Steyr 12 Ga. SxS

[Fred Slyfield]

I recently acquired this Steyr 12 Gauge, All I have been able to find out is that it is a model 300, it has double triggers , auto ejectors with a cut off lever under the forearm, and is full engraved.I would like to know more on the gun as to dates of manufacture and overall quality of Steyr guns.

I have found reference to a plain model but nothing with this amount of engraving, I'm just wondering if it is factory or was done after the fact.

The gun fits like a dream and I can't wait till fall to get it out grouse hunting here at home and then shoot some roosters with it on our yearly trip to North Dakota. I have been shooting it with 2-1/2 inch B&P and RST light shells, it has a 2-3/4 inch chamber but I don't want to beat me or the gun up with any heavy loads, These light loads have been killing pigeons and starlings with ease.

Here are a few pictures

[Fred Slyfield]

A couple more shots, If you would like any further please just ask,

Thanks for your help on this.

Fred

[ellenbr]

To make any stabs at it, we'll need images of the water table & flats.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[Fred Slyfield]

Great , Thanks I'll try and get some pictures of them today.

FS

[Fred Slyfield]

Great , Thanks I'll try and get some pictures of them today.

FS

Here is a shot of the barrels the underside of the action only had the serial number on it

I appreciate any help on this

Fred

[ellenbr]

I see Vienna proofmarks for 1931. I see the final data-string but I don't see a preliminary. Are there other numbers stamped further up on the lower rib?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

Are there any initials on the frame or tubeset like for Hambrusch or some other sub-contractor for Steyr? I'd say it passed thru the Vienna satellite proof facility & was completed by a sub-contractor nearby or possibly a mechanic that was working a stint at Steyr.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[Fred Slyfield]

Here are a couple more pictures of the upper barrels and the receiver, I thought there was only the serial # on it but there is more . Thanks so much for your help on this.

Can you explain what the other numbers and marks mean, I understand the serial numbers but the others are Greek to me.

Best

Fred

[ellenbr]

742.24.17.7 - preliminary data string from 1924 - being #742 of 1924 with both tubes passing @ 17.7mm

990.31 - # 900 for 1931 - final pass

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[Fred Slyfield]

Raimey, Thanks for the info, I'm a little confused on the dates does the dates mean the gun was first started in 1924 then finished in 1931?

Also any ideas on the engraving, factory done or other?

Are there any books available that have a history on the styer shotgun

[ellenbr]

Indeed, passed preliminary proof in 1924 & sat for a while before it visited the Vienna satellite stamping station @ Stery(Birmingham of Austria) in 1931. Let me make one possible correction. The 1st number in the datastring is a house number issued for each submission in order that there would not be a bias by the proofhouse as to the actual maker. It may or may not be a sequential number for the year. Not sure on the engraving & would have to ponder it a bit. I suspect that Prague firearms merchants/makers like Frantisek Faukner were involved either in sourcing Steyr, or Steyr sourced some effort from the Prague mechanics(no Prague marks to support any effort on yours) or there was cross sourcing between the two, Steyr - Prague, Prague to Steyr. I'd 1st look closely at the tap, tap, tap, by the mechanics for Frantisek Faukner & other Prague concerns to see how they compare. Also compare with makers like Peter Hambrusch. Not sure at all on any texts on Steyr scatterguns. One thing missing for the marks I see is the weight in Kg. If it was somehow changed from 17.7mm to 17.4 mm across 7 years, the weight should have changed also. Also the NP sub V notes smokeless proof at a Vienna facility. The C = 17.4mm is the final pass but for the moment that doesn't make sense for a 17.7mm preliminary. There's something awry there. Somehow in the interim between the preliminary pass in 1924 it was altered so that in 1931 the final diameter was 17.4mm with Choke. What do the tubes measure at the muzzle now? The script, intertwined EV is preliminary proof at a Vienna proof facility. There's an Eagle in there somewhere with a number on his breast plate, which should be a 4. You'll have to use a loupe. A bit difficult to see the monogram on top of the tubes, but it looks to be OWG or Österreichische Waffenfabrikgesellschaft, which could have been a staple sourcing for some mechanics. Are you confident on the Modell 300?? I'm curious what the 314 3E is on the water table. It would seem the 3E would note ejectors, but that is a long shot.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

Another item of interest, is that there looks to have been a name change for Österreichische Waffenfabrikgesellschaft in 1926/1927 which would have been mid-way of the creation effort of your sporting weapon. Times were most difficult & maybe there was some left over stock where some mechanic commenced an effort or order that was maybe cancelled or the like. Then in 1930/1931 the same mechanic or another picked up the pieces and carried it forward to completion. It would seem that some research needs to be performed in that area.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

I performed some reading & post WWI, times were most, most difficult for OWG / WEWG - Österreichische Waffenfabrikgesellschaft after a large plant expansion at the beginning of WWI. Thousands of employees were laid off work, if not the bulk of work force. So it is highly possible that an order was placed and it was cancelled/fell thru and the mechanic who was working on it was let go in 1924. Then some 6 - 7 years later, another mechanic or possible the same mechanic utilized the platform, in whatever state it was in, to complete an order in 1931. Other than supposition, I think it to be most difficult to fill in the blanks on the journey of the double between 1924 to 1931.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

[Fred Slyfield]

Raimey , Thanks for the info It does have the OWG on top of the barrel and there is a stamp of an eagle with the number 2 on the chest of the eagle on the barrel block next to the Nitro Proof marking.The chokes look to have been opened up on the gun to about improved Cyl and light Modified.A good friend who knows shotguns said it looked to him like the chokes had been reamed out a bit, he measured them with a choke tool he had

As far as the model number I only called it a model 300 because that is the only model I could find made by Styer on the internet.

Thanks again for all your help on this

Fred

[ellenbr]

Excellent info on the Nr. 2 - that confirms my suspicions that it passed thru the hands of a Prague mechanic. Can you closely examine all marks specifically the NP sub whatever and see if there is a NP sub P. Any & all correct marks will aide in constructing a tales of all involved.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse