German Hunting Guns of the Golden Era: 1840-1940

No other nation excelled in building complicated combination guns of very high quality like the Germans. The period 1840 till 1940 saw some of the finest break-open shotguns, rifles, drillings, and other combination guns made in this country. Their history is fascinating, the guns built before 1939 category exhibit a high level of quality and finish. In the devastation following two world wars, the records of the origins and the production of fine German sporting arms were mostly lost. This book-the first and only of its kind-documents as much as possible the history and aspects of these fascinating guns whose mechanism and complexity are unsurpassed. Research material was gathered from old catalogs and ads, factory records, books, periodicals, individuals, and, of course, surviving firearms of the period covered by this book. The book is divided into three sections: "Hunting," "Gunmakers," and "The Gun Itself." These three sections capture the essence of the topics through the use of photos and illustrations. Long, explanatory captions make the pictures understandable even to the novice. Moreover, all the famous makers of the day are included: J. P. Sauer, Brenneke, Lindner, Sempert & Krieghoff, and others. Everything to do with break-open shotguns, rifles, drillings, and combination guns is discussed: the Frank drilling, the barrel, the action, the development and history of these guns, fences, set triggers, and so on. This is a must-have book for all who appreciate fine, complex and beautifully made guns, both in metal artistry and in wood work. The German gun enthusiast especially will marvel at the geniuses of a bygone day that invented and built such guns.