The basic action looks very similar if not identical to a British rook rifle my friend Grumpy the Grouch acquired in Alaska back in the '60s. I've seen others like it in various rook calibers from various makers from various places, and thus I always assumed that the basics came originally from one maker, probably in Belgium.

Zella-Mehlis is an area or town in what used to be East Germany, and was once the home of the Walther factory among others.
HTH, good luck, Joe

I have an old German arms catalog from about 1900 and I thought for sure that I could find your pistol listed, but although I found many similar pistols, none are exact matches. Apparently single shot target pistols were very popular in Germany and were available in a large variety of calibers and designs, many with double set triggers, and I was amazed to find that some were even chambered in 22 Winchester Center Fire.

About 10 years ago a member of the Schilling family came to the ISSA match in Raton with a brand new Aydt Schuetzen Rifle made in their factory after the communists lost power. The Schilling factory is in the Zella-Mehlis / Suhl area of what was once part of the GDR.


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Bob

40-65tom,

I wasn't able to find anything about the German manufacturer but the eagle over the letter "N" is the German definitive nitro proof mark from 1939 to 1945.

feather

dang---wish I could read krautenspeekn.  I didn't realize there were still making "old style" schuetzen rifles-----and that color case finished scope--wow!   can you imagine an old unertl or targetspot finished in CPA stevens colors?

4065Tom,

I have one very similar to yours except it has black gutta-percha grips, no lanyard ring, a more elaborate set of sights and is chambered in .22 BB and CB Cap.  There's no maker's mark on it, just a bunch of Belgian proofmarks.

It has the side lever break action like yours but the front of the frame has a little curleque that makes it look like it may once have had a spring-loaded wood forend on it.  I'll try to post a picture this weekend; my April 15 "fair share" is taking up my time right now.

I think the basic pattern was very popular in the 1890-1915 era when slow-fire pistol shooting was popular.  Probably a lot of small manufacturers bought the basic forgings and castings and did them up according to their own ideas.

Any chance you could post the picture from the catalog. This pistol, although not top of the line is interesting and a ball to shoot. 

Tom

Jim
Thanks so much, it is identical to mine except for barrel length, and "call sight". I assume Stoeger marked the guns they imported and mine is not marked in any way. This leads me to guess it was brought back from somewhere.

Tom