I P Sauer Prussian Daly combination gun

[bracebeemer]

Here is another gun from my safe that I haven't had out for awhile. It is made by Germany's oldest and one of the best gunmakers J.P.Sauer and Company Circa 1910-1913. It is a combination gun which is a side by side shotgun barrel and rifle barrel. In this case it is the all American favorite 12gauge and 30 WCF. This gun was made in the part of Germany that was at that time called Prussia and marked on the barrel flats and water table. This gun was imported to the New York sporting good store Schroverling Daly and Gales. It was Charles Daly who scoured Europe but mostly Germany for craftsmen to make their finest products for export to New York and mark them with Charles Daly's namemarked on it.
I've owned this gun for about 12 years and it was listed in the catalogue as a model 50 because it cost $50 which was about $1250 back then. It was an entry level Prussian Daly. This would have been a working gun and it's amazing that it remains in new condition. There's a lot of pictures so enjoy. Bill

 

[bracebeemer]

The next set of photos.

 

[JJEH]

Nice looking gun.

 

[bracebeemer]

I failed to mention in my post that this is a center fire hammer gun and not a percussion gun. Here's some more photos.

 

[reccpd101]

I love combo guns and have several but have never seen a nicer one than yours.

 

[bracebeemer]

Five more pictures of the combo gun.

 

[Absalom]

German gunmakers historically focused more on crafting well-made individual guns. The main reason was that hunting in Central Europe, going back to feudal times, was always the sport of the nobility and later by extension the wealthy, who could afford to pay handsomely for their guns.

There also never was public land as such for hunting. The game on both private and state-owned land was and still is managed, for the leisure hunting of the owners or those with enough dough to lease hunting rights, by professional foresters, who need versatile tools, and so the various combination guns of shotgun and rifle barrels developed, from two barrels side-by-side, to two over-under (most common), to the Drilling with three, and even the Vierling with four barrels, one large and one small rifle caliber, although those are rare, as they got rather heavy for carrying.

Back in the day, building a unique gun like that with all bells and whistles was the usual way for a gunsmith to attain his master gunsmith certificate.

 

[Drm50]

When I was young and dumb, about 14 I got a beautiful Ferlatz combo gun.
Hammerless, engraved raised silver and gold filled. Was a WW2 bring home
and I had nothing in it to speak of. Traded it for practically nothing compared to what it was worth at the time. My worst foul up in my gun trading career.

 

[tops]

That is a beautiful Cape gun and the gauge and caliber make it extra special. Larry

 

[Gene L]

I believe it's a combo gun. As I understand it, Cape guns have a much larger bore on the rifle side than a 30-30. I think "Cape" refers to Africa, where the big bore would be needed.

I heard that combo guns and drillings were popular in Germany because hunting season over there was hunting season for every thing huntable and the Germans liked to be prepared for fur or feathers. Don't know if that's the case, however.

 

[P.44]

Very very nice Büchsflinte* !
*"Büchs-" for the rifle(d) barrel
+ "-flinte" for the (smooth) shotgun barrel

Some info about J. P. SAUER & SOHN:
Sauer, J.P.- Photo Gallery – German Hunting Guns
Sauer, J.P. Text – German Hunting Guns

P.44
(Not my picture, "borrowed out" from Kombinierte Waffe – Deutsches Jagd Lexikon - Wissen "uber Jagd, Natur, Naturschutz, Hunde und Outdoor )

 

[Absalom]

I believe it's a combo gun. As I understand it, Cape guns have a much larger bore on the rifle side than a 30-30. I think "Cape" refers to Africa, where the big bore would be needed.

Indeed, "Cape guns" were a particular, usually British-made version of side-by-side combo gun, the first ones reportedly 12-bore and .577 for use in Southern Africa (the Cape Colony).

German and Austrian combination guns were initially mostly chambered in the classic "Förster-Kaliber" (forester's caliber) of 9.3mm x 72R, going back to black powder times, but later were produced in pretty much any rifle caliber and shotgun bore imaginable.

I think for German hunters 16-gauge and a versatile medium rifle were and still are most common; my dad's Blaser BBF was in 7mm x 65R.

 

[bracebeemer]

I have a Cornell reprint of the 1912 Schroverling Daly and Gales sporting goods catalogue. It's an interesting description of the No.50 Prussian Daly combination gun. Bill

 

[2152hq]

Beautiful shotgun. Plain, simple but fine quality. That's were everything starts.
The gun looks like it was hardly ever shot or carried. Amazing for 100y/o hunting firearm.

I have a Chas Daly single bbl trap 12ga made & marked by Lindner. That's another Prussia maker and probably made around the same time 1912 or so.

 

[CScott]

I've owned this gun for about 12 years and it was listed in the catalogue as a model 50 because it cost $50 which was about $1250 back then. It was an entry level Prussian Daly. This would have been a working gun and it's amazing that it remains in new condition. There's a lot of pictures so enjoy. Bill

"an entry level" gun. Good Lord . . .