Zero'd an old stutzen mannlicher yesterday for a friend .
the rifle is in 7x57 Mauser and was rebarrelled quite a few years back and I am assured the rifle is very old like twice my age .
My friend also has one in 7x64 which is equally as old
the double set triggers were interesting as was the shotgun style safety
i would hate to hazard a guess on the amount of deer they have shot over the last 50 years he has owned them !
One point he did say and the spelling is incorrect was one was made in a place called ferlach and was known as such and one a ferlacher and it was made just outside the place or town .anyone shed any light on that for me .
regards
norma
As has been said Ferlach is a town in Austria which has been at the centre of high end gun making for over 500 years. They had the patronage of the Austro Hungarian empire, with all the wealth that created throughout Central Europe. There are about a dozen, perhaps 20 master gunsmiths building top end guns that match and probably exceed the top end London makers. Difference with the London makers is that they seem to like pushing the boundaries of innovation. They are particularly known for top end single shot rifles (kipplaufs), bergstutzens - a mountain rifle with two barrels, one a high velocity 22 rimmed centre fire and the other in a 7x65r or similar, combination guns, drillings and double rifles.
If you look at the proof marks and serial number you can find out who built them and when - see below.
A number of the bigger Ferlach makers make rough parts and forgings that are finished off by others. They also buy in actions and barrels from elsewhere, including Germany. Many would also build guns for other retailers. I have a lovely 16 / 7x65r that is labelled Heinrich Munch:Aachen that as in fact made by Joseph Hambrusch.
You had a very similar situation in the British gun trade, with many guns being made as rough parts in Birmingham and then finished elsewhere, and even the best London makers building guns hat were retailed by the Army and Navy Coop or Harrods.
The Ferlach proof codes are as follows:
Ferlach, Austria: The proof house's number, followed by a dot, then by a 2-digit number for the year, as: 346.33 for the 346th gun proofed in 1933. During the 1980s a three letter code was adopted, for example: ETR, where the first letter is the month code, the second letter is always a T and the third letter is the year code. Also, an individual gunmaker's code appears in the following format: a 2-digit number followed by a dot and then typically a 4-digit number where the two digit number is the code for the gunmaking firm and the four digit number is his serial number
Gunmakers Code Numbers. Ferlach, Austria
(This page will display most clearly if you enlarge your browser's window to full screen)
Pre-1945 .xxxx being the maker's serial number
Number Maker's Name
20.xxxx Stefan Dusel
25.xxxx Martin Kruschitz
27.xxxx Simon Kalishnik
28.xxxx Peter Mischitz
29.xxxx Josef Mischitz
30.xxxx Josef Orasche
31.xxxx Michael Pegam
32.xxxx Anton Sodia
43.xxxx Johann Sigott
44.xxxx Walter Gratzer
45.xxxx Erich Achatz
46.xxxx Josef Schonlieb
47.xxxx Lorenz Schaschl
48.xxxx Josef Fanzoj
49.xxxx Franz Rp. Schmeid
50.xxxx Franz Schmeid
52.xxxx Valantin Rosenzopf
Post-1945 .xxxx being the maker's serial number
Number Maker's Name Number Maker's Name
21.xxxx Johann Fanzoj 38.xxxx Genossenschaft (Gunmaker's Guild)
22.xxxx Josef Hambrusch 39.xxxx Fachschule (Handgun Tech. School)
23.xxxx Karl Hauptmann 40.xxxx Ludwig Borovnik
24.xxxx Josef Just 41.xxxx Johan Michelitsch
25.xxxx Josef Kruschitz 42.xxxx Josef Winkler
26.xxxx Jakob Koschat 43.xxxx Thomas Kulnig
27.xxxx Simon Kalischnig 44.xxxx Walter Gratzer
28.xxxx Peter Mischitz 45.xxxx Erich Achatz
29.xxxx Josef Mischitz 46.xxxx Josef Schonlieb
30.xxxx Josef Orasche 47.xxxx Lorenz Schaschl
31.xxxx Michel Pegam 48.xxxx Johann Fanzoj
32.xxxx Anton Sodia 49.xxxx Franz Schmid
33.xxxx Franz Sodia 50.xxxx Franz Schmied
34.xxxx Johann Sigot 51.xxxx Gottfreid Juch
35.xxxx Walter Outschar 52.xxxx Valentin Roesenzopf's sons
36.xxxx Wincenz Urbas 53.xxxx Wilfried Glanznig
37.xxxx Benedikt Winkler 55.xxxx Herbert Scheiring
