SIMSON vs KRIEGHOFF prices

Norme · 07-19-2019, 02:16 PM

What I'm about to write will probably sound like heresy to some and sour grapes to others. (For the record, I'm a long time Krieghoff owner (1937 #7736) and have shot skeet with HK shotguns for over 40 years).
There is a widespread belief that HK's were lovingly assembled by old-world craftsmen who lavished them with superior fit and finish.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Krieghoff was a small family owned company (and still is), whereas Mauser was an enormous arms making factory whose average monthly Luger production approached that of all the HK's ever made. Krieghoffs were produced on antiquated machinery and a high proportion of the parts produced were out of spec and had to be laboriously fitted by hand. If that was not possible they were assembled into guns for commercial sale (waste not want not!). By contrast, the Lugers at the Mauser plant were produced on state of the art machinery and the small proportion of out of spec parts were simply discarded.
Mauser P08's had an enviable reputation for reliability and accuracy during WW2 and still do. Krieghoff's saw little actual war time use since most of them were issued to Luftwaffe flak units that were stationed behind the lines. Nowadays they have gotten so expensive that their owners are afraid to shoot them!
Norm

07-19-2019, 02:16 PM	#3
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,607 Times in 933 Posts	What I'm about to write will probably sound like heresy to some and sour grapes to others. (For the record, I'm a long time Krieghoff owner (1937 #7736) and have shot skeet with HK shotguns for over 40 years). There is a widespread belief that HK's were lovingly assembled by old-world craftsmen who lavished them with superior fit and finish. Nothing could be further from the truth! Krieghoff was a small family owned company (and still is), whereas Mauser was an enormous arms making factory whose average monthly Luger production approached that of all the HK's ever made. Krieghoffs were produced on antiquated machinery and a high proportion of the parts produced were out of spec and had to be laboriously fitted by hand. If that was not possible they were assembled into guns for commercial sale (waste not want not!). By contrast, the Lugers at the Mauser plant were produced on state of the art machinery and the small proportion of out of spec parts were simply discarded. Mauser P08's had an enviable reputation for reliability and accuracy during WW2 and still do. Krieghoff's saw little actual war time use since most of them were issued to Luftwaffe flak units that were stationed behind the lines. Nowadays they have gotten so expensive that their owners are afraid to shoot them! Norm