One of my buddies has been trying to trade me out of my Beretta 10 gauge SxS and finally managed to get it way from me.

This Herold drilling, 16x16x222 Rimmed is on the way. I'll post more pics when it get here and I get back from this hitch on the slope. I believe Herold is a model name used by Franz Jaeger but am not sure if any other gun builders used that model name. It will be interesting to examine it and figure out it's history. It'll be even more fun to take it out for some fur calling.

Careful Mart, The first German firearm is sometimes the first step down a slippery slope. According to my information from fellow German Gun Collectors Assn. Herold is the trade name used by Franz Jaeger and I am unaware of anyone else using it. I have seen several other Heold marked double guns and drillings that were his. I have a Herold drilling in 16 x 16 over 9 X 57R that the action and locks appears quite similar to yours. The forearm on my drilling is quite a bit different, not being of the splinter type. I just love those short locks.

Yours appears to be a nice piece and chambered in an interesting rifle cartridge, don't see many of those. It should be quite accurate. If you don't know, when you're shooting groups the rifle barrel may walk if you shoot them in rapid succession. You have one barrel getting warm and two others not. The rifle barrel is trying to expand and the shotgun barrels are trying to keep it from doing so. I'm curious about the scope, may I ask what kind it is?

Nice score...can't wait to see your results!!

Thanks for the reply. The scope is a 4x Zeiss but I don't know any more about it. Included with the drilling are 100 rounds of new 222 Rimmed brass, a particularly nice bonus considering what new Bertram brass goes for.

I will work slowly with the loads development for it. I hope to get a few loads together in just a couple days after I get home so that I can take it to eastern Washington with me. I'll be visiting my mom but am planning on a few days of coyote calling with an old friend while I'm there.

I don't know exactly when the 222 Rimmed came into being. Some information indicates in the 1960's in Australia. It will be fun to do some research into the matter. Did Jaeger's son(s) carry on after his death in 1957?

I guess this drilling was featured in a gun magazine many years ago but I do not know which one. My buddy says he'll try to find it and make a copy for me. I'll share that if it turns up.

mart, I can't answer any of your questions, unfortunately and I apologize. The date for the 222R sounds about right and I believe you're correct in that it was an Australian innovation....not that it took much of a stretch.

Whatever I would say about Franz Jaeger's progeny would probably be wrong. I've read it once or twice but evidently it didn't stick. I do know that Dietrich Apel is his grandson and is a Master Smith. He started New England Custom Guns here in the US and I believe is the founder of the German Gun Collectors Assn. I don't know if Dietrich learned in the family business or if any of Franz's children carried on the name. A visit to here

http://www.germanguns.com/upload/forum.php

and asking your questions would get correct answers. Axel Eichendorff or one of the other guru's over there no doubt has about any info you could desire, if it is available. Needless to say the bombing of WWII was not kind to company records.

Here's another neat German firearm site. It is Dietrich's

http://germanhuntingguns.com/index.asp#.VHyiEod0xon

mart, I hadn't explored the one web site very far and just now was peeking through it. You might find this interesting.

http://www.germanhuntingguns.c....asp?SSID=582&NRID=5

Thanks. I have been looking at that site. It has a lot of good information.

Mart, welcome to the dark side! You'll have some fun with that, then start looking at other German guns with lust. It's all good and you'll feel sorry for the guys that droll over the lesser English and English style guns. Have fun!

I get home tomorrow afternoon and will pick it up tomorrow night. I'm pretty excited to get to the range with it.

Al, couldn't agree with you more!!

mart, can't wait to read some results!!!

Well the drilling arrived yesterday. I am impressed. much lighter and better handling than I imagined it would be. I'm not so sure now that it's a Franz Jaeger. I know he used the "Herold: name on his guns but I have some doubts that he would have built a 222 Rimmed. He passed in 1957 and most historical accounts, and they are few, put the 222 Rimmed as developed in Australia in the 60's.

Here's some pictures. Maybe some of you can help me decipher the proof marks. My apologies for the quality of the pictures.

It's a Franz Jaeger. Barrel has been relined and the work done in this country due to lack of Crown over "R" mark, denoting repair, which would be evident had the work been done in Germany. Original proofs indicate 8 X 57R and original bullet used in proof was a steel jacket, 185 gr. bullet, (12 gram, St.m.G). That definitely wasn't a .222R. Rt. barrel does not indicate choke and the left barrel does by the crown over "W". I don't see a date of proof but it may be there somewhere, it should be. Better measure the shotgun chambers as I don't see the 65mm or 70mm stamps denoting chamber length. This is pure speculation on my part but as the rifle barrel was relined it's possible the shotgun chambers may have been lengthened at the same time. Measure them.

Definitely do a chamber cast and slug the bore to be absolutely certain of chambering. One NEVER knows what's been done to these old firearms and a chamber cast is an absolute in my book. It probably is a 222R but if it were me I would remove all doubt. That and a lot of sellers aren't very familiar with drillings and their history. I have two drillings that are not remotely close to what the rifle barrel was advertised as being. In both cases had I just loaded up a cartridge for what they were advertised as there could have been a very, very serious consequence. A chamber cast a bit of research and I have two fine shooting drillings that are also a great deal of fun.

I was pretty confident that it was a 222 Rimmed as the guy I got it from checked it out pretty thoroughly and he is a close friend whom I trust.

I did fire it yesterday with some moderate reloads and all went well. The cases coming out after firing look just like they did going in minus the bullet. It prints 1 inch high and all shots touching at 25 yards and about 6 inches high at 100. Of course the sights at a bit course for any real accurate grouping at 100. With the scope it shot 1.5 inch groups, though I had a devil of a time trying to adjust the old Hensolt scope so opted to just use it with open sights till I get time to work some more with the scope.

I am taking it to eastern Washington this week when I go to see my mom. I'll do some coyote calling while I'm there and hopefully get some shooting with it. I did load some low pressure 2 5/8 inch loads for it, some nickel BB's and some #6 ITX non tox for this trip.

It easily accepts 2 3/4 inch shells but I'll not use any till I measure the chambers.

Great!! Glad that all worked out for the best. On the scope adjustments, does the scope have only elevation adjustment and the windage adjustment is in the rear base? Definitely measure the shotshell chambers as a 2 3/4 hull will fit a 2 1/2 chamber. There is much literature out there on firing 2 3/4 in. shells in 2 1/2 in. chambers. Some say it's ok and others say no. I've always erred on the side of caution and shot the short hulls, they're easy to make and load.

Yes the windage is in the base. My issue was the elevation adjustment. It only took a very minute amount to move it considerably and I exhausted my small supply of ammo attempting to get it zeroed. I'll play with it more when I get back from my trip.

mart, the drilling looks great and the conversion to 222R just turns it into a killer option for coyotes in Easter WA. Glad your initial tests went well.

Drillings seem to always be a project, but a very fun and rewarding project, to get the ammo, scope, irons right and then practice so you're confident with which trigger when, when and how to use the set trigger, putting the scope on smoothly/quickly, etc. If you're printing high at 100 you might just be able to do a few hand loads with different powder/bullets and get it within the scope's elevation range. I've had to do this with other drillings. Sometimes loads that I thought would print lower actually printed much higher. Go figure.

Yours looks tight on the face and in good enough condition to warrant heavy use.

Regarding the set trigger: you probably already know this but I looked in the previous posts and didn't see any reference to it. Your right/forward trigger looks to be a set trigger. You should be able to push it forward until it "sets", then its a hair trigger. The screw adjusts how much it takes to set it off. These are great and common on drillings. Very helpful for longer shots when you're on a rest. Very dangerous if you set it and then start walking around. Again, sorry if you knew this or it was obvious.

Have fun!

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't aware of the set trigger feature.

The gun is shooting high with the irons. I'll have to play with bullet weights I guess to see what prints to the irons. I believe the scope has enough adjustment for the load I'm using. It just doesn't take much to make a huge change in the poi. I ran out of ammo before I got it zeroed so went with the irons for now till I get the scope zeroed. I was a bit short on time because of our trip.

Man the calling has been tough. I've been out every day and making 10+ stands a day and nothing. I'm no novice at calling. I've been doing it for 30 years but I've never seen a year like this. I'm not even getting any howls or hang ups/refusals. They just flat act like they're not even there though the tracks and scat say otherwise. Maybe I'll go duck hunting tomorrow and give the dogs a break.

How high is it shooting with the irons, mart? I've had to have taller front sights made to bring them on.

It's about 6 inches high at 100 yards with the load I'm using right now. That's 19 grains of RL7 and a 55 grain Sierra Game King. When I get home I'll play with some more bullet weights and see if I can get it shooting to the irons. If not I'll look at a taller front sight.

It'll walk on down as you speed it up, so you might keep trying other loads for now. Only 6" at 100 yards is not tough to overcome.

Congratulations on a great old drilling! The needle is in your arm now.

Seems like I'm always finding another needle to stick in my arm. I'm anxious to get back home so I can work some more with the drilling. I'm curious how it might handle a cast bullet. I have a Lyman mold for a gas checked 55 grain. This could get interesting.

The old drillings are always interesting. Good luck testing and post your results. I love learning about these firearms whether they are mine or not.