I am hoping some of our German Falling Block collectors see this.

I have a rifle that is engraved "PETERLONGO INNSB ..." and "...IROLER WAFFENFABRIK" on the barrel. The proof marks are clearly stamped.

I went through the Loos, Hallock, Rowe Alte Scheibenwaffen volumes but don't see this lesser grade rifle listed.

(1) What action is this?
(2) can we tell what caliber it is from the proofmarks? It's larger than .22 and smaller than .250". I don't have a smaller set of pin gauges to measure the bore.

The rifle is entirely matte finished and I am guessing that means it was refinished. It has a standard rifle buttstock and a full-length forend.

Thank you in advance to anyone that can help me.
Joe

If it looks like this when it is open, it could be what deHaas called a Kettner. They come both with flat sides and with the reinforce. Mine, in the photo, was made by Greifelt. The breech end can be straight down like yours or shortened at the top and left long at the bottom like mine. They are very strong actions. There is not enough information on your proof marks to tell what it is chambered in. If it is .228 it could be a 22 Savage Hi-Power. You'll have to cast it to know if it is one of the 6mm.

oneatatime wrote on May 30^th, 2023 at 6:01pm:


I read the proof marks as indicating the bore diameter was 5.8 mm. That's .228. My understanding is that the barrels were proofed before rifling.  Probably a 6 mm, but from there only a chamber cast will tell.

Kettner is an Austrian chain like Frankonia Jagd in Germany or Eddie Bauer in the U.S. Kettner was always to economy version of Frankonia, didn;t matter if it was guns, hunting equipment of clothing. At one time they marketed a lot of lower grade guns with or without the Kettner name on them. In the 1960-80's they had several lines of rebuilt Mauser 98's same as Frankonia. Typically they bent and ground the bolt handles down to clear scopes but they did not lengthen them properly. I always thought they looked a bit like hobby-gunsmith work. Anyway, last time I saw a Kettner store in Germany was in 1993-4. They pulled back and looks like now they are only in Austria with two stores in Croatia.

DeHass called it a "Kettner" in his single shot action book because that was the only name that was on the rifle he examined and it has stuck as the generic name for that action. Mine is marked barrel and action with Greifelt and the corresponding griffon trademark.