All:

I recently acquired a Paul Jaeger rifle made in his shop in Jenkintown, Pa and was wondering approximately when the shop there closed. Or at least when they stopped producing full custom rifles out of there.

I've been doing a lot if internet searching but can't come up with anything reliable.

Found some indication that the shop was possibly sold off in the early 80's, but it was vague.

Thanks for any thoughts and recollections from those of you that may have frequented the shop back then.

BB

When I got my driver's license a long time ago, one of my first treks was to Leedom street in Jenkintown, PA. as I only lived about 20 miles from there. Had to find it by map, no GPS back then. At that time, mid 70"s Detrich Apel, a nephew, was running the business. It was truly a place for a 16-year-old gun nerd to drool, especially upstairs where the custom guns were ordered/ displayed.
I believe it was in the late 80's, early 90's it was sold to Dunns down in TN.

Thanks for sharing the memories and info. Didn’t realize it could have been operating that late. The rifle I have has a date code of 87 stamped in the barrel channel but the digits are arranged vertically, so couldn’t be sure if it should be read 87 or 78.

The orig Paul Jaeger Co having financial problems, sold out (a controlling interest) to Dunns Sporting Goods in 1985. (according to GermanHuntingGuns).

Dunns Sporting did a very large Hunting Dog supplys mail order biz as well as other hunting accessorys. A large gun biz as well. They were a big Arrietta shotgun importer at the time

Dunns moved the Jaeger operation from PA to the Dunns location in Grand Junction, Tn.
John Allen (sp?) was the manager at that location at the time I believe.

PAul Jaeger retired or was already retired from the business.
Deitrich Apel , his nephew, I believe went to Tn for a time to adress the move of the business to the new location.

Dunns bought the 'Jaeger' name along with the business itself.


That was the end of the orig Paul Jaeger owned and operated'Gunshop/Gunsmithing' operation in Jenkintown, Pa as we knew it.

Most consider guns with either the preWW2 Philadelphia address or the post war Jenkintown Pa adress on the bbl to be 'real' Paul Jaeger built customs.

Dunns/Jaeger business didn't last all that long after the buy out of the Pa location Jaegers. They tried to use the name for profit but didn't supply what had been the quality craftsmanship.
Dunns dropped the Jaeger name in marketing & the gunsmithing attempt after a time. I'm not sure exactly how long it lasted.
By 1990 by some hints it was 'done'.

There are several Jaeger Brochures available on the net that might help you date your rifle. I would imagine 78 more likely that 87?
I remember the transitions to Dunn's happening but not the years. Dietrich Apel was the heart and soul of the company through those years and the formation of New England Custom Gun from the remnants of Jaeger. I knew Dietrich when he joined the ACGG around the start of the NECG era.

Gentlemen:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and recollections on this. It’s a little unfortunate that so much of this is lost to history, so to speak.

The rifle I have is marked with the Jenkintown address on the barrel and I have no doubt it is an authentic Jaeger rifle.

SDH- I actually have been looking at some of their old literature I have found out there. It is challenging to place a year based on what I have found. One feature that may help narrow a date is the fact that it has a Pachmayr presentation pad, which I have found some old literature that dates those pads back to around at least the mid 70s. My best guess is that it is a mid late 70s rifle…but that is still a guess.

I will attempt to post a pic of the barrel channel and barrel stamping.

merry Christmas.

Bob

Put a link to some pics of the barrel channel stamping and barrel marking in link above.

Looks to me like the stockmaker's initials and 1987 date.

Recoil pads are the easiest thing to change or replace.