BUG Proof 22

tenbears · 06-27-2007, 10:42 PM

One of my collector buddies recently shown me a German 22. He claim it was a WWII era. I told him it was earlier due to the BUG proofs. Am I correct?
Thanks

Dwight Gruber · 06-28-2007, 04:01 AM

Dow,

The c/BUG proof went out of use in 1911.

--Dwight

Bob in OH · 06-28-2007, 03:19 PM

Dwight, did you mean 1941? Mauser used BUG acceptance until approximately the start of 1940 on the DSM34 and KKW training rifles (see Jon Speed's book on smallbore Mausers)...

Dwight Gruber · 06-28-2007, 05:10 PM

Bob,

You are quite right, after a fashion, and the story is a bit more complex than my simple sentence answer.

There were four main civilian proof houses in Germany: Suhl, Zella-Mehlis, Frankfurt, and Oberndorf. Krieghoff and Simson were located in Suhl and had their commercial reworks proofed there; Mauser was located in Oberndorf (the Oberndorf proof house may have actually been located in the Mauser facilities).

It is unknown which proof house serviced DWM in Berlin.

The first civil proof law in Germany, in 1891, specified (among other things) the c/B,U,G suite of proofs. These proofs were based on black powder. When smokeless (nitro) powder became common, it was realized that the 1891 proof requirements were inadequate to the new technology.

In 1910 the proof houses of Suhl and Zella-Mehlis developed administrative regulations based around a "semi-smokeless" nitro powder which included a new marking protocol, the crown-over-N.

In 1911 or 1912 (there is conflicting information) the proof houses of Suhl, Zella-Mehlis, and Frankfurt began proofing to this new standard, with the new mark.

The Oberndorf proof house did not "sign on" to the new system, and continued to use the 1891 c/BUG proofing method, which is why your 1940 training rifle example still has c/BUG proofs.

Of course, Germany established an entirely new proof law in 1939 which became affective in 1940, which introduced the eagle/letter proof mark.

--Dwight

tenbears · 06-29-2007, 10:49 PM

Thanks for the good information on the BUG proof 22.

06-27-2007, 10:42 PM	#1
tenbears User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 370 Thanks: 3 Thanked 26 Times in 15 Posts	BUG Proof 22 One of my collector buddies recently shown me a German 22. He claim it was a WWII era. I told him it was earlier due to the BUG proofs. Am I correct? Thanks

06-28-2007, 04:01 AM	#2
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,889 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,281 Times in 423 Posts	Dow, The c/BUG proof went out of use in 1911. --Dwight

06-28-2007, 03:19 PM	#3
Bob in OH User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: NE OH Posts: 129 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Dwight, did you mean 1941? Mauser used BUG acceptance until approximately the start of 1940 on the DSM34 and KKW training rifles (see Jon Speed's book on smallbore Mausers)...

06-28-2007, 05:10 PM	#4
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,889 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,281 Times in 423 Posts	Bob, You are quite right, after a fashion, and the story is a bit more complex than my simple sentence answer. There were four main civilian proof houses in Germany: Suhl, Zella-Mehlis, Frankfurt, and Oberndorf. Krieghoff and Simson were located in Suhl and had their commercial reworks proofed there; Mauser was located in Oberndorf (the Oberndorf proof house may have actually been located in the Mauser facilities). It is unknown which proof house serviced DWM in Berlin. The first civil proof law in Germany, in 1891, specified (among other things) the c/B,U,G suite of proofs. These proofs were based on black powder. When smokeless (nitro) powder became common, it was realized that the 1891 proof requirements were inadequate to the new technology. In 1910 the proof houses of Suhl and Zella-Mehlis developed administrative regulations based around a "semi-smokeless" nitro powder which included a new marking protocol, the crown-over-N. In 1911 or 1912 (there is conflicting information) the proof houses of Suhl, Zella-Mehlis, and Frankfurt began proofing to this new standard, with the new mark. The Oberndorf proof house did not "sign on" to the new system, and continued to use the 1891 c/BUG proofing method, which is why your 1940 training rifle example still has c/BUG proofs. Of course, Germany established an entirely new proof law in 1939 which became affective in 1940, which introduced the eagle/letter proof mark. --Dwight

06-29-2007, 10:49 PM	#5
tenbears User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 370 Thanks: 3 Thanked 26 Times in 15 Posts	Thanks for the good information on the BUG proof 22.