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Identify an Old German single shot trapdoor rifle

3K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Jim K 
#1 ·
I have an old single shot trap door rifle, it appears to be around a .32 caliber, has a cocking lever behind the trigger and has "H STAHL SUHL" on the barrel and #7082 on the receiver. Except for a couple of proof marks, there is no other visable marking. The stock has a cheek piece and a thumb rest for a right-handed shooter. There is a steel butt plate on a concave butt, fitted to the shoulder. There is a small amount of scroll work on the receiver. There is a round peephole adjustable sight in the rear and a post sight in the front with wings on each side. Any help in identification and value (The gun has some rust and is probably in about 30% condition with a very good bore.) would be appreciated.
 
#4 ·
It will probably take me a couple of days to get a photo of the gun and post it. I think this probably is NOT a trapdoor, I have an old Springfield and this gun has the ramp drop down to load the cartridge when the cocking lever is pushed down, rather than open up, so that maybe it is a "Flobert" design. I'm not familiar with that type, as this is the only one like this I have seen. It's old, long, and has lots of wear on the outside, but is tight and the bore looks very good. Probably left to rust at some point.
John
 
#5 ·
It sounds like a Martini type action, common in German single shot target rifles in the period before WWI. "Stahl" means "steel" and could refer to the fact that the barrel is steel, or it could be a name.

FWIW, though, Suhl was a gun making community and it was common for sporting firearms to be produced by a group of makers, with each specializing in some part or parts. Such guns are often called "guild guns", since there is no identifiable maker's name.

Jim
 
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