Please help to identify this drilling from 1923

[Czechmate]

Hello, new member here, so I hope I am not interfering with any rules. I need your help with my drilling. The story is probably similar to many other drilling on the forum here - I have inherited it from my father, who inherited it from his father etc... :-) Unfortunately, when my father inherited it, he had no gun license, so the gun got de-weaponized by the police (the chief of the police wanted to keep it for himself as well).

Her are some pics, I hope you can help me to get as much info as possible, I would love to restore it to working order if possible and if justifiable costwise... :-)

IMG_20160711_092158.jpgIMG_20160711_092257.jpgIMG_20160711_092309.jpgIMG_20160711_092347.jpg

[Czechmate]

IMG_20160711_092420.jpgIMG_20160711_092511.jpgIMG_20160711_092643.jpgIMG_20160711_092746.jpgIMG_20160711_092759.jpg

[Czechmate]

IMG_20160711_092746.jpgIMG_20160711_092759.jpgIMG_20160711_092854.jpgIMG_20160711_092928.jpgIMG_20160711_092953.jpg

[Czechmate]

IMG_20160711_093031.jpgIMG_20160711_093112.jpgIMG_20160711_093214.jpgIMG_20160711_093225.jpgIMG_20160711_093355.jpg

[Czechmate]

Thank you! :-)

[Steve Whitley]

Is there no maker's name on the top of barrels or rib?
Steve

[algmule]

Hello

My guess is that it first went through the facility in Suhl some time between 1912-23 and then it for some reason underwent re-proof at the facility in Zella-Mehlis in 1923 as it looks like a ledger number under the date code. There seems to be an Austrian data string on it as well. Perhaps something happened to during its travel and it also underwent re-proof later again in I guess 1974.

I´m guessing rifle caliber is 9,3x72R.

Kind regards
Peter

[Czechmate]

Is there no maker's name on the top of barrels or rib?
Steve

Hi Steve, there is absolutely no name on it that I could see... If it is very tiny or somehow hidden in the engraving I can't tell right now, but I will try to inspect the gun more closely. I used loupe to find a maker with no luck so far...

[Czechmate]

Hello

My guess is that it first went through the facility in Suhl some time between 1912-23 and then it for some reason underwent re-proof at the facility in Zella-Mehlis in 1923 as it looks like a ledger number under the date code. There seems to be an Austrian data string on it as well. Perhaps something happened to it during its travel and it again underwent re-proof in I guess 1974.

I´m guessing rifle caliber is 9,3x72R.

Kind regards
Peter

Hi Peter,

could you please tell me which proof mark tells you that? I can see the date 11/23... Which proof mark is the Zella Mehlis? And which one do you recognize as Austrian? And how can you tell it was reproofed in 1974?

Sorry if my questions are dumb, but what seems obvious to you may not be obvious to me... :-)

Thank you!

[algmule]

Hello

It looks like the digits 1, 9 and 0 (190, ledger number) under the 11/23, and it may be that the heart shaped marking also points to Zella-Mehlis. I could be wrong, though. I have a sporterized G98 stock which bears that heart. In that case the gun in itself does not point to Zella-Mehlis. Perhaps the heart shaped marking is a trademark of some sort.

The Nitro-marking however isn´t in cursive letters (Zella-Mehlis) which should mean the Suhl proof house put it there.

Noticed the piece is discussed on another forum where the data string is read as being a Czech marking which I suppose it could be.

I would like to quote myself: "My guess ....".

Edit: as for the possible second re-proof I would like to put re-proof within modern quotation marks as it probably is more of a control when de-activated.

Kind regards
Peter

[mike ford]

Peter,
I agree with you, that the second string of numbers is the date tha gun was Dewated by Police. The Heart must be someone's trade mark, Zella- Mehlis' post war proofhouse mark was a heart with a tree inside it.
Mike

[Nathaniel Myers]

Oh my, what a terrible thing to do to a piece of artwork!

I presume you are in Europe? Fixing it could be quite expensive and far exceed the perceived value of the gun.

Beautiful piece!

[Czechmate]

Peter,
I agree with you, that the second string of numbers is the date tha gun was Dewated by Police. The Heart must be someone's trade mark, Zella- Mehlis' post war proofhouse mark was a heart with a tree inside it.
Mike

Probably my father was wrong, but he told me, that the last time the gun was shooting was in 1976 and that he got it back from the police in 1978. But he could be wrong, it is 40 years ago... :-) If that is the case, then the gun was deweaponized in 1974 and hence the proofmark 74?

There is nothing inside the heart as far as I can tell...

[Czechmate]

Oh my, what a terrible thing to do to a piece of artwork!

I presume you are in Europe? Fixing it could be quite expensive and far exceed the perceived value of the gun.

Beautiful piece!

Well, it would break my heart if someone told me to do this to such a wonderful piece of history... Those guys must have been very cynical...

The truth is, when my grandfather died and the gun was put into police safe, the chief of the police informed my father, that the gun is no longer capable of safe operations and will be destroyed. In reality, he meant to keep it for himself (in the commie era these guys were omnipotent)... My father fought to get it back, but as a revenge, the police chief decided, that the gun needs to be deweaponized. My father at that time had no gun license, but was willing to get one, but it was too late...

Anyway, I will try to find a way to weaponize it again, but if the cost is too high, I will keep it hanging on the wall just for the display...

I know the history of the weapon quite well, if only I was able to track its manufacturer...

Thank you all who replied so far... I posted similar thread on The DoubleGun BBS, if you are member there as well... Maybe collaborative effort will lead to a success? :-)

[Diz]

Cynical indeed! It is a shame such a thing was done but apparently you were lucky just to have gotten it back. Have the shotgun barrels been drilled as well? I suppose a new rifle barrel could be fitted but I have no idea of the cost in Europe.

Regards, Diz