doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com New hammer drilling. Gustav Diem of Frankfurt

I bought a another drilling. It is a Gustav diem and Co. of Frankfurt. Can find nothing out there on this maker. It is nitro proofed. Hammer drilling with under lever action. Suppose to be 16ga and 9.3 x 72R. Has claw style scope mounts. Any help or further info or year of mfg. be appreciated.

Here is auction information.

German Drilling with 16 gauge and 9.3x72R gun barrels marked "GUSTAV DIEM & Co.", "FRANKFURT A/M", and "PRIMA GEWEHR LAUF STAHL". Underneath the barrel are "U" and "NITRO" proofs, serial number "10304", as well as "8.5mm", "72", proof date of "3.25", "KmG", etc. Blued matted barrel with flip-up rear sight, blade front sight, and double-claw scope bases. Barrel and receiver have serial number "10304". Receiver has light engraving. Trigger guard lever releases barrel, rifle has double exposed hammers, and lever. Walnut stock and forearm have grip checkering. Sling swivels are present on barrel and rear of stock.[img]https://postimg.cc/gallery/GLm7sJM[/img]

Right off, I do not see a Gustav Diem & Compagnie of Frankfurt on the Main(River) but there are a whole host of Diems in Suhl; more than you can shake a stick. But I do find a a Gustav Diem of Suhl-Benshausen, hanging out a shingle @ Mühlstraße 8. Frankfurt on the Main must have been a satellite office?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Interesting that too there was a Gustav Diem in Zella-Mehlis @ the same address in the same period? Now the family of Diem supplied components to the trade and very often one will see a >>D<< stamped on the top of the left flat & I am confident that a mechanic Diem supplied components and effort.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Said action was referred to as a „Rouxverschluss“.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Heinrich Diem of Benshausen under the shingler of Gewehrteilefabrik was what I was thinking. He was active from at least WWI to the end of WWII. So the Diems must have originated in Benshausen?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Also, I have in my notes that a W. Diemb/Diem of Suhl who was a barrel blank maker and may have been associated with Ziegenhahn. For sure a Diem was a cohort of Ziegenhahn, which has an interesting translation.


Lindner Daly - Diamond Quality

Here's that proverbial >>D<< on the barrel flats that I attribute to a mechanic Diem. I have yet to see the said >>D<< on a Sauer offering.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Added a gallery of proof marks and gun to post

Any idea of year of mfg? Are the claw scope mounts original?(appear to be)

Was this a “guild” drilling?

Looks like a Zella-Mehlis offering with tubes my Max Möller of Z-M that passed thru the Z-M proof facility in March 1925.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

It would have been considered a >>Trade Gun<< and yes for 1925, the Suhler Claw Mounts would have been original. A manufacture date would have been shortly after the proof date. A time period long enough to complete the firearm.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse