Fükert, Gustav of Weipert

The Fükert gunmaking dynasty was started by Johann Fükert (1811-1900) in 1830. Johann’s career spanned the years of great transition in Arms making from the early percussion to the reliable breech loader. In about 1870 johann turned over the firm to his son Gustav who carried on the fine reputation his father had established and expanded the firm to become one of the leading suppliers to the Royal houses of Europe and received a appointment to the Austrian Imperial Court under Franz Joseph I.

One source states that Gustav was born on July 8, 1844 and died on May 12, 1918. Another states that he was born on Aug. 7, 1844 and died on Dec. 5, 1918. It is assumed that Wenzel, Edmund, Gustav the younger, Johann the younger and Ferdinand Fükert were his sons.

The huge and impressive monument in the Weipert Cemetary is for the Fükert family and includes not only the Fükerts but also members of the Schmidl family who were also a gunmaking family in Weipert. The Schmidl family also had relationships to the Bittner Family. This illustrates how closely the gun making families were.

Gustav was very inventive and starting in 1880 received quite a few patents in both Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain. These patents are in chronological order-

DRP 11927 of May 5, 1880 for a center fire double gun.

DRP 19675 of Oct. 19, 1882 for a center fire double gun

British no. 15583 of 1893 for the design which became the Kronen-Gewehr

Swiss no. 7228 of Aug. 15, 1893 the same as the above British patent.

DRP 76253 of Aug. 15, 1893 for the Kronengewehre lock

DRP 147524 of Jan. 21, 1904 for Zusatzverschluss für Kipplaufgewehre

Austrian no. 16409 of May 25, 1904 same as DRP 147524

British no. 9663 of 1911 for a Safety Catch

Austrian no. 55576 Sept. 1912 same as British no. 9663 of 1911.

At the end of this page you will find copies of these patents in their entirety.

The above advertisement appeared in the Prag political periodical *Frisch Voran* on Feb. 28, 1873.

This advertisement appeared in the same periodical a month later

The above advertisement appeared in the 1895 edition of the periodical-*Der Deutsche Jäger*.

this advertisement appeared in the 1907 edition of the periodical *Schuss und Waffe*.

The following chapter is from the 1881 edition of Die Moderne Gewehrabrikation Praktisches Hand-und Lehrbuch. by the Prague gunmaker Friedrich Brandeis

The following item appeared in the Handbuch des Schiess-Sport by Friedrich Brandeis in 1881

An original Fückert Drilling admired by the late Hans Pfingsten while visiting the shop of Günter Retz in 2000.

The following images are courtesy of Joh. Springer’s Erban

A Remington system rolling block rifle made by Gustav Fückert circa 1880. From the Kunsthistorisches museum in vienna.

The September 1882 issue of the gunmaker’s magazine-Der Waffenschmied carried the following article announcing the introduction of Gustav’s latest development which is covered by the following patent.