I finally got to use my drilling for large game on Sunday, the last day of our deer season. It started on Sunday morning when I decided to take the gun out to our local bird club for pheasant. After coming home, getting lunch and doing some minor chores, my daughter and I decided to go out around the house to see if any deer were about. It was cloudy and threatening rain, but since it was already out, I took the drilling. At about 10 minutes before the close of legal shooting we were heading back towards the house and were about to go the the barn to feed, when we noticed several deer in the pasture, one of which was a medium-sized fork-horn buck. They moved into the trees on the edge of the pasture at about 100 yards where it was almost too dark to see them with the naked eye. Now I know why the Germans put those great-huge scopes on their guns. Thanks to the 56mm objective the scope transmitted enough light to clearly see the deer with the scope turned up to about 8x. My drilling is a Fortuna (Sauer) built in 1955 in 16-gauge over 7x65R with a Zeiss Davari 2.5-10x56 scope in claw mounts.

Yo boom......

Waidmannsheil!



Funny how that works? When you really need to see with one of those Teutonic scopes somehow they always get turned to @ 8X for best viewing in less than optimal light conditions.

Then I noticed I really didn't need 12X and never used the 3x so I gave up on the variables for scopes that do night work; saved a bunch of cash, also - the last two have been straight 8x56's.

Gerry:

Weidmannsdank!

I do a lot of my deer hunting around my home in the morning before work or in the afternoon/early evening after I return home, typically right around sunrise and sunset. It looks like my drilling is going to be the go-to gun for those times.

Dave

The only problem with my drilling: it is so good at everything! I can no longer justify all the other beautiful, neat guns in my collection. It is beautiful, super accurate, throws great patterns, swings great and is light and oh so cool. I may love the others , but I no longer need them. What a great situation to be in!!!

Rick

Rick:

If you are married, don't let your wife know unless she is appreciates fine firearms as well. Fortunately, my wife is not too bothered by my having guns that I keep just for emotional, rather than practical reasons.

Dave

loud-n-boomer,

Congratulations on using your drilling and getting that deer. I am a enthusiastic drilling hunter. Where I hunt in Vermont the bird and bear season are open together for quite a while. For that hunting a drilling is optimum.

I have shot a few deer with my Sauer drilling as well. Its a 16X16 over a 8-57J.

foxhound,

What's yours?

Boomer's - a 16x16-7x65R - Cool!,

Savage 99's a 16x16-8x57J - also Cool!

Mine's a Simson Suhl 20x20-9.3x74R, very compact, yet powerful package. I keep the 5.6x50R Insert Barrel in it unless I'm traveling, 'cause the 9.3 is a little much for Roe Deer & Foxes for the better part of the (long) season.

Gerry,

Is Simson still in business? I have Simson drillings as well. Both 12ga's; one a 7x65R, and the other, a 9.3x74R. Great guns!

Good going, L-N-B!!!

Jeff

Sauer 12/12/30-06 w/scope in claws & 22 WMR insert
Sauer 16/16/6.5X57R w/scope in claws & 22 WMR insert
Triebel 16/16/8X57IR w/scope in claws

...and I use them all.

GREAT POST, DAVE... We need to ruff up some California quail and Nevada chuckar now.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry:
foxhound,



Mine's a Simpson Suhl 20x20-9.3x74R, very compact, yet powerful package. I keep the 5.6x50R Insert Barrel in it unless I'm traveling, 'cause the 9.3 is a little much for Roe Deer & Foxes for the better part of the (long) season.

foxy...

My dream drilling, and next drilling if all goes as planned.

Hey Guys,

Really Cool Drillings all the way 'round!



Hey Boomer,

Don't want to Hijack the thread but would like to answer the mail.....

Yo Jeff,

Well, as I understand the constellation, techically the company that made Simsons, Merkel is still in business but the brand name Simson hasn't been applied to any of their wares for a while. Since when I couldn't say. But if you've kept track of Merkel & Simson prices since Reunification you'll notice a steady UPWARD track.

One of my most regrettable mistakes (and Brother, I've had a few....and somehow keep stepping on it!) was as while speaking to one of Frankonia Jagd's Back Office Reps and he related he could have Simson/Merkel make a set of 28 gauge barrels for my 20 gauge SxS at 1994 prices of @ $600.00 and I didn't follow-up on his offer! While at the convention last year Bruder Adamy; who do this sort of custom & modification work on Merkels & Simsons in Suhl today quoted me over $2,000.00 for the same barrel set.



My Drilling is stamped "Simson Suhl" & "Made in Germany" on the left barrel so even without looking at the underside of the barrels (392 = March 1992) can easily determine it was made after Reunification. Those marked Simson or Simson Suhl I've seen proir to 1990 all had "Made in DDR" or "Made in the DDR" stamped on the left barrel.

I've a 12 gauge Merkel SxS marked Made in Germany on the left barrel, underneath the barrels 293 (Febuary 1993) and it's twin brother, a 20 gauge Simson Suhl SxS marked Simson Suhl & Made in Germany, underneath 292 (Febuary 1992). Other than the action size & gauge they are identical twins. If there's a lick of difference in the case coloring, engraving, ejectors, rib, action scalloping, buttplates or straight stocks I've yet to be able to determine where or what it is. The Simson was bargain of the century new and the Merkel four times the price. I Dunno.

Net, pretty much all of the Simsons except a few earlier models were virtual Merkel clones and much less expensive.

Gerry, no problem on the diversion since I enfoy learning about these quirky guns.

Do you know if Fortuna had a relationship with Sauer similar to that you have laid out for Simpson and Merkel? My Fortuna looks like to a lot of the 1950s and early 1960s Sauer drillings I've seen.

Mine is a late 50's Sauer 12x12x30-06. Looks like the immediate precursor to the Colt-Sauer 3000, a bit nicer engraving, not the flat body, and cartridge trap in butt stock. Looks a lot like the Fortuna, it very may well be; no markings as such to verify. Bought the Drilling book out there, but wasn't there wasn't enough on my gun to figure out it's total geneology.. Just more possible fun doing the research. And, as far as the wife goes, she tolerates most of my little gun metal love affairs. Keeps me out of the bars and out of trouble (except for the occasional immediate auction type fling), and gives me an excuse to buy more guns that SHE can fall for!! Now all we need is more money and more time!
Rick

L-N-B

It sure looks a lot like a Simson/Merkel receiver to me.

It is a wonderful drilling, and I was delighted to hold it a while back.

Also, after WWII Thalman Co in Germany owned Sauer, Simson, Merkel...and several other marks over years...

A Merkel can be a Sauer or Greifelt or Fortuna or Simson or.........

Gerry,

My Simsons are pre-unification guns, both proofed just months apart in 1969. You're right, prices are going up, especially for desirable calibers.

Thanks to everyone, for sharing their knowledge!!! Makes for half the fun of using these guns!

Jeff

Luv-to.....

Appears you really know your way around Teutonic Drilling makers.....much-o better than I, for sure. Yes, the side clips, the barrel selector, the action w/scalloping and Greener safety all make the Drilling appear VERY Merkel-ish.

Jeff,

Cool on the Simsons, I trust the barrel markings are "Made in the DDR"?

Dave,

I'm off to Drive Hunts for the weekend and need to fill in several pages of adminstrative BS in Quadruplicate to obtain a temporary French Hutning License so I can attempt to decimate the Boar poulation in Le Grand Nation for a weekend in December, including the scans & faxs; tedious but actually good work if you can get it....

I am not up to snuff on the Fortuna Sauer connection but will attempt to research - be patient....

The pics of the Drilling are very nice. I've a real soft-spot for Drilling with Side Clips - Dunno why. I also like the scope set-up in Claw Mounts that appears as though someone with "normal" eye-relief previously owned it. I find many set-up for a very erect head position with the scope so far back that a case of Magnum Eyebrow would surely result, not to mention less than full field of view. The cost of having the mounts re-done makes many initial appearing bargans eventually financially prohibitive, IMO. I guess that's good 'cause I'm Gun-Poor as it is!

Thanks for the help guys.

Bruce, I wonder if Fortuna was another Merkel house brand or was someone buying actions from Merkel and assembling their own guns?

Gerry, have fun with those French boars (bores?).

This is the third drilling that I have owned. The first two were hammer guns which were good learning guns, a 1934 Bergsmuller in 16-gauge over 8x57JR and an 1896 Fortenbach in 16-gauge over 9.3x72R. They were sold to buy the Fortuna.

I originally bought a drilling because I hunt quail in areas with bear and pigs, and you can never be too prepared. Also, they are way up there on the cool factor! .

I am now tempted to take my drilling to Alaska next time I hunt up there.

Now I just have to figure out which slugs it likes best.

Dave

quote:

I originally bought a drilling because I hunt quail in areas with bear and pigs, and you can never be too prepared. Also, they are way up there on the cool factor! hilbily.

Dave,

Wow! don't you know - great minds think alike. I didn't have Drilling when I was stationed in Arizona. Too bad, beacuse everytime I was out Hunting Quail (or Shooting Quail, depending on the amount of Spring rain) I ran into a target of opportunity, a Coyote, a Whitetail, Mule Deer, Peccaries, you name it. while not all was in season everytime I encountered an opportunity, I just knew there had to be a better solution than carrying a long-barreled .357 or .44 Mag. on my hip. That's why I spent the time to locate a 20 gauge Drilling - it's my "Dream" out West boomer!

One time in Florida I ran into a coupla Florida Crackers in a fairly remote hunting area. As we went our separate ways in the swamp; I'll never forget the one fellow mumbling to his Buddy, "Ain't never seen a shotgun with a scope on it like that before".

I bought mine because I am forever jumping grouse when I am out sneaking around deer hunting. And, where we hunt around here shooting is often fast and faster. So, the 06, plus a barrel of 00buck, and one with birdshot, and I am ready for anything!
Rick

foxy...

Exactly the same recipe I was using in the 12/12/'06 Sauer two years ago near Canyon Ferry, MT when I was hunting pheasant and deer.

Gerry,

Don't know why, but my Simson( the 7x65R ) is merely stamped "SIMSON SUHL" on the left, and "SPECIAL-GEWEHRDLAUFSTAHL" on the right. The rifle barrel has the same stamp as the right shot barrel. Nowhere is the gun stamped with GGR, GDR, etc...? Date stamp for proof is "169" (Jan 1969). Perhaps the GGR stamp was left off, because it went to Switzerland? I know this, as it is also stamped "F.STAMPFLI WAFFEN LUZERN". By luck, the gunsmith who works on my drillings, is from Switzerland, and worked for Stampfli when he lived there. Small world. He said Stampfli marked all guns sold through his shop. How it wound up i the USA, I do not know.

Not sure if the 9.3x74R has a GGR on it. It's away at Reto's having claw mounts installed. I'll look, when I get it back.

You're correct, L2S is a wealth of info on drillings, and very helpfull!

Jeff

Won't be here anymore, probably, but I'll be at NE...

Bruce, I'll see you there.

Gerry,

Got curious and consulted one of my proof mark books. It looks as though the GGR stamp may not have started until around 1974.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by foxhound:
I bought mine because I am forever jumping grouse when I am out sneaking around deer hunting. And, where we hunt around here shooting is often fast and faster. So, the 06, plus a barrel of 00buck, and one with birdshot, and I am ready for anything!
Rick

Pretty much the same here. Except it's that I'm forever jumping deer when out rabbit and bird hunting.

How's this for starters?

Just picked up my first drilling last month and have been pheasant hunting with it for a couple of weeks. To say the least, I LIKE IT!!

A big thanks goes out to Luv2safari and Dale Nygaard

Great looking AWS, and drilling too!

I love my drilling, it's been a great hunting companion.



I just had a second scope mounted on it for those longer shots in low light conditions...




Anyway, it's been putting meat in my freezer for more than 25 years now!







DM

quote:

Originally posted by rudyc:
How's this for starters?

Just picked up my first drilling last month and have been pheasant hunting with it for a couple of weeks. To say the least, I LIKE IT!!

A big thanks goes out to Luv2safari and Dale Nygaard

WOW!! What a great best quality sidelock in well preserved condition...!!

I wish I owned it, and you had a better one.

DM,

I have always been impressed with what you did with that great drilling...and now even better...

DM:

Who did the second scope for you? I would like to have a second scope set up for mine that does not require me to put wheels under the gun to lug it around. I am thinking something like a Leupold 1.75x6.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
DM:

Who did the second scope for you? I would like to have a second scope set up for mine that does not require me to put wheels under the gun to lug it around. I am thinking something like a Leupold 1.75x6.

Dave

I already had the scope, and i had JJ Perodeau at Champlin Arms do the work... I also had him do a trigger job on it, and give it a good cleaning while he had it open...

I've been seeing some decent bucks here on my place lately, so it won't be long before i put one or two in the freezer.

DM

Its christmas time, its cold and we have open season.
Sitting together with the other hunting buddies and talk about the
"old times".
When we started hunting 30 - 40 years ago, we all had the same feeling.
Looking in the rifle catalogues (Frankonia was still there) and
wow, great a Weatherby- this was our dream.
The old hunters with their drillings in 7x57 and 16 gauge and a thing
named insert barrels - never.

We were sure, we absolutely never would take a drilling.

An now, many years later?

Now we all have drilings and love them, and our dreams now are
double riflebarrel drillings, with three locks of course side-locks.



What is a drilling good for?

Ok I wouldn`t take one for mountain hunting but for the rest its the best.

Burkhard

My drilling has been every place with me, including the mountains... I've drug it all over Alaska in canoes, boats and airplanes. On horse and mule back and over my own back for many many miles...

Here's a buck i harvested with it a few weeks ago,



DM