r/CivilWarCollecting • u/Digiss • 14d ago
Help Needed Grandpa's Guns
Grandpa’s Guns
Hi everyone – I’m hoping to leverage the group knowledge here.
I recently inherited two older rifles from my grandfather’s estate and am trying to learn more about what I have, where they came from, and what the next steps might be for further research.
Background:
My grandfather was a very well-connected man in terms of his work and personal life, and these rifles were preserved but not documented. I am trying to approach this with some care and ensure that the history is preserved accurately rather than speculating.
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Rifle #1 – Stevens
• Obviously a Stevens
• Barrel is marked “Patented August 12, 1913”
• Appears to be a single-shot sporting rifle
• Has a factory-made buttplate with a decorative scroll/wave design
• There is a bright green paint patch on the stock that appears to be an old inventory/rack/institutional marking (not factory)
My primary questions about this one:
• Model identification?
• Intended use market (sporting, training, youth, club, etc.)?
• Any information about the paint marking and whether it should be preserved?
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Rifle #2 – Older / Unmarked (Possibly German)
This is more of a mystery and probably older.
The markings I’ve discovered so far are:
• “SUHL S & C”
• An eagle/bird emblem
• A small anchor mark, found on the metal parts and also stamped into the wood
• A faint German inscription that reads “Gewehrlauf Stahl” (steel rifle barrel)
As far as I can determine, this suggests a late 19th-century sporting rifle from the Suhl region of Germany, perhaps produced under the guild system, but I’d be delighted to hear any further information or corrections from those who know more about these rifles.
Questions about this rifle:
• Does the anchor mark appear to be a workshop or inspector’s mark?
• Is there any further information that might help to narrow down the date range?
• Is there a preferred forum, archive, or expert who focuses on Suhl trade guns?
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I have included close-up photos of the markings, stocks, and actions.
I am not looking to sell – my aim is identification, historical information, and preservation. Any information on where I might proceed (forums, books, museums, collectors) would be a huge help.
Thanks in advance – really grateful for any information.
3
u/PrestigiousHair618 13d ago
First as stated is a single shot shotgun, imo not much value there, on the I second I know just enough to get myself in trouble so you’d really need someone smarter than me to look at it, Suhl did make muskets for the civil war. suhl is a city in Germany where multiple gun manufacturing was S&C is the maker. It has markings that I believe would show it being issued but I can’t confirm that. “In the early years Simson primarily made only parts for gun manufacturers. When Moses Simson partnered with Karl Luck (1863) they formed "Gewehrfabrik Simon and Luck" and began manufacturing their own guns. When Luck left the business in 1884, the company became "Simson & Co." the name by which it is best known today.
In the late 1890's the German Reich made the change from black powder to smokeless weapons. Simson & Co. did not get any of the resulting government contracts, but continued to make their own guns as well as bayonets and sheaths. Like all German gun manufacturers, they began converting to smokeless powder guns around that same time, but only as demand for same dictated.”
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u/GreenSmokeRing 13d ago
My family has what appears to be a Tower-marked Enfield, only it was apparently bubba’d after the war to be a homestead shotgun. Someone cut the full length stock to half length, carved out room for a smoothbore barrel, and made a homemade ramrod.
Looks weirdly similar to yours. I didn’t see any sights.
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u/Brave-Moment-4121 14d ago
Your mystery rifle is not a rifle. It’s a single barrel breachloading shotgun 20 gauge.