doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Greifelt quality?

Any thoughts on where Greifelt sits in a general quality comparison? Recognizing that there are high and low- grade variations of each, where would they stand in comparison with pre-war Merkels, Simsons, Sauer or ? Thanks

I have a Greifelt drilling and a side-by-side shotgun, both boxlocks and both on consignment at the Tulsa Gun Show this weekend with Ken Pendleton of Pendleton Firearms. I consider their quality no different from any of the other high grade Suhl gunmakers. Reason for the sale: two new drillings, a Krieghoff Waldschuetz and a Simson-Jaeger, with Jaeger's unique locking system.

Greifelt was a high qualified gunsmith in Suhl before WWII, you can compare with Merkel, Simson and Sauer, specially quality.

On the quality, I agree with xausa and Ger.
Mike

I also have a Greifelt drilling, and can attest to the quality. I've owned it for several years,fired well over 100 rounds of rifle ammo and a few thousand rounds of shotshells, from birdshot to buckshot and slugs. Never had a problem with the gun, and it's as tight as when it left Suhl in the early 1930's.

Have a 12 and 20 O/U both imported by VL&D. Both condidered very high end back in the day and at the time was priced equivalent to a new automobile....or so I was informed by Griffin & Howe. From a quality perspective, my opinion is quite high on Greifelt. Hard to compare to the other known Suhl firms such as as Simson, Sauer, Sempert Kreighoff, Merkel as they also crafted field grade to super high end arms as well. All that I have seen (pre-war) are of excellent quality internally and externally.

You can find more on Greifelt and other makers here
http://www.germanhuntingguns.com/Sections/Page.asp?SID=436&MID=5#GreifeltBaltasar

Have but one, a Model 272 9.3X74R O/U DR (1935)...







Though the adornment varies from the "high grades" to what at times are referred to as "field grades" the functionality and quality of craftsmanship of the guns of Suhl, in my opinion, is second to none. This surely goes for those produced by Greifelt. Sure, like others, if one can swing it it's nice to pick up the pretty and more refined guns but in my experience all have functioned well in the field where I enjoy them the most. Suppose I could, with a little more time on the bench and at the range, close the grouping a tad more with this Greifelt Model 272 but still the next boar targeted with this gun will not escape a trip to the freezer.

Regards,

Mark

Mark, gorgeous,,,,stunning O/U...with superior engraving...thanks for sharing.

Interesting to compare workmanship to a higher end Simson drilling of the same era. This example has seen harder days...yet still ready for the field aside from the fact that it is my favorite..:-)

Holy Moly! Those drillings and the double are stunning. And even your "higher grade tired old Simson" could have an honored place in my safe. The stories it must have...
I have a plain postwar 16 ga. Simson that is hell on pheasants. Mine was made in 54 when the dirty commies were running the show. No frills to speak of but it still locks up like a vault on Timkens. I think I'm still breaking it in, 60 years later. Here's my low end Simson.

[img:left][/img]

mtwoodson,

It's nice to read that your Simson is "hell on pheasants". It's doing, of course with your help, what is was designed to do. Haven't seen any adornment on firearms putting any meat on the table yet.

Waidmannsheil!

Mark

Some rotten SOB , albeit an SOB with extremely good taste,beat me back to the LGS with cash. Now my Greifelt is still just a dream.

Mark, that is one FINE O/U, my friend!

mtwoodson,

Funny stuff! Your "...albeit an SOB with extremely good taste". I wish you better luck next time around.

Steve,

Thank you for the complement. My pictured Greifelt BBF is one of my favorite rifles for many reasons, the obvious and the personal stories that go with it.

Regards,

Mark

Kevin,

You're a lucky man to have two fine examples of Greifelt O/Us. I have to wonder if the same engraver did all three? Perhaps an expert such as Hendrik Fr�hauf would know. Have you already asked about yours?

Regards,

Mark

Thanks Mark for the complement. I have been on the hunt for a VL&D Greifelt and two presented themselves (12 and 20). I think the engraving on your O/U is quite stunning to say the least. I have not researched the engraver but was thinking that yours could have been Richard Schilling.

Hmm.... how interesting a picture, concerning the buttstock wood.

Could it, perchance, that this be *elm* ?!
(In German, by the way, "Ulme" is the tree, and "Rüster" is its processed wood)

Regards,
Carcano

Carcano -

I had an identical Simson with the same wood species for the stock. 1950s vintage...I think 1951, but I sold it a while back. That was my first ever double gun. 16ga when you could still get 16ga shells at your local Walmart or Kmart here in the states. Very nicely made.

I'm assuming the wood choice was dictated by supply chain issues in East Germany and depleted stocks of walnut from the prior conflicts.

Regards,

Chris