Need help identifying this 3 barrel rifle

[Czech_Mate]

Hello all!
Please help me to identify this 3 barrel rifle.

It belongs to my father,who inherited it from his grand father. After his death, before my father inherited it, the czech communist police officer wanted to seize this rifle and keep it for himself. My father fought for it and won in a legal battle, which ended up in destruction of this rifle as a revenge from this communist police officer (as you can see, the barrels are drilled and chambers are welded).

I don't know almost anything about this rifle, except it has three barrels. The scope mount has been added afterwards and it does not originaly belong there.
The rifle should be 9.3x72R, but the barrel says 8.9x72, the shotgun barrels are 16". There is Nitro written on the barrels and Krupp Essen. If you need more info or pictures, please don't hesitate to ask.

I am considering restoration of the barrels, so if you could tell me from your experience what are the posibilities, I would also welcome such info.

Thank you.

And BTW, this is my first post here, I am no expert, just a guy who wants to make his father a little bit happier. Thanks!

 

[Czech_Mate]

Here are some more pics...

 

[Mp7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupp

...so we know the barrel is mass produced. As to who put it together....
i think u´d have to find a german gunsmith i.e in "Suhl" and send him close up pics of all markings.

 

[Czech_Mate]

Thank you MP7, I sent my request to Mr.Wolfgang Krause from www.oldhuntingguns.com, who appeared in my google search when I entered Gunsmith Suhl.Thanks for the tip!

 

[Mp7]

goodluck.

 

[Jim Watson]

Obviously you have a drilling - from the German "drei" meaning three.
It was made in Germany, I can read enough of the proof marks to tell that.
If it were proof tested in Suhl, it was probably made in Suhl which was a major gun making center.
It was made between 1912 and 1939, I cannot be sure of more.

I see nothing on it to name the maker. This was very common. A sporting goods dealer would have guns made to his order with either the store's name or no name at all. The 1911 Adolf Frank catalog shows 22 PAGES of drillings with no brand names given except the Alfa trademark.

Caliber of the rifle barrel is 9.3x72R. It is marked 8.9 because the proof house worker checked the barrel with a simple plug gauge which measures the bore diameter, not the groove diameter which is the bullet size, or nearly.

I do not know a safe way to repair a 4mm hole in the rifle barrel. I have read of smaller holes being plugged when somebody carelessly drills a hole for scope sight mounting clear through into the barrel, but do not know if that could be done here.

I do not see how the shot barrels have been destroyed. Welding might could be cut out, holes might could be patched, but there would always be doubt as to the safety.

I wish I could be of more help. One source of information that I found is at
http://www.germanguns.com/

 

[kBob]

I was wondering why the OP thought the scope mounts were added later.

Did your father tell you they were? They seem to match the rib and claw type mounts are not uncommon on Driellings at all.

As to the barrels for the shotgun. If they are bored through the chamber I wonder if something like a shell shrinker for firing a smaller shell permanantly installed might be workable. I am not a smith or engineer but you might ask one.

-kBob

 

[Jim K]

I wonder if that Czech cop is still in Europe or if he is now working for BATFE.

Jim

 

[waidmann]

Hi Jim and all, all comments to the point, I'll add another, that doll's head lock isn't going to take a lot more than the 65mm shells and the 9.3X72R. Its Nitro proven but that's no Greener system. Adding the Suhler style claw mounts could be either factory or local work. Being an heirloom one wonders about the glass.

The Germans typically did not turn in their optics with the weapons, so the typical "bringback" lacks them. My understanding is Drilling translates as Triplets.

Heirloom status aside I can not see this as an economic proposition, not much of an engineering challenge to reline, sleeve or insert. I think its going too far.

A sad tale and my sympathy to the OP and his family but I think you could shop hard and buy a (used) but modern replacement, if not certainly a period replacement. On balance I don't see this trip.

 

[WardenWolf]

Beautiful heirloom, and it's a real shame it was ruined like that. At the very least you've got a beautiful wall hanger, though I know you'd like to know more about it.