doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Where to find info on scopes and scope mounts?

Fellow Enthusiasts,

I am shopping for my first drilling and have decided it must have a scope; however, I have found little informstion about scopes and bases. There are multiple attachment methods, many of which appear to be custom affairs.

Where can I find information on mounting options to help me in my selection of a scope-ready gun? Which mounting options am I most likely to locate mounts for? Which mounting options should I avoid for lack of available rings? I want to avoid a situation where I have to have rings custom machined I am also not interested in getting a modifed gun that has a modern base hacked onto it.

Thanks for any assistance.

Contact Dietrich Appfel head gunsmith at NEG- he is a German trained master Gunsmith and knows drillings, scopes, mounts, etc like Immelmann knew how to pull a banking turn in a Pfalz!!

Thanks, Fox. Whenn I get my drilling I will contact him.

Any advice on what to look for in scope mounts while shopping for a drilling would be appreciated.

I have a few scoped drillings, all bought used. My advice is: do not buy a scope-ready drilling, buy a scoped one.

With kind regards,
Jani

Information on drillings including how to scope them can be found in Norbert Klups' book, "The Drilling".

With kind regards,
Jani

You will be dollars ahead if the gun you buy is already fitted with a scope.
If it has a claw mount, proper rings will cost you in the neighborhood of $700 from NEG. But if NEG does it, it will be done right. They built claw rings for my combination gun, beautiful work.

Thanks for your suggestions.

The most common mounting system is the claw mount. As you pointed out they are all custom. If the drilling does not have a scope you will need to have the rings fitted to the bases and in some cases you might have to replace the bases. This will run $600 to $1200 plus the scope.

I have found the best scopes are from the drilling made during the commie period specifically from 1960-1989 and my prefered city is Suhl. My Fortuna, Merkel and Wolf all from this time frame all have excellent Zeiss scopes.

You might want to search for a drilling with a Zeiss scope.

Given this is your first drilling have you selected a "drilling smith" to inspect the gun? My first drilling needed a lot of work and the seller was willing to work with me on the price.

Also are you going to expand the shotgun chambers to 2.75 inches and open the chokes? This will run approximately $400

If the gun is off face, that will run approximately $600 to repair.

The 'drilling smith" I use was chosen based on recommendation from a buddy of mine that is very particular about his drilling

Good luck in your first drilling purchase.

Doug

Doug, thanks for the tips. I don't have a drilling smith, so if you recommend one, please let me know.

I do intend to expand the chambers.

I think at this point I may withhold my purchase until I can save more and afford a gun with a scope.

Thanks

Gentlemen,

Some of you may know this but Dietrich Apel sold his interest in New England Custom Guns to his partners roughly 11 years ago. Dietrich's absence from the firm has not taken away from NECG's abilities to do a very nice job of fitting scopes to either existing bases or doing a complete install (bases and rings), they come recommended by many. I agree that if one hasn't already purchased a gun requiring such work that buying one already equipped with a scope is the preferred option as the price of such work can run as much or more than some scopes. Fitting blank rings to a gun having existing bases is not that big of deal but it requires the right equipment and an ability to work with close tolerances. There are others, besides NECG, listed in the Custom Gunmakers Guild directory that offer these services. As a little something to do this winter I will be doing my own fitting of modern scopes to four of my German combination guns (two Bockbuchsflinte and two double rifles - Doppelbuchse). Thus far I haven't offered this service to others but if time permits I may in the near future.

Regards,

Buchseman