doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Josef Mischitz - Ferlach?

Raimey, almost anything is possible at that early date. Do we have any other early post-WW2 Ferlach gun to compare?
With kind regards,
Jani

Many thanks Jani - appreciated. I have tried to find out some details about Ferlach guns; most web information only seems to indicate that they are now v expensive bespoke guns of significant cost. Not sure this was the case in the post-WW era. Were Ferlach guns made more on a mass-produced basis at that time? Trying to get a feel for provenance/value of this gun.

Ferlach has a long gunmaking tradition and like the Bohemians of Weipert seem to have an influence from the Turks and Venetians in that they are true artisians. Many of the attributes attributed as being Germanic are actually from Austria such as the cheek pieces and deep relief engraving. Up until the time of the forming of the Consortium/Cooperative in 1885, with an Austrian gunmaking school being founded in 1878, Ferlach was one big custom gunshop even more so that Suhl. One craftsman’s shop made actions, one made tubes, one made bolts, one was a stocker, etc. The Consortium/Cooperative allowed the Ferlach craftsmen to embrace mechanization without the burden of the same expense of the same equipment at each shop; whereas, the craftsmen of Suhl utilized military contract to provide funding for sporting gun production. Some sources give that Belgian craftsmen were imported during times of high demand and upon completion returned home. But Wiepert wasn’t even as lucky as Germany and the individual craftsman, who didn’t want to embrace mechanization, fell prey to military production thru mechanization. I think it was the remote location, reputation as spread by king and court and the Consortium/Cooperative that allowed the craftsmen of Ferlach to hold fast to tradition of a bespoken gun, of which a “one off” of anything can still be made there today. Yes indeed they too experienced difficult times in say the 1860s when the craftsmen made ends meet by making eating utensils, household items as well as coffee grinders. I think it was then during the conflict with Prussia that they developed the foresight to go the sporting route, invest in mechanization and being a structured training program to all but guarantee the long tradition of handmade sporting guns. True there was a program in place for an apprentice, then for a journeyman to make a pretty big walkabout and then return for a 2 year stint with a Ferlach master. So an example made in Ferlach is nothing less than top-notch. Your example was probably made during the end of WWII and completed after the Brits issued the number scheme. At that time they used whatever components they could scrounge but I can't say that your sideplated boxlock seems to suffer any loss. Boehler steel stamp, which was a staple, but I'm still curious of the marks ahead of the flats.

Any chance you could glass those marks ahead of the flats and describe them, that is if those are actually marks on the inside of the tubes?


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Raimey and Jani,

I have a Josef Winkler 16 Ga shotgun from 1948. According from what the barrel flats show (my reading) reads: 1016.45 D330.45

So my interpretation is: gun Nº1016 produced by Joseph Mischitz . The gun entered the proof house with number 330 in year 1945. Meaby the first Nº was given prior occupation. Nº29 is the Gunmaker number.

Regards

EJSXS

CBL1:
In the times of Austria-Hungary, Ferlach guns were considered good quality, but hardly "best". Production was large, over 10,000 a year or so, and most of the guns were affordable.
At the middle of the last century Ferlach gunds were considered excellent quality but were not yet overpriced as the working power in Austria was still "cheap". A few thousand guns made yeary.
Towards the 21th century, there were less and less gunmakers still active, less guns made, but the quality was high, with many extra fancy specimens made; also the reputation became legendary, and the prices went up considerably, slowely but surely getting out of reach for most hunters. Today the few makers left make a few bespoke guns for reach people who appreciate their quality and special flavour. Fortunately for gun enthusiasts like you and me, older used Ferlach guns can still be found for reasonable prices.
Here in central Europe an avarage used Ferlach double can be found for around one thousand euros, but an extra nice specimen like yours should easyly bring twice this amount; IMHO of course.
With kind regards,
Jani

ejsxs:
I have a Ferlacher from 1948 too. It's not a shotgun but an o/u combo (BBF) by Franz Sodia. The funny thing is this gun in not coded. I checked another F. Sodia gun, from 1960, and that one is not coded either. BTW F. Sodia's code should be 33.
In other respects my 1948 gun is marked as expected.
My theory is that Franz Sodia, being by far the largest maker, allways marked his guns with full name and address so he managed to avoid the coding.
With kind regards,
Jani

Jani, could you post Austrian gunmakers code list?
I had one before, but virus got it all 2 years ago.

Geno

here you are: http://www.hallowellco.com/Ferlach%20gunmakers_code_numbers.htm

Regards

EJSXS

There is problem, I can't see this site.

CBL1
Can you describe in more detail the markings on the barrels right by the flats in your gun? I have the suspiction that are the same as in my Josef Winkler. Perhaps it is also the local marking for Böhler.
BTW, the barrel-flat emsemble is strinkly the same in my gun as in yours. Mine is one described by Thomas Garwood as entablature lump. Besides it has also one lump crossing the frame and a Greener cross bolt extention.

Regards

EJSXS