Meffert Hubertus Dural with Moritz Titan stamped on top

[Doug Kellermann]

I just acquired a very nice 1937 Imman Meffert Hubertus Dural drilling in 16x16/8x57JR. The gun has Martin Moritz Chemnitz and Titan stamped on the the top.

pix503148625.jpgpix717833344.jpgpix471733814.jpg

Was Martin Moritz the owner? Distributor? Was Titan a trade name?


Also, the gun is stamped 8x57JR is this normal? IMG_3153.jpg
thanks

Doug

[germanguns1234]

Meffert used the trademark "Titan." My guess is that Moritz was the retailer. I will send you a copy of the ad.

[mike ford]

Stamping the caliber as normally used i.e. 8x57IR instead of 7.8/57 would have been required by the new proof law implemented by the Nazis. 1937 would have been a little early for this(we usually say 1939),but things got implemented over time rather than all at once.

[germanguns1234]

Why don't you see if Gunnerman has any Meffert catalogs? gunnermanbooks@att.net

[Doug Kellermann]

thanks

Doug

[mike ford]

I just saw this same drilling on another site, with a little clearer view of the proofs. It looks like it was actually proofed as 7.8/57. It may be that Meffert marked it also as 8x57IR as a service to the owner. As an aside, I believe after the new law came into effect, they didn't build 8x57IRs anymore- only 8x57IRS.

[Doug Kellermann]

Heu Mike

I posted some more pictures in the doubleguns forum. Do you suggest I post the same pictures here?

Regards,

Doug

[mike ford]

Doug,
The ones on Doubleguns are the ones I saw. They would help here, but it would be more help if you could get a little clearer/larger photos. By the way-nice drilling.

[Axel E]

Martin Moritz in Chemnitz, Brückenstr.54, certainly retailed this I.Meffert made gun. Moritz formed a partnership with Albin Emanuel Gerstenberger in 1926. later they had a "factory" in Zella-Mehlis, Wiesenstr.14, too. They mostly made signal-, flare- and starter pistols, trademark "EM-GE". Apparently they managed to escape to the west post-1945, as I well remember starter pistols with the EM-GE trademark from the 1970s. BTW, eM-Ge is what a german speaks when he reads the letters M and G, same as "Geha" for GH. As already noted, the marking of the real cartridge name, here "8x57IR", was not mandatory until the 1940 proof law. But during the 1930s many gunmakers marked their guns so, to make life easier for their customers and for themselves. The "8mmI" =.318" bullet diameter was still cosidered the "civilian" standard after 1940. Even after 1945 the European ammo makers contemplated to drop commercial production of the "military" 8x57IS and IRS entirely. Only the "popular demand" created by thousands of salvaged and sporterized 98ks, known in the USA as "cigarette Mausers", made them rethink and made the S bore standard during the 1950s.

[Doug Kellermann]

Axel,

thank you for solving the mystery on this Meffert Hubertus Dural Titan.

Regards,

Doug