While the larger Suhl factories like Sauer, Simson, Meffert and the three Merkels were taken over by the commies entirely, the small independent gunmakers with up to four emploiees were forced to join the Büchsenmacher - Handwerksgenossenschaft = BÜHAG. During GDR times they usually made special order guns. They depended on the BÜHAG for supplies and were not allowed to deal directly with customers, only through BÜHAG and the GDR export organisation. For more accurate info go to the German Gun Collectors website, www.germanguns.com .