Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Sauer 9.3x72R Drilling

Recently bought a JP Sauer style hammered drilling in 16 gauge over 9.3x72R.

Having problems finding any type of years of manufacture on it.

It also does not say J.P Sauer on it, however, it's identical in every way to the other examples i have seen.

When did Sauer exclusively go to hammerless drillings?

Can anybody give me a date of manufacture for a drilling with the serial 12362?

You don't usually determine date for a J.P. Sauer from the serial number. Look for a 3- or 4-digit code on the barrel flats. For instance, my J.P. Sauer has 1139 on it, indicating it was made in November of 1939. I've also seen 732 for July of 1932.

I got a lot of good information about my J.P. Sauer from this forum:

https://www.shotgunworld.com/thread...facture-dates-and-chamber-length.564859/

There are also some pictures of mine posted in that thread.

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/help-with-dates-j-p-sauer-and-sohn.568112/

This link has a list of approximate year ranges with serial numbers!

Pull the forearm, dismount the barrels and post the proof marks. Depending on when it was proofed, a date might be determined. It's also possible all you can know is a range of date.

https://app.companycam.com/galleries/3XPuKumL

It does not have the Normal.3 digit code to identify the year. Serial.number on all pieces match with the circled 16 signifying 2-1/2" chambers.

Any ideas?

Hello there, a serial in the 12k range would be very early for a Sauer gun, as they were a far more prolific maker than the many smaller ones in the area. That would be way too early for the proof marks on your gun, so no, this unfortunately is not a Sauer. Date coding and ledger numbers and such did not come into play until the 1920’s so your gun is earlier than that, but post 1891, probably late 1890’s, possibly early turn of the century.

Well that is just dandy. Older the better. I just picked it up two days ago and plan to get some of the Aguila Mini shotshells to test it out (They're cheaper than RST). And of course I will shoot the bottom barrel as well once i find a few rounds of the ammo.
Thanks for the info!

Do a lot of reading on the 9.3x72 if you aren’t too familiar with them, it was a very common cartridge at the time, but also designed pre cartridge standardization and there are several different “9.3x72” that it could be. I am currently researching one myself and there is a lot to learn.

I'm thinking you're stuck with RST because I don't think Aguila makes mini shells in 16 gauge. If they did, I'd be all over that too

It is so easy to load 2.5" 16ga ammo components and a role crimper. You can easily shorten 2.75" hulls.

If you have any question I can help. I load a 1oz load of NP BBs for my 16ga drillings for coyote hunting.

There is 3 basic versions of the 9.3 X 72R, the German, the British and the "Normalized". Various gunmakers made some slight modifications in the case but usually something can be made to work. There is also a 9.3 X 72R Sauer cartridge that unlike the others is a bottleneck. Your best and safest bet is to make a chamber cast and eliminate all doubt.

As erich said, 2 1/2 shells are as easy to load as 2 3/4. Cut back 2 3/4 hulls and, as erich said, roll crimp them. BPI has roll crimpers, spin doctors and skiving tools.