I have acquired a falling block single shot rifle that I am trying to identify. It has no manufacturer markings, The action is nicely engraved and seems to be of good quality. The barrel has been rechambered from .25-35 to .25-35 AI. I am not sure if it is the original barrel. The hammer nose is broken, so I have some 'smithing ahead of me.

Because I am not sure of the original chambering, and the strength of the action, I am not sure how to procede, but it is a pretty rifle and I hate to let it just sit.

The guys at the ASSRA table at the NRA Convention told me you guys could identify it in a flash. I've attached a picture of the receiver. Any ideas?

Gary

I looked over the barrel and receiver after taking the stock and forearm off. No markings of any kind were visible anywhere except the 3 digit serial number on some parts.

The hammer is attached to and swings within the falling block. This is very similar to the rifle "Another German Falling Block" in Single Shot Rifles and Actions by Frank De Haas. The rest of the action is totally different however. He did mention that his rifle had no manufacturer's markings also.

The sear surface is actually at the tip of the hammer, above the hammer nose. The hammer spring (flat) is attached to the lever.

I've attached a picture of the full rifle if it helps. The fit of the buttstock is kinda rough, especially at the rear of the upper tang. I wouldn't swear it is original. The are also locating pins at the front of the receiver for the forearm that are not in the original locations, so the forearm may not be original either.

The barrel has no markings and no sights. There are 3 sets of holes for sight bases drilled at different spots in the barrel. There is a largish screw at the top rear of the receiver ring that engages a detent in the barrel suggesting a switch-barrel capability, but I was unable to loosen the barrel using a padded vise on the barrel and me on the receiver.

By the way, I am pretty sure of the .25-35 AI chambering because fire-forming loads and fire-formed cases were included with the rifle.

I hope this helps!

Gary

Is P.O.Ackley's name on the barrel? I've seen some of his stockwork & he usually finished the pistol grip with that dead square end. He just may have put the gun together.    ...MIKE...

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It has no markings because the original barrel (with the markings) is gone.
I agree that the stock "design" is pretty amatuerish; hopefully not something P.O. Ackley would produce.

Hello Gary,

The action certainly has the lines of a German made action and I am now pondering on the thought that this part was 'liberated' by a GI in 1945. Possibly from an old gunsmiths shop or more likely one of the armouries where the Germans stored confiscated weapons taken from the citizenry after the rise of the National Socialists.

A small part would be far easier to bring back home later, than a full size rifle. I would agree with DWS 1830 that it was stocked in the 1950's to early 60's in the fashion that was De-Rigour at the time. 

Possibly an attempt by a would be gunsmith at building his first rifle. It would also explain the chambering of an US cartridge rather than a Metric calibre. That's the best I can come up with, sorry.

Harry

ten to one the barrel has been replaced,as the proofmarks are on the barrel. in  europe.Also may have been made in Belgium, as they sold a lot to Germany.Does this gun have any proofmarks?

It was suggested by a German friend (and Zeiss colleague) that my own "stalking rifle", which is unmarked except for barrel proofs, may have been a "meisterstueck" made by an apprentice gunsmith as his "final exam".  

While by no means identical, mine looks a lot like that.  It is chambered 8x57R, .319 groove, and withstood half a box of .323-bullet ammo fired by the GI who brought it back. (He sold it to me in 1999.)  I'm sure of this because he handed me the box with the remaining cartridges.  He never fired it again, because "it recoiled too hard".  (Surprise!)     

While this proves nothing about Gary's rifle, it does point out that Germans were making good strong actions that look like that as early as 1912, (the date that mine was proofed). 

The 8mmx57R is nominally .473 at the base just above the rim, the rim is nominally .526" diameter.   

8.12x46 is .421 at the base, rim is .484.   The latter is from Barnes, I do not have any such cartridges.  Bullet diameter of the 8.12 is reported as .316 in Barnes, a bit smaller than the 8x57R in the old configuration.   

Do you have the ability to do a chamber cast?

Phil