...Here is an update from Old Europe...
.....
1. For classic Mannlicher collectors/hunters/freaks
JSE / Vienna has in their online auction this thursday oct 14 a huge batch of these rifles
ex late PK provenience.
Ranging from 243 to 458 incl some rarities like a Gibbs and the usual continental calibres.
I admit the shotgun-alike balancing/handling and the smooth click-clack is most
appealing.
A gunsmith profi told me that the present de-rigueur trend is for a carbon-silencer-
heavily scoped Neo-German weapon to bag on 300 m in Kyrgistan or Tirol.
But observing the bidding-frency I realize that there are folks out , who
-beside the present trend to slow-food/slow-cooking/slow-winemaking -
favour slow-hunting.
This may explain why a 50+ years old Mannlicher carbine without a silencer
and with a simple 4x scope and with a solid Einhak-Montage is still
in demand.
...
2. For techno-freaks
This oct 14 auction includes also a Steyr-Monobloc shotgun in cal 16/65.
Not to confuse with the new Steyr-Monobloc repeating rifle, which has
action and barrel from one piece of steel.
The shotgun has barrels and barrel hooks from one piece of steel, no bottom-rib,
in sidelock version. It is proofed 1922, thus long before CNC times.
Produced by/with sophisticated machinery and a 3-handed mechanic behind.
Why this type of technology did not survive ?
I asked a profi-gunsmith on it.
He recommedend me to look into/check the weight .
It has 2922 g, so for a 16/65 a rather heavy one.
An unfair comparison, but a newish Purdey, which JSE has at hand
for a forthcoming auction, has 2910 g and unbeatable handling/balancing feel.
...
3. For a Liege-gun-afficionado
What is in this auction for a shotgunner.
A sweetie Franz Neuber BLE in 20/65, with a Viennese reproof of 2015.
Neuber was featuring in a previous post of this thread.
Is this worth to mention here ?
Its the nr. 1 of a pair, beautiful full engraving, the barrels have the LG mark.
It is one detail of the engraving - the rose bouquet - which I consider
extraordinarily executed.
It smells for me as "Leonard Smeets" done , though not marked on the
triggerguard.
....
4. What else ?
Not included in the auction, I came across another of these French
double-bottom-cover leg-of-mutton-cases , this time for a pair.
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/65921http://www.jpgbox.com/page/65920...
Les Francais set the pace in the 1970's for short polit MTBF.
I observe this my country has learned from them.
To cheer up in these times
here is a photo of my orchid in full blossom.
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/65922..
Cheers and stay healthy
F.N.
