A strange one has joined the family - Kettner DR for Big & small game 11mm & 22 lr

[buckstix]

So here's a strange one that joined the collection .. Kettner DR for Big & small game. 11mm & 22 lr

I just bought it and its on the way here. I'm not sure what I will do with this when I get it.

[mike ford]

I have taken squirrel, hare, fox, racoon, bobcat, and rabbit with an einstecklauf in a drilling, while hunting deer. Your Kettner would seem to be appropriate for similar use.
Mike

[yamoon]

What 11mm cartridge is it?
Thanks Mike

[buckstix]

Hello All,

I got the rifle in hand today - it turns its NOT a 22 lr .... its 22 Hornet x 11x60 caliber.

It weighs 8 pounds 10.5 ounces - 25-1/4" barrels - Both Triggers are SET Triggers - Buffalo Horn Grooved Butt Plate - Nikon Prostaff Scope with BDC reticle - Clock Hand Cocking Indicatore - Manual Safety (non-automato) - All Original Finish both Wood and Metal.

Tomorrow I take it afield and test it.

[algmule]

Hello

010.jpg
62/78 (10,67 mm) is a bore diameter marking. Next one up was 58/50 (10,92 mm). Anything between the two, including 10,67 mm.

Is the 5,4x35 the Vierling-cartridge?

Images?

Peter

[buckstix]

Hello Peter,

I'm not sure of year of mfg. I don't recognize a typical proof house date stamp. Other than the numbers shown in the pictures above, ( number 62687 is the serial number, on the bottom of the left barrel flat, numbers 933 / 1643, and numbers 62/78 above a 60, are on the bottom of the right barrel flat ) there is the number "1341" stamped on the bottom of the original 11x60 right barrel. No doubt, the 22 Hornet sleeve was later added, and the "5.4 / 35" was stamped over the original 11mm caliber stamp. As can be seen in the breech photo, the sleeve and extractor work was very professionally done.

[Axel E]

As the land diameter of the barrels was still given with the gauge number (lead balls to the pound) 62.78 = .420 - .429”, the rifle was made and originally proofed by the Suhl proofhouse between 1893 and 1911. It had both barrels proofed for a 11 mm x60R bp cartridge, either the 11.15x60R Mauser M71 bottlenecked case or the straight taper 11x60R LK “Drillingspatrone”. In the late 1920s the left barrel was relinered in Suhl and duly reproofed for the 5.6x35R Vierling, crown/I = Instandsetzung = repair proofmark. Post-WW2 the rifle was refurbished and restocked, probably in America. The beavertail foreend at least is a shape nunknown at the time the rifle was made.
The German 5.6x35R Vierling case was the same as he old blackpowder .22 Winchester Center Fire case, but loaded with smokeless to almost .22 Hornet ballistics. But when Winchester introduced the Hornet as a factory load, they gave the case a thicker rim and a slightly different shoulder to prevent the Hornet loads being chambered in their old weak action blackpowder rifles. Some “generous” Vierling chambers will take some European Hornet brands as is. Many other vierling chambers were rechambered slightly to accept Hornet factory loads. Otherwise you will have to reduce rim thickness of Hornet cases and resize them in custom 5.6x35R Vierling dies.

[mike ford]

buckstix,
If the rifle will not easily close on a 22-hornet case, the rims should be thinned. In my own 5.6x35 Vierling, I found that facing off enough to remove the headstamp was enough and deepening the primer pocked with a small rifle primer pocket uniformer allowed proper primer seating. Sectioning a case showed there was enough "meat" to do this without problems. I load mine with normal 22 Hornet dies, set as I normally do to "kiss" the shoulder of a fired case. In my case I use .223" bullets, but .222 and I believe .221" are also available with a little searching. If the rifle closes easily on a 22 Hornet cartridge, I suggest you verify that a .224 bullet will easily slip into a fired case before shooting many factory Hornet cartridges. Given the price of Hornet ammo, you will likely want to handload anyway. You may experience trouble getting both barrels to shoot to the same point of impact. This would be true even if the rifle was originally regulated for 5.6x35R Vierling (or even 22 Hornet) and you use factory ammo. You may have to be content with re-sighting for each caliber, unless you are very lucky.
Mike

[buckstix]

Hello Axel,

Thank you for the info.

Here is a shooting update. I custom loaded both 22 Hornet ammo and 11mm Mauser ammo. (loads are shown on the targets) I fired the right 11mm barrel first, followed by the 22 hornet barrel. I fired 5 shots each barrel to zero the scope. After the 22 Hornet barrel was zero at 50 yds, I fired a 3 shot group with the 11mm barrel that went into a 1 inch group. Although left-to-right was good, the 11mm group was 10 inches low.

And now I understand the reason for the Nikon Prostaff Scope. The reticle is BDC = "Bullet-Drop-Compesator" that consists of a series of small aiming circles, below center, along the vertical wire. These circles are for reference "hold-over" for various ranges beyond initial zero. The aiming method I used is shown to the right of the target pictured below. Although the aiming was different for the 2 calibers, its easy to remember and use when hunting.

[algmule]

Hello

First time I have seen the I without the 1940-45 "eagle". I have never seen the I with a Reichskrone on top. However, I am always willing to broaden my knowledge by learning new things. When was the crown I introduced in the Suhl proof house? I only know about the crown R being in use before January 15, 1940 but I certainly do not know everything and willingly admit my ignorance. Educate me, please.

Peter