doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Meffert hot rod? Action source

Just bought at auction a Meffert with Lindneresque action long and overhanging secondary sears. Wears the Vorrat has been very well sleeved and choke tubed. 12ga 6.75lbs 28 3/8 barrels. I plan to have barrels refinished showing the Damascus chambers and top rib. I know poor gun has no collector value but I can sure put it to use with those barrels and choke tubes.
So where did he source this action 1891-1893 it looks much like a Lindner? What do you fellows think?

Jtplumb,
I don't believe that is a Vorrat mark, rather, I believe it is a similar British mark. A Vorrat mark typically would have only been applied once and on the top of the barrels (near the doll's head). My speculation is, rather than a GI bring back, it may have been a "Tommy" bring back and sleeved in the UK, hence the marks. The color case, bluing and choke tubes may have been done in either the UK or US, but I think the US because the barrel flats are left black. Germans, for sure, and Brits maybe would have polished them bright. I'm also not sure how popular choke tubes are in the UK. I believe Meffert made their own actions (maybe Lindner got theirs from Meffert). I agree about the lack of collector interest but don't agree it is a poor gun. You will likely have many years of fine use and enjoyment from it. When you have the barrels refinished, I suggest you have the color removed from the flats. Then, a close inspection may reveal the residue of the original proof marks (maybe including the date of proof).
Mike

Maybe, sure looks similar

Ah, they are haphazardly stamped, unlike the British Contingent, & I have seen similar. If the marks were British, it would not have been just the Crown over V, but the full regiment of marks. The only time I have seen only one British Proofmark was just the Rampant Lion on barrels on Bohemian Wares. This example dates to a very specific period of January 1893 - April 1893 and was just hangin' around the shop @ Imann. Meffert, where Post WWII Brno was the one that was beaten by the Russians with a Rubber Hose in a cellar till he tired of it. He & his wife gave a few fotos away, locked the door the disappeared into the night.

The original marks have been destroyed leaving only speculation.

The longarm has the Lindner safety; >>Triebel Bump<< on the forend iron and a lengthy frame along with Beltls & Braces on the A&D Body Action.

EVERY mechanic in Suhl & Zella-Mehlis, less Lindner in Suhl & Oskar Will in Zella - Mehlis, was too cheap to pay for the APUN; therefore, there were stabs @ alternate platforms until the Patent Protection Period expired. Sauer could have handled the deal on the actions w/ the APUN from A. Francotte, but the Daly-Schoverling-Lindner seems to be the connection as I have not seen a Sauer with the APUN? Lindner either sourced the actions from Francotte or had them machined @ Sauer and the APUN applied @ a Satellite Stamping Station where the APUN was paid. Unequivocally, Meffert was not involved in sourcing....

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

So Meffert sourced from Lindner, Sauer or Francotte. Either way it seems to be the action I was looking for sold in the German Market. I will consider my search ended. Again thanks for all of the help you Gentlemen provide! This one has a serial number on the bottom plate, I could see it through action flat gap for back lump. Would that correspond to the Lindner numbers or Meffert assigned?

Too, I forgot to note the long toplever. I have not idea on the serial number without seeing it. H.A. Lindner was about the only one in Suhl paying the APUN, and Charles Daly was behind that because of the end users in the U.S. of A. Now I do not know if H.A. was getting raw blocks of steel from Liège with the APUN stamped on them and then H.A. Lindner had a subcontractor to file it? Or if the frame was already filed in Liège w/ the APUN and H.A. Lindner polished and added the components? And Sauer was about the only other Suhl maker to offer the A&D Body Action with Belts & Braces, but after the APUN protection period ended.

It would have been nice to see if Lindner's 2nd series Quality Control Stamp was on the tubes. Being so early and completed by early 1893, I would hazard a guess a Lindner number, but that is just rampant speculation.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Interesting also that a Meffert retailed longarm with the Latest & Greatest action @ the time wasn't submitted for the full regiment of proof?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

On the sourcing, H.A. Lindner had a presence under the Sauer umbrella and Sauer was doing the heavy lifting for H.A. Lindner. Then A. Francotte was their primary Liège sourcing point.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

I wasn't suggesting that Meffert didn't submit the gun for full proofs. I opined that the crown Vs (multiple) came with the sleeving by a British firm, and suggested the barrel flats be polished bright to see what German proofs are left (hopefully original proof date).

I will find out soon. I read that it has always been that the English were required by law to mark barrels sleeved if so. Don’t think sleeving was done there. Also you were correct about the marks there isn’t any difference between the v and crown from Germany or London they look identical. These as Raimey has pointed out are nonetheless German. I will share any information I can find when gun is in hand, maybe it will provide some new information about these actions. I do prefer them above most!