Mick

Thank you for your comment and pillow bags advice, which I will put into practice, as already mentioned to Matt, John and Daryl.

I purchased this Sauer & Sohn model IX kipplauf in Germany three years ago. The rifle was manufactured in 1957 at Eckernförde (Northern Germany), where Sauer & Sohn had resumed production from 1951/1952. Kipplaufs model IX were available from 1955 but I was never able to find out when production stopped.

She is a sweet little rifle (1,06m-long with a 65cm barrel), light (3,5kg scoped) and with very limited recoil; when mountain hunting, I break it before reaching /after leaving the hunting grounds and carry it in my rucksack, which I find extremely practical.

This kipplauf was already presented on the Forum, see http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat....true#Post317033

There are on the Forum people more qualified than me for deciphering such hieroglyphs, however indications given by the rifle’s various markings and proof marks are apparently quite straightforward:
- German proof marks: “Eagle with N” (German nitro proof from 1951 until 1971); “Oak Leaf” (Kiel & Eckenförde proof houses’ mark, from 1951/52 until 1968 or maybe later); “57” for 1957; “175021” (serial number).
- Austrian proof marks: “NPF” (Ferlach proof house); “1875.73” (rifle number 1875 to be proofed in 1973); “35” may refer to rifle maker Walter Outschar.
- I have no clue about what markings “Stlf.2” and “JO”, both under the barrel, mean?
- Reference to calibre, 6,5x57R was obviously re-stamped and some blurred numbers can be noticed underneath the new marking. I assume, but this is only an assumption, that this rifle was manufactured in 1957 in a different calibre, possibly 5,6x52R, and re-rifled in 6,5x57R at Ferlach in 1973.

The rifle was fitted when I acquired it with an excellent Zeiss Diatal 4x32 single turret, which I saved for a future restauration project, and had replaced by a modern Khales KX 2-7x36, which I find more convenient for stalking. These little and light Khales KX 2-7x36 (28 cm-long & 420 grams) were to me perfect for matching with classic rifles (I have another one mounted on a take-down Mannlicher Schoenauer 1908), unfortunately Khales stopped their production two or three years ago, in the same way Swarovski stopped last year selling in Europe their Z3 range (now only available in North America), that was also matching well with classic rifles. Now only remain for the European market big to very big rifle scopes, most of them fitted with too much technology (but unfortunately not yet brewing coffee!) for standard stalking conditions!

As already mentioned I use RWS KS ammunition in 9,1 grams/140 grains; there are lighter bullets with flatter trajectory available from RWS but this one is the best match with the rifle’s barrel.

I wish you and all the Forum members a Happy Easter.

Louis