doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ludwig Koppensteiner ?

Here's a gun that appeared in my friend's shop this week. neat little 20ga boxlock by Ludwig Koppensteiner. Has anyone heard of this maker - Google is getting me nowhere.

Ludwig Koppensteiner worked in Linz, Austria until at least 1920.

Gentlemen,

never heard of Ludwig Koppensteiner in Linz, Austria,. But the shotgun obviously is of German origin. And the features I can see there make me believe it could be a Sauer model VIII: top mounted sears and the rib on the hammer axle, acting as a cocking indicator.

Can you show us more photos please? Especially, all markings on the water table would be of interest. If this gun was exported from Germany to Austria, additional Austrian proofs will be present.

Regards

Martin

Thanks for your help. Here are a few more pictures.

Koppensteiner

Indeed it is possible that Ludwig Koppensteiner did hail from Linz from circa 1919 to the mid 1920s, when he appears to have dropped off the globe. Is Linz atop the tubes? He may have originally hung out his shingle in Urfahr, Austria in the latter part of the 19th Century. At the end of WWI when the Austro-Hungarian empire was dissolved, Urfahr absorbed a city adjacent to it and then the sum was absorbed by Linz making Urfahr a suburb. Seemingly a moot point as only about 3km, and the Danube River, separated Urfahr & Linz. Urfahr was created and/or was a market place by Royal decree in the early part of the 19th Century and incorporated in 1882, so Ludwig Koppensteiner examples with the city of Urfahr atop would be post 1882. Urfahr is on the North side of the Danube while Linz was/is South of the Danube with both being only 30km or so from the Czech border. Adolf Hitler spent about 10 years of his childhood in Linz. So firearms merchant Ludwig Koppensteiner either moved from Urfahr to Linz or his address changed. It is possible that Ludwig Koppensteiner adorned his wares, but he heavily sourced the craftsmen of Suhl & Zella-Mehlis and may have partnered with a larger concern like August Sch�ler early on in his peddling. If his offerings included bolt guns, August Sch�ler was a common source who in turn sourced either Sempert & Krieghoff or E. Schmidt & Habermann. Your example looks to be a August Sch�ler Model 1, if it is devoid of engraving. A Model 2 if with light engraving with both being offered in 12, 16 & 20 bores. Models 1b & 2b are capes with a single set trigger for the solid projectile tube. I don't see a date stamp, but the weapon looks to be from Suhl from the 1912-1923 period. Any Krupp steel stamps?


R.A. or R.N.?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

That stamp is "RN" There is a KRUPP stamp on the bottem of the barrels (last picture.)

Thanks Mike for the clue. That stamp reminds me of Krupp steel tubes made in Liege. Is the serial number in the 22k range? There weren't that many "N" craftsmen in the Suhl/Zella-Mehlis area with Adolf Niemeyer, a pistol maker being one, & the couple of Nordheim boys that I can recall right off.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I've seen an August Sch�ler 228xx Herkules Verschluss SxS DR that was given a January 1922 date, how they knew I cannot say. So if the 224xx is an August Sch�ler serial number then the longarm would have been made about the same time and I expect to see the last 3 numbers stamped on other components.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Ludwig Koppensteiner offering


http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=233455#Post233455

Here's an August Sch�ler with the pin indicators from a recent thread but I don't know the serial number.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

August Sch�ler Suhl #244xx from June 1925

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...true#Post221583

August Sch�ler hammergun #2200x




RW on water table



Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse