doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com want to buy a cheap merkel or similar

Alright, nix the thought of anything to do w/ Bochumer Verein. And forget the J.P. Sauer might have been made in West Germany as there is a TW notes originating @ the Thälmann Werke(VEB)-GDR facility in Suhl. The adornment and engraving on the GDR Vormals J.P. Sauer was by Guenter Helmuthhäuser.

The use of the 4 Ringe Gewehr Lauf Stahl was an attempt to deceive the end user was getting tubes of the same Quality as the coveted 3 Ringe Gewehr Lauf Stahl by Krupp. 4 Ringe Special Gewehr Lauf Stahl - Gewehrlaufstahl was actually made @ Edelstahlwerk Freital and sourced from Edelstahlwerk Freital. So that is the word from the authority in Suhl.

>>ESW<< denotes Edelstahwerek.

>>BGH - Freital Edelstahl<< supplied steel to Ernst Thälmann Werke and other mechanics in Suhl.

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

Evidently, the switch from Krupp Steel or Böhler Steel to Edelstahlwerk Freital 4 Ringe Gewehr Lauf Stahl / 4 Ring Weapons Grade Barrel Steel was all due to economics. East Germany had a shortage of foreign currency and had to source inland. Scrap Metal quality varied vastly and there was a dip in quality and everyone including the end user was forced to embrace the change. This is exactly the reason that many German Collectors give a hard knock on GDR weapons platforms.

Merkel may have been the exception and was not under the Ernst Thalmann Werke umbrella and was able to negotiate their barrel steel?

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

I believe the term "INNENHARTVERCHROMT" means the bore was hard chrome plated rather than a chrome component in the steel.
Mike

Could be Ford, could easily be.


Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse