Help identify this double rifle

J

Jfalmond

Inactive
- this site would not let me upload file.... don't know why
- here is imgur link with pics

https://imgur.com/a/oaejr

I have been told that maybe this is 500 black powder express. Have not taken any measurements to check yet. Also forgot to take pictures of under the barrel though there are not proofs or marks under there anyways. Anyone have any info on this gun? Any idea on value?
 
What is stamped on the rifle? I tried to read it but I'm not sure if I got it right.

Is it:

W. MASCHEE IN WEIN
 
Definitely "in Wien" = Vienna, Austria.
Typical Continental sporting rifle with single set trigger on one barrel at least, and folding peep sight for those long shots at chamois.

Hard to imagine an European rifle without proof marks. Herr Maschee might have been the maker or just the seller, lots of guns those days made for dealers with the store's name, not the builder's.

It might well be .500 BPE, CotW does not show any metric sporting cartridges in that caliber range.
 
Sight does not fold. Inscriptions read w. Maschek in wien which I understand just means made in Vienna. Literally no other marks on the gun nor do i recall seeing anything on the barrel flats. The gun is at my parents house, so next time I am there i will take the barrel off and get more pics and double check for any marks. So no one has any idea on value?
 
Slug the barrel(should be .510") and make a chamber casting using Cerrosafe(Brownell's).
There were several .500 Black Powder Express cartridges. 1½-inch, 2-inch, 2¼-inch, 2⅝-inch, 3-inch and 3¼-inch. A chamber cast will tell you which.
Barrel are in surprisingly good condition for a 100 plus year old rifle.
When that rifle was made everybody and his brother was making 'em. It's possible that only the action/lock was made in Austria.
 
A chamber cast is a must. There were many, many chamberings used in black powder cartridge rifles in Europe prior to the drive to standardize, each with its own bullet diameter, case dimensions, rim diameter and thickness.

I often have people bring in their old "family heirloom" rifle to find out what kind of ammo to shoot in it (often they are disappointed to find out it's unavailable). I recently went through this with an acquaintance who has had this old European double rifle sitting around for 20+ years and finally got the itch to shoot it (he owns and shoots several old BP cartridge rifles). Proof marks say French from the 1880s. Chamber casts showed fairly standard 11X60Rmm (11mm Mauser) case, but with a .424" groove diameter barrel (which translates to .020" case neck thickness). We were scratching our heads until we just shrugged and said "load it up!"
 
any tips on getting some of that rust of the butt cap, and also the stock finish seemed to have started to get some mold (i rescued this guy from leaning in a closet corner).?
 
also, no one here has yet to give an idea on the value of this gun... any ideas anybody??? not gonna sell, just wanna have an idea!
 
Don't do anything to try to restore it. At this point, just make sure it doesn't deteriorate any further.

If it turns out to be really valuable, attempts to alter the gun (even to improve its condition) could backfire and actually hurt its value.
 
I would certainly get some oil on it. A lot of surface rust will wipe off with a rag after it has been well oiled for a while.
I would attack the mold with something mild like maybe Ballistol in water.
 
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