Tips for Buying a Drilling

[dougk]

After having purchased a few Drillings. There are several tips I would give to a first time purchaser.  What tips would you give?

Tip 1 - Research the Drillings and the various cities making the guns and the varous periods periods (pre WII vs post WWII).  For example, Suhl was one of the key cities producing drillings prior to WWII, I have read that 75% of the city was involved in the gun trade.  Another thing I found is that JP Sauer sold the name after WWII, prior to the end of WWII JP Sauer where made in Suhl . 

Tip 2 - Determine if your looking for field grade or "collector grade"

Tip 3 - Understand the different calibers

Tip 4 - Get the gun inspected.  I used a smith that was recommended by drilling man, I know he is rather particular about his guns so I knew his recommendation would be one of the best smiths.  From what I have been reading there are only a few smiths in the USA that have the expertise to work on drillings.

Tip 5 - If the drilling does not have a scope then expect to pay $600 plus to have a scope mounted, the german claw mounts on the older drillings where basically custom, it is less expensive to have new claw mounts installed then to try to fabricate a set of rings to fit the older claw base.

What other tips would you give to a first time purchaser of a drilling?

thanks
Doug

[Drilling Man]

  Best one i can think of is, get a job where YOU work!!  lol

  DM

[dougk]

DM,
I know you are a wealth of knowledge on the drilling....

Tip 6 - German Full chokes on the older guns is made for 2.5 inch shells.  If the gun is F/F ask if the owner has shot it.  If they were using 2 3/4 inch 16ga shells expect the gun to be off face as the drilling was not made to handle those pressures.  Pin repair to get the gun ack on face approx $600, opening the choke $200 and opening the chambers for 2 3/4 inch shells another $200.  I had a big lessons learned on this  

[Tom H.]

Great thread.

Tip 5 A- It is definately way easier to find a gun with claw mounts than it is to install one. Although not prefect, I have seen a number of jobs that used cut off twist in rings mated to a new base that fit the mounts.  Not incredibly attractive but definately servicable.  In terms of fitting new bases, those guns didn't have braised ribs and in some cases I have seen people just drill and tap the rib for mounts.  Not a great idea as it can tear the rib loose. I believe that the expense for new bases rests in the need to strip the rib and 

Tip 6A-  Just remember that if you have a gun changed, that may affect the value as well. Use the gun before fooling with it.  There are spreader loads available and short shells, both 12 and 16 are available for a reasonable price.

Tip 7- There were also different weights of drillings.  I was told that they were made for different purposes.  There were lighter guns in the <7# that were primarily bird guns and 7.5+ that were for stand hunting. With the heavier guns, the rifle was usually heavy enough for anything encountered and a load of BB or buck through those XXfull chokes was good for the fox or backup on a boar during a driven hunt.

I recently saw a Charles Daly for the American market: Around 7# Correctly choked 12ga over a 30 Winchester CF(30-30). Nice gun but a bit out of my price range at 6K.

Cheers

TH.