Sauer 6.5x57R

[Richard Venola]

Gentlemen: I'm posting images of a Sauer stalking rifle from, I think, 1937. What can anyone tell me about this rifle? Richardhttp://www.germanguns.com/upload/images/attach/jpg.gif
http://www.germanguns.com/upload/images/attach/jpg.gif

[mike ford]

Richard,
If this is not already your rifle,make it yours today. As much as I like drillings and other combination guns, this form of rifle(KLB) is my favorite. The 6.5x57R is also avery good caliber. One of my drillings is chambered for this caliber, and it has never let me down. If you can send photos of the proof marks, I'm sure we can give you more information.
Mike

[Richard Venola]

Dear Mike: The images I have are enormous .tifs but will try. What is the translation for KLB ("Der Topper von und zum H&R ist?")? The rifle has belonged to a friend who promptly divested himself of all his other hunting rifles and swears eternal fealty to this Sauer. This has taken three pacific black tail, all with one-shot kills. It's mounting a vintage Weaver 4X as the original 20mm with claw mounts became an item of contention during the purchase. On a technical note, is the locking mechanism an Anson & Dealy patent? If not, what mechanism is the action? Obviously, it has set triggers, but I am not at all familiar with the various designs available in pre-war Europe. Any light there?

[Axel E]

A "Kipplaufbüchse", literally a "tilt barrel rifle", is a break-open rifle. Though shotguns, drillings and double rifles are also break-open designs, the monicker "Kipplauf" is only used for single barrel break-open rifles, as with these there is a choice. A single barrel rifle may be a repeater, a falling block or a Kipplaufbüchse.
This Sauer & Sohn rifle is a S&S Modell 36, introduced by the company in 1936 as a standardized, affordable rifle of Kipplauf design. The breech lockup consists of double underbolting with a single, Greener type top fastener. The lock is of the original Anson & Deeley boxlock design with the sear positioned in the bottom of the action. The sliding safety blocks the sear. The half-octagonal, ribbed barrel was a feature of the Modell 36. there was an economy Modell 37 too, with a round barrel and without the Greener crossbolt. The inlay at the head of the stock is a later embellishment, most likely done in the USA.
Apart from this your rifle had a better fate than mine in 7x57R, proofed March 1937: My grandfather in 1945 boxed up and buried mine in a fox burrow, where it spent some years rusting and rotting. In the early 1950s it was exhumed and crudely restocked. Some years ago I slimmed down and refinished the awkward post-war stock, replaced the defective set trigger with a simple one (I don't like set triggers) and mounted a 1960s Hensoldt DIASTA 4x scope, using first generation Warne mounts.

[Richard Venola]

Dear Mike: Great information. Thanks so much for posting this for me, and for including so much information in a short paragraph. Richard

[mike ford]

Richard,
You're welcome, but most of the good information came from Axel.
Mike

[Axel E]

Richard & Mike, I posted pics of MY M36! Still waiting for better photos of Richard's.
Waidmannsheil!
Axel

[Jim Cate]

Hi Guys! Hope all is well with you! Axel and Mike, see page 175 of my Sauer book and you will note that the Models 36 and 37 could be purchased with double Greener type top fasteners for RM 70 more... Just a mute note in case you run across an example. Regards, JIM CATE

[Axel E]

Hi Jim, yes, I already knew. At extra costs nearly everything was possible, such as Kersten/double Greener lockup, exta barrels, engraving, special stocks, see page 177, but as both rifles under discussion here were standard Modell 36 ones as described in the 1938 S&S catalog, page 176 of your book, I did not mention the options for not confusing the discussion.
Waidmannsheil!
Axel

[Richard Venola]

Agreed, Mike. I failed to note that his signature was on the post. Thanks very much, Axel. I'll try to get the owner to get some snaps of the proofs.
Thanks again everyone. Richard