I have found a Haenel 1888 Commission rifle that interests me. The tag says it is a 9.3x72R but their gunsmith doesn't do chamber casts so he must be going off of what the seller told him because I can't see a chambering designation. It only says Gusstahl Krupp Essen on the barrel shank and a proofing mark on the front receiver ring that says 2,7 gGBP.
The rifle is in pretty good shape. The receiver shows most of its casehardening, the bluing is good, and the wood finish is good for what I expect was a working gun. The barrel is octagon to tapered round. The bore is bright except what I think is a bit of lead just forward of the throat. It has a rocker front day/night bead and the bolt shroud has an an aperture sight dovetailed into it (although the aperature post is slightly bent). This rifle is one of the flush magazine variants.
Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. Do you think this is a good buy for an asking price of $1295?
This mark means 2,7 grams of Gewehr Blättchen Pulver (military flake powder). There should be other marks to indicate bullet type. Bore markings on the barrel should give a hint to caliber, but they are often given in guage.
Thanks Kurt, I'm tracking that. I didn't get to take the gun apart but those are the only visible markings. I want to slug the barrel and cast the chamber but I'm not sure that's going to happen before purchase.
I'm trying to figure out the going rate. I have seen them posted in similar condition for as little as $700 on up to $3500 for one I thought wasn't in a whole lot better shape.
