doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Info on German 16ga ejector gun

Sounds like a novel idea.

Too, the key is to discern if a German gun passed thru the Suhl proof facility or the Zella-Mehlis proof facility to point towards its origin. Now there was another proof facility but one gunmaker had it under his umbrella and he was about only one that submitted there. But the makers of Suhl considered the mechanics in Z-M >>Red Headed Step Children<<, but they did source them when they wanted to increase their profits. When a Suhl mechanic would make an error or churn out shotty work, they would say it was >>Zella-Mehlis<< quality work. When a water-table was jeweled or the like, the Suhl mechanics would say that was >>Zella-Mehlis<< effort to cover up shotty work.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Here is my family’s gun made and proofed in zella-mehlis far from shabby


I have seen many amazing zella guns I couldn’t afford.
I learned a long time ago ( with help from you gentlemen here)to value each individual gun on its own merit, sure some names demand a premium but I have seen many unnamed guns that were pretty amazing.
Especially continental guns.

Back on topic, new cch helps the deeper style engraving quite a bit. Especially if it’s not top notch like this example, not so on the fine game scene like the zella gun above, guy put some individual hairs on the deer, crazy.

Now I wasn't commenting on the quality originating in Z-M but rather how the Z-M mechanics were viewed in the eyes of the Suhl makers. I am sure the it was similar in other countries like between the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers vs the Guardians on the little British Isles.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Who else had a proof house in Germany back then?

Frankfurt an der Oder & I believe it ceased operations in 1939?? Collath had it in his facility under his umbrella. @ one point he had his own gauge designations.

There were the military ones where the craftsmen could sourced '88, '98 receivers & barrels, which still had origins in Liège.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Thanks great info, never warmed up to collaths action but did find a Raush that had a 2” 16ga chamber that I suspected was collath number 6. Never could get any measurements for those collath chambers.May be it was a number 4 i believe that was 16ga bore 6 was the 20ga bore but I’m guessing again.

I stand corrected as below is the Official Translated Word as provided to me:

>>In order to regulate the ballistics system, ballistics tests were prescribed for all civilian firearms in Germany by the law of May 19, 1891. The intended test marks (also called proof marks or marks) were prescribed by ordinance of June 22, 1892. The testing stations were established by order of the state governments on April 1, 1893. Initially, there were three proofing stations in Suhl, Zella-Mehlis and Oberndorf am Neckar, which later became proofing offices. In 1905, there were additional proofing offices in Frankfurt an der Oder, Sömmerda, Munich, and in Germersheim.[1] Since 1991, seven active offices have been recorded.<<

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Another interesting thing about this German gun, this one has brown streaks in the horn that match color of the stock. That’s not the case of any others that I have owned. Quite nice.

Gun is back in service, “ I love it when the plan comes together “.