About the Guns
By Larry B. Schuknecht
German Hunting Guns have long been recognized as being distinctive in styling, quality and construction. With the following pages I will try to illustrate these aspects. Click on the phrase or word in Bold to go directly to that page.
In Ammunition- Rifle and Ammunition-Shotgun will be found some basic information about the more commonly used metric ammunition.
The page 14.5 x 49R and 14.5 x 52R Dombrowski-Heissig Hochwildpatrone tells the story of the little known rounds that were nearly identical to the already obsolete .577 Snider.
Ammunition Catalogues contains scans of old Ammunition Catalogues that have become available to me.
Vintage Handloading Tools– a look at the hand tools offered to sportsmen in Europe to load their own ammunition, advertisements and notices found in periodicals from the late 19th and the first half of the 20th Century.
A study of German Engraving will give the viewer an idea of the Art used to decorate the high grade guns and some of the Artists who did the engraving.
Gun Components contains an overview of the subject by Dietrich Apel and includes links to the pages that cover the different components.
Actions & Locks– A study of some of the many different Locks and Actions used on the German sporting guns.
Receivers– Receivers are the foundation upon which every gun is built and this is a look at just a few of them.
Die Schneckenbügel (The Snail Trigger Guard)-An article by Dietrich Apel which appeared in the GGCApublication- Der Waffenschmied.
The Ern Roller Sidelock– a PDF of an article by Clair Kofoed telling the story of Max Ern and his proprietary sidelock.
Scopes– a look at the development and rise in popularity of the optical rifle sight in Europe in the first half of the 20th Century.
Scope Mounts– Scopes would be useless without good mounts to fasten them to the rifle, this is just a glimpse at a few of the many that were used.
Gun Identification is an extensive look at Proof Marks, Trade Marks, and other marks on the guns which help to identify the Maker, where and when it was made.
Instruction & Owner’s Manuals contains those Manuals and booklets put out by manufacturers and others to guide the gun owner in the proper and safe use and maintenance of their gun.
Gun Types looks at and explains the many different basic types of the German Hunting Guns.
Die Kipplaufbüsche is an article which explains and illustrates this popular type of rifle- the single shot break action rifle.
Barrels explains the different steels used in barrel construction and the Companies who made that steel.
Verschluß or Breech Lock Up– Articles from the Nov. & Dec. 1937 German periodical Duetsche Jagd discussing the different breech lock ups and the engineering behind them.
Ejectors is an article about a few of the many different guns with often complicated Ejector Mechanisms which automatically removed a fired round from a guns chamber when the gun is opened.
Sporting Long Gun Patents is a chronological list of the German Patents (DRP) for Sporting Long Guns and a link to the Search Page of the German Patent Web Site.
Safeties looks at the history of and development of Safeties and how some of the more common ones function.
Stocks is a look at how the German Long Gun Stock developed and evolved over the years and some of the distinctive features that make the guns both unique and practical in todays gun world.
Vintage Stock Carving– articles and images about the classic German and Austrian carving found on gun stocks.
Early Air Rifles (Windbüchsen)-a study of the invention and development of the Air or pneumatic gun in Europe.
Hackbut or Hakenbüchsen- an article by Merril Lindsay from the May 1971 issue of Guns magazine.
Wheelock Guns– A brief article about the Wheelock and those guns recently offered in Auctions.
Snaphaunce Guns– a look at the guns which followed the Wheelock and paved the way to the venerable Flintlock.
Flintlock Guns– Vintage articles about the Flintlock guns, images and Auction listings from recent sales.
Jaeger Rifles- recent Auction listings for outstanding Jaeger rifles.
Sporting Smooth Bore Muskets & Fowlers-Auction listings for outstanding Sporting Smoothbores.
The Wender (Swivel Barrel) Gun– Recent auction listings for muzzle loading swivel barrel guns.
The Lorenzoni Flintlock Repeating Rifle– A recent auction listing from James D. Julia about this rare and outstanding rifle.
Percussion Muzzle Loading Guns– Images and descriptions of various sporting rifles, shotguns and combination guns from the Percussion era.
Transitional Systems-Muzzle to Breech-Loading– a look at a few of the innovative systems devised to facilitate faster and easier loading.
The Lefaucheux Guns & Pin Fire ammunition– A brief look at a few specimens of these early breech loaders.
Fürst Pleß Gewehr (Fürst Pless Guns)– A study of the gunmaker Rudolph Berger and the single barrel Stalking Rifles made for and influenced by Hans Heinrich XI, the Prince of Pless.
Teschings– A study and article by Axel Eichendorff about this category of single shot sporting rifles.
The Stutzen Rifles- Berg, Bolt, Feuer, Ischler and Pirsch– A brief article about these short rifles or carbines by Larry B. Schuknecht.
The Waldläufer Drilling-a Drilling with the rifle barrel in the top rib.
Vogelbüchsen– A look at a 16 ga. rifle used in the Bird target competitions.
Combination Guns-Articles, advertising and images of combination guns added as they are found.
Drillings-Articles, details of the different Systems used in the construction of Drillings and images of Drillings.