Need help with some proof marks on a Peterlongo drilling

[tedbell]

I recently got a beautiful hammered Peterlongo drilling and need help figuring out a couple of the proof marks. (It's my second drilling - I now officially have a drilling collection!) One neat thing about it is the top of the barrels are inlaid, one with "Federleicht" (featherlight), and the other with what looks like "Luck's Dreilaut" (Lucky three loud?). It only weighs a touch over 5 pounds. From the proof marks I've determined its a 16 x 16 (2.5 inch), one barrel is stamped with the crown W choke marking, the other not. From the 172/28 and a chamber cast I've determined it's an 8.1x46R. There are several marks I have not been able to decipher:
1) the stamp of the eagle with upstretched wings on all three barrels;
2) what looks like a fancy capital F with a crown, also on all three barrels;
3) The "EA" - maybe the actual gunmakers initials?
4) There is a stamp on all three barrels that looks like a dotted circle with a V or a K inside;
5) The 4619 I assumed was a book entry number from the proof house, but it and the eagle stamp are both stamped on the butt plate. Any thoughts as to what they might be?

Any other thoughts or insight about the gun would be appreciated, including any guesses on date of manufacture. Also, I don't see anything indicating it was proofed for nitro. Do I need to stick with black powder loads when shooting it?

Thanks for your help.
-Ted

[tedbell]

Here are a couple more pictures:

[ellenbr]

Most interesting Gothic Letters and unique Imperial Eagle on tubes and on heel plate(unique as I have not seem many with heel & toe plates). The other marks is the jagged encircled K from what I can see.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

Like many that I've viewed, it would seem there is a script L in his talons.



Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

Gothic or Fraktur letter

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

Jagged encircled Ks - two so some dual tube effort.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[Axel E]

That eagle holding a circled L is not a proofmark, but the trademark of the Luck family, Mühlplatz 4, Suhl, founded by Franz Luck about 1865. Since 1879 "Gebrüder Luck", 1907 "Gebrüder Luck & Sohn", 1929 " Luck & Wagner", existed up to 1945. Gebrüder Luck offered a "five (metric) pounds Drilling" before WW1. These 5 pounds are 2.5 kg, extremely light for a drilling. The Barrel inscription "Luck's federleicht / Dreilauf" = Luck's Featherweight / Three Barrel (The word "Drilling" was not yet in common use) Points to this offering. The pronounced "Bavarian" cheekpiece points to a customer in southern Germany.
As your drilling was proofed before 1912, I would rate it "bp proof only" and use only light loads both in shot and rifle Barrels.
BTW, what makes you think "Peterlongo"? The drilling was made by Luck in Suhl, with barrels by Klett? in Suhl, proofed in Germany only. Austria pre-WW1 did not accept German proof and required imported guns to be proofed again in Austria.

[Axel E]

BTW, what makes you think "Peterlongo"? The drilling was made by Luck in Suhl, with barrels by Klett? in Suhl, proofed in Germany only. Austria pre-WW1 did not accept German proof and required imported guns to be proofed again in Austria.

[ellenbr]

Axle, top rib looks to read Joh. Peterlongo. The cheekpiece looks to favour the Austrians

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[Axel E]

So it is a Luck, Suhl, lightweight Drilling, merely retailed by Peterlongo.

[Axel E]

BTW, the German name "Luck" is spoken not like the English "luck", but like "look".

[ellenbr]

Johann Peterlongo in 1908

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[Axel E]

Nice photo of old Johann Peterlongo, but since 1898 the company was run by Richard Mahrholdt, later, 1931, author of the Waffenlexikon = gun encyclopedia.

[ellenbr]

Possibly I should have typed that the image was from a 1908 article & I have wondered for some time if that was not Johann(Hans) Peterlongo, Jr. if that was his name. I have searched for some time for info regarding Johann Peterlongo and seeing he hung out his gunmaking shingle in 1854, he would have been born some 24 years earlier, circa 1830 so the dates of 1826 - 1898 seem correct. Seems Hans was at the helm prior to Richard Mahrholdt became a partner in 1898. I really haven't properly stumbled thru the following but it has the pertinent info for which I've been searching:

"Peterlongo Johann(Hans d.ä.), Fabrikant. Innsbruck 1.1.1854; Innsbruck, 21.5.1930. Trat nach Absolv. der Handels-schule und dem Militärdienst in das 1865 in Innsbruck gegründete väterliche Waffenhandels-und-erzeugungsunternehmen(im ehemaligen Palais Sarnthein) ein, dessen Zweigwerk sich in Ferlarch(Kärnten) befand. Nach dem Tode seines Vaters, Johann P.(1826 - 98), nahm er den Thüringer Waffenexperten R. Mahrholdt in die Fa. auf, die wegen schlechten Geschäftsganges zum reinen Handelsbetrieb geworden war. Durch zähe, eineinhalb Jahrzehnte währende Aufbauarbeit konnte die neue Firmenleitung der Tiroler Waffenfabrik Johann P. weltweit eine angesehene Stellung verschaffen. Die Innsbrucker Fabrik spezialisierte sich nun immer mehr auf durch Treffsicherheit und elegantes Dekor gekennzeichnete Jagdwaffen und entwickelte sich bis 1914 zum größten und angesehensten derartigen Unternehmen der Monarchie. P.-Waffen waren auch in Ausland-u.a. in Nord-und Südamerika sowie in den dt. und holländ. Kolonien - sehr begehrt. Nach dem Ende des Ersten Weltkrieges übergab P. die Fa. seinem Sohn Hans P. d. J.(1889 - 1946), der sie 1939 an R. Mahrholdt( ? - 1949) verkaufte."

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

[ellenbr]

And for you purists, forgive any typos.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse