Oberhammer/AKAH Drilling Proof Marks (16 x 16 x 8-57 JR Mauser)

[Old No7]

Greetings and Waidmannsheil to all.

After getting very interested in German arms and joining this outstanding association and forum, I'd posted that I'd likely add yet another vintage German long arm this year. I got involved last year after getting a Schueten Martini and then upgrading recently to a Buchel Meister. I'd always hoped to get a Drilling, and I've just succeeded in completing a deal where I did very well in trade-in value (for 2 guns I didn't use any more) and so I got a nice Oberhammer Drilling (as sold by AKAH) in 16 ga x 16 ga x 8-57 JR Mauser.

I'll post some images of the Drilling later, to check whether what I have is a Blitz action or some other boxlock, but to start off, I figured I'd ask you to please review and confirm my readings of the Drilling's proof marks.



I think I have a pretty good handle on the shotgun barrel proofs: Shotgun barrel proof, 16 ga, Nitro, choke bore (right = Imp Modified as measured by my gunsmith, and left = Full), with Suhl single proofs. It does have 2.5" chambers, but I don't see the mm markings on it.


I also see the rifle's bore was proofed at Suhl in July of 1932 with the caliber marked as 8x57 IR (JR as we know it in the States), a 7.8mm bore (before rifling) with a 57mm chamber, and proofed for a 15 gram (231.5 grain) Steel Jacketed Bullet (per the "St.m.G." mark).

The maker's name "Oberhammer" from "Munchen" (Munich) was missed by the seller, as he said this gun was made in Austrian.


The questions I have are these:

* I see a single proof ("U") on the rifle barrel, but no "N" or "Nitro" proof -- any thoughts on that, or any risks in shooting it?

* And what is that "stylized S" on the rifle barrel just below the fore end's lug?


All 3 bores are in excellent condition, bright and shiny, and I can't wait to shoot clays (likely trap) with this old gun.

Vielen dank for your thoughts.

Old No7

[mike ford]

Old No 7
The "mm markings" for the "2.5"( 65mm) chambers" are the circles around the 16s. They show that the chambers are standard, which was 65mm at the time. If they had been something other than standard, the depth would have been marked in mm, such as 70 or 76 mm. The nominal caliber marking(8x57IR) was added by someone other than the proof house, later. This is very convenient, but was not required until the 1939 proof law. It may have been requested by an owner or may have been required by AKAH in their contract with the actual maker. My sense of the Oberhammer Munchen is that they were likely the retailer that sold it to the "end user", after having bought it from the wholesaler AKAH. This is only my opinion, others may differ. For the nitro proof of the rifle barrel, see the crown N, next to the St.m.G. over 15 gram. As for the "stylized S", it is likely to be the barrel maker's mark, but I can't "make it out". In any case, I'm not very knowledgeable of these marks. It almost looks like two Ss. The gun carries Suhl proof marks so your gunsmith was mistaken, thinking it was made in Austria. I hope you find this helpful.
Mike

[Axel E]

Old No7, AKAH = Albrecht Kind GmbH, Hunstig, https://www.akah.eu/home/our-company/history/ , never was a retailer, but a wholesaler, providing country gunshops with nearly all the goods needed. AKAH had "their" guns made by the guntrade in Suhl, Zella – Mehlis and Liege. So this drilling was made by a Suhl "real gunmaker" or factory for AKAH. Oberhammer in Munich finally retailed the drilling.
As usual, the real maker is not easily identified. Just as much as we today wish to learn about the real makers of our guns, the pre-WW2 wholesalers and retailers wanted to obscure the origin of "their" guns. I found an article in a 1920s "Der Waffenschmied". Here the "Name gunmaker" J.J. Reeb junior, Bonn, complained about the new, deplorable habit of larger Suhl gunmakers, namely August Schueler and Gebr. Merkel, to openly sign the guns they made to order for retail by others. He claimed this would ruin the business of country gunmakers, who had "their" guns made in Suhl and sold them as their own products. He had three double rifles made by Schüler for a customer in India. The custmer had written back: "If I had known you had the rifles made by Schüler, I would have gone to Schüler directly and will do so in the future." That double S may be a secret mark of the real Suhl maker, but it is not Sauer & Sohn. There were too many S gunmakers in Suhl to positively identify the shop.
To this day, under CIP rules, the 65 mm = 2 ½" case length need not be marked, neither on shells nor on guns. If there is no other case length marked on a gun, it has the old standard 65 mm chambers. 65 mm shells need not be marked as to length, as they may be used in the longer chambers too. All other case lengths must be clearly marked, both on guns and on the individual cases. Every candidate for the German hunters examination has to know this.

[Old No7]

Thank you Mike and Axel. I appreciate the details you've added, and you've helped broaden my knowledge for sure.

This isn't the only gun forum I ask questions on, but so far, this is the top site for knowledgeable responses -- without any snarky comments included (on some other sites, they'll say "Why did you buy that?", "Look it up yourself" [actually, I did as much as I could for this inquiry] or "Do yourself a favor and sell it off..." or some other diatribe, without ever answering the question asked).

I really enjoy this site and marvel at your expertise. Vielen dank!

Old No7