doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Information-Erhardt Lauf

Becoming more infatuated with European doubles, and this one caught my eye., 16 ga. 28 1/2" barrels f/f, scalloped box lock, side clips, cocking indicators, decent stock with cheek piece , for-end has Anson style push button release. Barrels seem to be steel as I can't see a Damascus pattern.
I'm guessing this is a German gun and pre-war. I have no barrel markings, water table information or serial number.
Weight is 6 lbs. 5 ozs., another perfect upland bird gun.

Heinrich Ehrhardt of Düsseldorf founded, or was the reason for the founding of, Rheinische Mettalwaren(?) und Maschinenfabrik(RM&M)

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Heinrich Ehrhardt was also involved with Rheinmetall AG(post 1926??) and it notes a steel type usually with the mark of a rotated square in a circle. It is possible that it is of German origin but with the "Anson style push button release" I would guess Belgian without seeing the proofmarks.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Raimey, I'm not sure if it is German or Belgium. I believe it was listed as German.
They had the name listed as Erhardt Lauf, and I believe you are correct with Heinrich Ehrhardt. Lauf in German means many things and one is barrel.
Here is a picture showing the mark you stated and some of the gun, looks very well made.


I am trying to find out what part of the word means on the barrel, S(o-u)mmerda with the umlauts (dots) above the o or u.

David:
Yes indeed it does look German in this pic and what looks to be screws along with the hallmarks of a frame from Suhl. The proofmarks would tell the tale. Does it have sling swivels? Possibly someone wanted an Anson type forend. Erhardt's type steel was the stock for the tubes. More than likely there's a maker's mark foward of the flats, usually on the left tube or could be on the right tube near the forend lug.

Sömmerda, Thüringen is the location RM&M was based. Either the example was made there or there was a firearms merchant there.

ö - (alt 148)
ü - (alt 129)



Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

John Allen at Game Fair Ltd. in Nashville has one that I've looked at several times:

http://www.gamefairltd.com/gunpics/lauf.jpg

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Raimey, yes it does have sling swivels. Here is another picture of the side. I won't be able to find any information on the barrel flats for a maybe a week and then will post some pictures of barrel flats.



I did google to find out what the two dots were called, I forgot after many years. Also found out how to do them, a little different than yours, but works.
Thanks again.

Raimey, to my disappointment, gun was sold over the weekend. The old story, you snooze, you loose. Price was $599.00, quite a bit different than Game Fair's.

Heinrich August Theodor Erhardt's name has surfaced again and I think either one or both of these patents to be his tube making process, possibly for artillery only??:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=S2x2AAA...;q=&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=do5EAAA...;q=&f=false

He had many patents, may be 130+, on devices associated with steel forming/making and originally was of Düsseldorf. I think Meffert sourced him or they had some relationship and I'm pretty sure he was listed in the early 1900s Zella Saint Blasii phone directory. I'm guessing he was born circa 1840 and died in 1928.

1938/1941 patent based on "Ehrhardt method": http://www.google.com/patents?id=cyhiAAA...;q=&f=false

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Heinrich August Theodor Ehrhardt was born in 1840 to simple beginnings, and retired & expired(1928), in Zella Saint Blasii where in 1866 he founded his first firm which faltered. It was then that he moved to Düsseldorf where he founded the Rhinish Metal Works Rheinmetall and made many wares including corkscrews. He real 1st success was a new technique of bullet making where he fabricated 8x57I steel jacked bullets for the M88. He then went on to bigger and better bullets, and tubes, for artillery pieces in the last decade of the 19th Century. It was then that he developed his tube making process and it has been pointed out to me that the square bolt/rod in the round hole, which can be seen in the diagram between the signatures in the signature block, became his trademark. Page 5 beside "a" & "b": http://www.google.com/patents?id=S2x2AAA...;q=&f=false

I think he had the name of "Cannon King" and rivaled Krupp. In 1896 he began building autos/trucks and in 1901 he purchased the Dreyse facility in Soemmerda but post WWI his Eisenach auto works began to falter and was absorbed by BMW. Soon after he somehow lost control of Rheinmetall to a Swedish candy factory.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse