 30-30 rim will almost fit their rim recess however, providing another means of distinguishing between them and the 8x57IR. A "J" (or "I') would not be part of the proof mark due to being part of the cartridge's nominal designation rather than a measurement of the barrel/chamber. A "R" is not marked because whether it is chambered for a rimmed or rimless cartridge is obvious by observation of the chamber mouth.
Mike

Thanks Mike. I took a 30-30 round and it fit the recess more or less. Definitely a rimmed cartridge. I had a 8 mm live round rimless. It fit. I will slug the barrel but I am assuming its 8x57 JR. I will know for sure later today.