Patrick Chadwick wrote on Oct 29
th, 2020 at 4:55pm:
Got it!
Stockheim in Odenwald (i.e. Stockheim i. OD). A part of Michelstadt-Erbach, if you wish to look it up.
Alas! No entry in Stoeckel for for a gunsmith in Stockheim, Michelstadt, Erbach, and none at all for the name Friedlein.
Why did I take this trouble? - Because the gun dates from a period when the majority of gunsmiths are listed in Stoeckel, and Friedlein could have been working for one of them, and later become independent.
The complete lack of an entry, by name or by location, makes me wonder if Wilhelm Friedlein was a dealer who put his name on a gun that was actually made, in whole or in part, by someone else.
For that reason , I am going to ask you to remove the front-end wood and study the hidden section of the barrel most carefully. One sometimes finds markings there.
As to the chambering, it seems that you have the same problem as I have with my Stahl target rifle - the chambering is too generous in the neck for the bullet that would fit in the rifling.
I will get round to this in a day or two, but it is now rather late over here in Mauserland.
Keep watching this space!
Patrick
I looked the location on goggle maps and got the same results.
There is nothing under the forearm wood but a witness mark one on top of the barrel also. The only other markings on the rifle that I can find is the serial number under the lever that removes the triger assembly. 23830 appears to be hand applied.
The only thing a serch for the barrel address results turned up a similar rifle at Julia's in 2014 chambered in 8.15X46R. It sold for $1100.
I would be inclined to agree with the address being retail or distribution rather than a gunsmith.
No proofs that I can find unless they are on the tangs under the wood. I haven't tried to remove the butt stock yet.
I'll keep playing with the star-line 50-90 and Buffalo Arms 44-774r to see if I can get closer to the .015 wall thickness. Buffalo Arms measures a .515 base diameter and saves the work of sizing down from .558 with the 50-90.
You mentioned Mauserland I assume that your in Germany. I'm in Iowa U.S.
WW