My gunsmith offers me a drilling, and I am very interested. Its a 20/20 5,6x50R Made in Suhl.
Its very light. The problem for me ist, that the minimum bullet diameter for "big game" in Germany is 6,5mm, so I only can hunt predators and roe deer.

What do you think? Look at

http://www.lippe-waffen.de/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=33


Burkhard

Seems to be a nice piece.
Price is attractive - too good to be true if this is a new gun.
How old is it, who made it?
New barrels fitted into an older action?

Other question: will you need it?
It's not universal, it lacks a "serious" rifle barrel.
I would take a closer look if the rifle barrel would be 7x57Ror the like.

Fuhrmann

How does it handle? If its a handy gun and in 20 ga to boot it will be so nice.

Fuhrmann,

as the drilling is in 20 gauge so it must be young, because the elder drillings are all in 16.

The price is ok, at the moment used drillings and combos are really cheap to buy in Germany.
Ask my gunsmith he has several drillings/combos for sale, most of them unter 1.000 Euro.

I'll ask my smith for more details.


Burkhard

Always, always buy a drilling if you can afford it! This is especially true if its a 20 gauge!!!

Amazing that drillings are that "cheap" in Germany. Please send several boat loads over.

Can you get a barrel insert (for the 20g barrel) to take you up to 6.5mm? If so, would it be legal then for big game? Otherwise it looks really nice.

Cheers, Dave.
Non Illegitium Carborundum.

sure looks nice for that price too!

Fuhrmann,

I asked my gunsmith about the offered drilling. Its made by Suhler Jagd und Sportwaffen in Suhl.
Built in 1988 in the last months of the GDR.
The rifle is in an very good condition.

My gunsmith told me, he will have in the next month some used drillings, mostly in 16/65 (its 16/1/2) and 7x57R a combination which old ZEISS scopes (4 and 6 fixed) German #1 and claw mounts. This is a combination you can often find in used drillings because it was the standart rifle of the elder hunters and their sons now sell the inherit rifles.

Burkhard

Burkhard,

those old hunters knew what a drilling should be, and the sons are fools ....

3.6 kg for that light Suhl drilling is with scope? Then it would be a niece gun for a "Niederwildrevier" - small game including roe deer.
But I would check twist rate of the rifle barrel. Twist should be faster than 1 turn in 14 inches (356 mm), to shoot bullets heavier than 55 grains.

Fuhrmann

All good advice, But personally I would wait for a 7x57R, or 7x65R. If you wanted a true 'universal gun', I think they might be a better bet?
It you can afford 2, get the smaller one, and then keep looking for the bigger caliber, while you are having fun hunting smaller game with the 5.6x50R, 20/20g. To me it would seem perfect for small deer, foxes and hares?

Cheers, Dave.
Non Illegitium Carborundum

Burkhard, tell your 'smith, he should ship these smaller ones out to Australia or the USA.
It would make a fine gun for OZ, for chasing foxes and other small game.

Cheers, Dave.
Non Illegitium Carborundum

Dave,

selling combos to the US or Australia is a project my smith want to start. Its a good time for this. At the moment a lot of used combos, mostly drillings, are available for good prices.
So my smith is looking for partners in this countries. Any idea what he can do?

Burkhard

I can ask around and get back to you, if you like?

Cheers, Dave.
Non Illegitium Carborundum