[Petrov]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me anything about a rifle I saw at a shop today.
Swiss martini action single shot target rifle w/diopter sites. Wooden forend rest, heavily sculpted stock with heavy brass buttplate. Here are the markings:

PROG. SAEGE

PRALL

Werner Wichser

GLRRUS

Special Rifle Steel (in English).

"11" in a circle, and the Swiss cross symbol as on a K31.

Any ideas what this is? How many made, how common, and what approximate value? How do they shoot as compared to a K11 long gun or K31? Thanks.

 

[hans maag]

Martini

Wichser Waffen is still existing, ask for information:

Waffen und Munition:
Wichser Waffen AG
Rathausgasse 25
8750 Glarus GL Switzerland

Hans

 

[Guisan]

That gun was made before 1948 as that year Hermann Wichser took over.
You could also inquire by email see their website...

http://www.wichserwaffen.ch/phpWebSite1/index.php

Guisan.

 

[Petrov]

That gun was made before 1948 as that year Hermann Wichser took over.
You could also inquire by email see their website...

http://www.wichserwaffen.ch/phpWebSite1/index.php

Guisan.

Thanks for the info and link. e-mail query sent Sunday; I'm still awaiting a reply.

 

[Petrov]

OK - got a response today. Too late to get over to the shop (again, that is - I was just there two hours ago trying to work on the price a bit - and with some little success). I think I need this gun. I had inquired about the caliber just to make sure, as it wasn't listed on the gun anywhere. Here's the e-mail -

Thank you for your e-mail and we apologize for not answering earlier, but we
are in hunting season right and Mr. Wichser just came back to the shop
today.

He says that the rifle was fabricated by his father approx. in 1924 and he
made around 20 rifles of this kind.

If the stock is similar to a match rifle, then the caliber is 7,5 Swiss and
in this case, you can shoot military GP-11 ammunition without problems.

Should you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us
again.

Best regards

Wichser Waffen AG
W. Wichser

 

[Guisan]

Well that sounds good, my guess is that the 11 in circle also means GP11 but not sure there.

Guisan.

 

[Petrov]

Well that sounds good, my guess is that the 11 in circle also means GP11 but not sure there.

Guisan.

That was my guess also - a reference to it shooting the more powerful post-1911 round.
Hopefully only 20 were made because Wischer senior had other priorities and not because there was any issue with the design.
It sounds like Hermann is still in charge. If he took over in 1948, he must be in pretty good shape for his age to still get out hunting!

 

[Guisan]

Well the reply you got was signed with W. Wichser so there could be a younger generation there now.
The design was pretty common and the Martini systems were made by many more gunsmiths in those days.

Guisan.

 

[Petrov]

FYI - I posted a couple pics of this beast in a picture thread over on the Collector's forum.

http://forums.gunboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=15920&d=1193598275

I'll hopefully get it out to the range next week. An old target rifle is a tough purchase. Milsurps can be assigned some value based on overall condition and fuctionality, but something like this - if it has any fuctionality issues, is very hard and very expensive to get serviced and really would end up being an expensive wallhanger (albeit a cool looking one). If I hadn't at least gotten rough date of manufacture and number made, I probobly wouldn't have purchased it. I'm hopinig of the best next weekend.