"Proof" Marks on Austro-Hungarian Army Weapons

[Don Dixon]

The barrels on Imperial and Royal (k.u.k.) Autro-Hungarian Army muzzle loading weapons are extensively stamped with proof and arsenel markings. Could someone please point me in the direction of a book or article which explains these markings. I have a small amount of soldaten Deutsch, so a book or article in German would work.

Regards,
Don Dixon

[Tim Prince]

Re: "Proof" Marks on Austro-Hungarian Army Weapons

The only decent book on Austrian Arms of the period that I am aware of is:
"Die-Hand-und Faustfeuerwaffen der habsburggischen Heere" by Erich Gabriel. It was published in Vienna in 1990. A relative of one of my customers has found one over there that I should have in a month or so. I have looked through it and it is a great book on the various Austrian arms of our period, although I'm not sure if there is much about proof marks- primarily makers and models from what I could figure out not being able to read the language.

If you know someone who has access to the museum in Vienna that published it, you might be able to obtain it that way.

[stri volunteer]

Re: "Proof" Marks on Austro-Hungarian Army Weapons

Gerhardt Wirnsberger's Standard Directory of Proof Marks, about $15 on Amazon.com