Buchsenman:

Thanks for the accolades but I am just fortunate to have run upon good sources and am trying to gather info from previous generations before it is lost forever. I'm sure info on G. Wilcke exits in an old text or in someones mind, but info on Wilcke is difficult to find similar to W. Foerster of Berlin(and others) with info only being extracted from their examples and indirect info from their networks/relationships. I'll see what I have on G. Wilcke but I think the info is only from his examples. One can looks at the town in which the master gunsmith was a resident taking note of the nobility of whatever country or connection to nobility and it is here the master gunsmith and his heirs and assigns made their livelyhood. Unless they were like Sauer, and other larger concerns which also filled military contracts, and could turn out many examples of something akin to a utility grade, but still of quality, in large numbers, the master gunsmith, with 1/2 dozen or less craftsmen, had to really address mechanization or out-sourcing, unless the nobility purchased the bulk of his work.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse