A victim of the EU-Waffenrichtlinie and its associated Austrian implementation of mandatory registration of all shotguns by dec 13 2021.
.....
JSE had in their yearend 2021 silent auction a huge volume of lots triggered by this due date.
In between a very nice vintage J. Heinige 16-bore hammer gun unsold at 350 E.
I have included in a previous post a photo , repeated here under its jpgbox
https://www.jpgbox.com/page/67037It is reentered in their next silent auction , reduced to 240 E.
I had a more detailed look on it now.
It is a 16/65 hammer gun, damascus barrels , in crisp low-use condition. I took off the barrels.
The proof mark is 2155.98 by Weipert for black powder ,
identified by the eagle with number 3, the crossed hammers,
and the letter W within a mark, the golden script "J. Heinige in Wien" as the name of the retailer.
JSE has kindly sent me a photo of the marks on the barrelflats, but due to oversize
I could not upload it into the jpgbox.
Who built it in 1898 in Weipert? Possibly Gustav Gittner based on the nr 25 on the barrelflats
and the forepart. But a check into the Weipert records in the Prague proofhouse would provide final clue.
How come , a 124 years old vintag damascus hammer gun with low mileage now into the auction.
Possibly the grandpa who ordered it 1898 did not return from WW I battelfields.
And all the heir generations kept it in honor of the grandpa.
Till the great-grand-son generation finally decided to part with the gun as now longer being
able to keep it unregistered and thus unobserved.
Why not reproof it with nitro ?
Austria does NOT nitro-proof damascus barrels.
Why ?
-We are more catholic than the pope
-We want to protect the non-existing Austrian steel-barrel-making fraternity
The German proofhouse in Munich would accept it for reproof.
If it passes nitro-proof ok , if not bad luck.
....
What else is in this aution worthwile to mention here ?
An Anton Sodia Over/under in 16/65 with narrow chokes (Hare-gun) and
usual Kersten-Verschluss above the usual Ferlach trigger-plate (Blitz) action.
At inviting start price of 120 E.
Much bent of the stock.
Anton Sodia has been a great Ferlach craftsman, esteemed by customers and
his competitors as well.
He broke when his son died in a car accident.
...
What else in this auction ?
For Arrieta afficionados.
A pair of 20/70 bores, SLE, with Holland Selfopener system, cased,
the sideplates with wonderfully executed Bulino-engraving of 2 ducks,
stock of nr 1 with hardly visible crack, something our Altmeister
Hans Jiricek would easily fix with a piece of Kornel-cherry and his tongue-groove-method.
Weight around 2800 g, short zone after chambers look frosty, either corrosion
or not cleaned plumb-residual. .
Start price 1500 E.
..
what else according April issue of Weidwerk hunting magazine ?
- The new CIC president is Austrian.
Hunter, lawyer, corporate manager in the agro/immo business world,
"ein gstandener Mann" and no "multi-function" polit-chap.
I hope he can contribute to preserve the hunting fraternity from the EU's idiosyncracies
and move hunting out from the present defensive and defenceless corner.
- Glorious Beretta is continuing its shopping frenzy.
After having bought Holland&Holland they will acquire Ruag
(RWS,Norma,Rottweil,Geco).
Viva bella Italia !
...
F.N.
