Yes, Springer and Seifert they were both merchants, and had their suppliers and gunsmiths (and of course, also an in-house mechanic or two). Josef Seifert was ethnically German, but Hungarian was the official language in the then (post-1867) heavily magyarized Kingdom of Hungary, and was also considered posh, even in numerous German households.
Thanks to the posted advertizements, we can see that he pandered his goods both in German and in Hungarian. From what little I could discern from an Hungarian firearms blog, he or at least his firm (under his son Karl) was also one of the Colt distributors of Hungary, apart from e.g. Josef or Julius Kirner.
As to their pre-1918 customers, they were not equal in rank. Julius Springer was not a mere Hoflieferant (purveyor to the Court), of which there were thousands in Austria-Hungary. He was a KAMMERLIEFERANT, and as such probably more aristocratic than many courtiers. Josef Seifert certainly did not count only commoners among his clientèle, but still a significant part of the Western Hungarian aristocracy.
