Picked up my first drilling and would like some help on history and value. Gun is an under lever
made of buffalo horn. Fully ingraved, Roe deer on top of reciever, partrage on trigger guard, red stag and hind on one side and grouse on the other.
Top barrels are 12 ga. over 8 mm

Witteller-Excelsior on top of barrels
W. Collath Shone on side plate
Frankfurt on other side plate

serial # bottom of reciever 20902

nitro proff 1920

I can e-mail photos if someone will post them for me

OK lets try.

Wittler Excelsior is the rifle model
W. Collath Söhne (Sons) was a very famos
gunsmith in Frankfurt/Oder (its not the
Frankfurt in Hessen).

Colleth is the innovater of the well known Dreyse system and the 9,3 x 72 R cartridge.

They developed the "Collath System" a special lock namend "Excenterverschluss".

Collath ended in the year 1941.

If your rifle has this special lock (and it locks like)
than it might be a very good business.

My english is not good enough to explain all the details, but
here is a link to "Wild und Hund Formum" in German where hunters discuss about
Collath. Maybe you find an translator.

Burkhard

http://www.wildundhund.de/foru...bde19fa0c78551884443

quote:

Originally posted by RM007:
Picked up my first drilling and would like some help on history and value. Gun is an under lever
made of buffalo horn. Fully ingraved, Roe deer on top of reciever, partrage on trigger guard, red stag and hind on one side and grouse on the other.
Top barrels are 12 ga. over 8 mm

Witteller-Excelsior on top of barrels
W. Collath Shone on side plate
Frankfurt on other side plate

serial # bottom of reciever 20902

nitro proff 1920

I can e-mail photos if someone will post them for me

These are very strong actions. Which 8mm is it? I have 2 of them. One 8x57jrs and an 8x58R Sauer. I think I have a scan of the chapter in klupps book on the Collath drillings, e-mail me & I'll send it to you if I can find it. brayhaven@aol.com
Collath developed many good calibers too.
About the only thing I don't like about them is the safety location on top.
Greg