Gentlemen,
it might be interesting for you to get an idea about the German relationship to the A5, 'cause this will be a lesser known story.
OK, when Browning's Automatic shotgun appeared on the market in Germany, it caused a stir - like in most other countries also. The hunting journals of the time period until the outbreak of WWI are full with articles about pro/contra of the gun. Well, most German hunters just loved it. Consequently, it was a big hit here. Due to sales success, other tried to get their share of the cake by promoting improvements and accessories for the A5. I like to present some of these, which were sold also with success. At least, some of them.
1/ the "Tesco-Schiene" (Tesco rail). A known problem of the early A5s is: it has no rail. The company G. Teschner & Co (maker of the Collath drillings and shotguns) in Frankfurt/Oder solved this problem. Their Tesco rail was advertised from at least 1910 until the end of the twenties (at least). Shown here are the drawings from German patent 276384 (filed October 23, 1913), a photo from a German hunting magazine "Das Schießwesen" dated June 12, 1910 and a page from a 1913 dated Akah catalog.
2/ an other idea to get a rail on the A5 was a little different: a higher forearm forming a rail as advertised in the 1913 Akah catalog.
3/ yet another rail was advertised in the thirties: a clip-on rail invented by Graf (Count) Wolfgang von Bethusy-Huc. Interestingly, it was offered only for the 16 ga A5s. Image comes from the 1940 Akah catalog.
4/ the "cartridge counter", also invented and sold by G. Teschner & Co. This is a very simple device: a slot is cut in the forearm and the magazine tube, the slot is closed with a piece of celluloid. Now you can see the cartridges in the magazine. Images are from the 1913 Genschow & Co. (Geco) catalog and from the journal of German hunting association ADJV, dated May 03, 1911. There you can see also a square recoil spring, it seems?
5/ a quiet complicated dust cover. This was patented by German patent # 241409, which was filed in German Patent Office on January 29, 1910. Owner of the patent were Dr. Gustav Fritsch and O. Geyger & Co. in Berlin. The latter is known for taking over the representation of J. P. Sauer & Sohn in Berlin after 1930.
The dust cover is connected with the carrier assembly: when the dust cover is open, the carrier is pushed up, so that more than only one cartridge may be loaded at one time. The drawing comes from the patent; the image is from the 1913 Geco catalog.
6/ another idea for blocking the carrier: a "Zubringersperre" (Carrier lock or interlock) installed instead of the normal carrier latch button. I did not quiet understand, how it works, but it seems to have worked, as this was advertised at least until 1940. Image comes from the 1913 Akah catalog. Note also the type 2 safety in the drawing.
7/ And now for my favourite: the automatic safety! I liked to have one! Just a masterpiece of "things you don't need but which are pretty cool and make a nice toy". Inventor was a Major Roth, but the relating German patent #248194 (filing date: October 27, 1911) belonged to the company Otto Bock in Berlin, a company which was well-known at that time.
The safety does consist of a leverage with a toggle link influenced by a leaf spring. If you grasp the stock, the leverage will push the (type 2) safety forward. If you take your hand off the gun, the spring will press on the toggle link and the safety will move back securing the gun.
Images are from the patent, from the journal "Das Schießwesen", May 23, 1912, page 23 and from the 1913 Geco catalog.
I don't think, that this odd safety was a big success and I probably will never find one. But I hope, I will.
Best regards
Martin
it might be interesting for you to get an idea about the German relationship to the A5, 'cause this will be a lesser known story.
OK, when Browning's Automatic shotgun appeared on the market in Germany, it caused a stir - like in most other countries also. The hunting journals of the time period until the outbreak of WWI are full with articles about pro/contra of the gun. Well, most German hunters just loved it. Consequently, it was a big hit here. Due to sales success, other tried to get their share of the cake by promoting improvements and accessories for the A5. I like to present some of these, which were sold also with success. At least, some of them.
1/ the "Tesco-Schiene" (Tesco rail). A known problem of the early A5s is: it has no rail. The company G. Teschner & Co (maker of the Collath drillings and shotguns) in Frankfurt/Oder solved this problem. Their Tesco rail was advertised from at least 1910 until the end of the twenties (at least). Shown here are the drawings from German patent 276384 (filed October 23, 1913), a photo from a German hunting magazine "Das Schießwesen" dated June 12, 1910 and a page from a 1913 dated Akah catalog.
2/ an other idea to get a rail on the A5 was a little different: a higher forearm forming a rail as advertised in the 1913 Akah catalog.
3/ yet another rail was advertised in the thirties: a clip-on rail invented by Graf (Count) Wolfgang von Bethusy-Huc. Interestingly, it was offered only for the 16 ga A5s. Image comes from the 1940 Akah catalog.
4/ the "cartridge counter", also invented and sold by G. Teschner & Co. This is a very simple device: a slot is cut in the forearm and the magazine tube, the slot is closed with a piece of celluloid. Now you can see the cartridges in the magazine. Images are from the 1913 Genschow & Co. (Geco) catalog and from the journal of German hunting association ADJV, dated May 03, 1911. There you can see also a square recoil spring, it seems?
5/ a quiet complicated dust cover. This was patented by German patent # 241409, which was filed in German Patent Office on January 29, 1910. Owner of the patent were Dr. Gustav Fritsch and O. Geyger & Co. in Berlin. The latter is known for taking over the representation of J. P. Sauer & Sohn in Berlin after 1930.
The dust cover is connected with the carrier assembly: when the dust cover is open, the carrier is pushed up, so that more than only one cartridge may be loaded at one time. The drawing comes from the patent; the image is from the 1913 Geco catalog.
6/ another idea for blocking the carrier: a "Zubringersperre" (Carrier lock or interlock) installed instead of the normal carrier latch button. I did not quiet understand, how it works, but it seems to have worked, as this was advertised at least until 1940. Image comes from the 1913 Akah catalog. Note also the type 2 safety in the drawing.
7/ And now for my favourite: the automatic safety! I liked to have one! Just a masterpiece of "things you don't need but which are pretty cool and make a nice toy". Inventor was a Major Roth, but the relating German patent #248194 (filing date: October 27, 1911) belonged to the company Otto Bock in Berlin, a company which was well-known at that time.
The safety does consist of a leverage with a toggle link influenced by a leaf spring. If you grasp the stock, the leverage will push the (type 2) safety forward. If you take your hand off the gun, the spring will press on the toggle link and the safety will move back securing the gun.
Images are from the patent, from the journal "Das Schießwesen", May 23, 1912, page 23 and from the 1913 Geco catalog.
I don't think, that this odd safety was a big success and I probably will never find one. But I hope, I will.
Best regards
Martin