W. Foerster Berlin 12 bore with London reproof on 70mm chambers
8x57 DR
When information on those elusive gunmakers/firearms merchants/waffenhndler like Otto Bock, etc., is rediscovered, it would seem that the discovered info would point to the big book of info, but evidently it doesn't exist or hasn't been scanned yet?? Anyway, I made another stab at an attempt to unearth info on ole W. Foerster of Berlin(not to be confused with Max von Frster(
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_von_Foerster ) who was into powder, had a facility at Walsrode in 1878 and may have had a shop in Berlin) but the info is still very scarce. But I can state that if you see a hammerless sporting weapon with similar bolsters, fences(please correct me Roger), probability is about split for it being retailed by either W. Foerster or O. Geyger. But if it is pinned, it is more than likely that of W. Foerster, who seems to have sourced his gesteck from Liege and then had it completed and proofed in German. And it may be that many firearms merhants/waffenhndler did the same but the marks were worked off the components or hidden. W. Forester looks to have sourced the craftsmen at Liege early on and I would say it increased his profit margins. Post 1900, Jupille, Belgium was a close knit family of tube making craftsmen who had the exclusive right to produce Krupp steel tubes and had the potential to roll out up to 2k per day. The run of the mill Krupp tubes prior to WWI more than likely have their origins here.
Getting back to W. Foerster, he looks to have been in business about the time as H. Barella or W. Foerster's father was also a gunsmith. I've located adverts from the mid 1840s were a gunmaker named Frster at Markgrafenstrae 19 was peddling specialized bullets in Berlin and I assume this to be the same fella. W. Foerster was quite the marksman, as were most or many of the sporting weapons retailers and by the mid 1860s W. Foerster had some sporting weapons design of his own which he used in competition with others like Paul Mauser and possibly the Kaiser himself, or W. Foerster was able to achieve similar numbers. Maybe his design was something akin to the one below?
from
http://rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/52/lid/180For now I would assume his appointment as Kniglich Hofbchsenmacher was post 1870(& pre-1883 - see previous page onCarl(1801-1883) von Preussen) and I hope the date range can be narrowed. W. Foerster hobnobbed with the elite furnishing them with his wares as well as shooting with them. This seems to be typical of suppliers to the Royal Courts and they spent more time competing and working on sales than gunmaking, but I don't think that to be an excuse for not making their wares. I can't say if he had any heirs or assigns but by WWI a businessman named Paul Schmidt was the owner and as typical he could have very well been W. Foerster's son-in-law had W. Foerster had any children. Info on the firm post WWI escapes me for now.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse