Real sign your a collector- you buy a book on Zella Mehlis in German

[45flint]

So much of my prewar collection came from Zella Mehlis. Saw this book Zella Mehlis “before the war”. Luckily it’s mainly pictures of the town before WW2. Kind of cool. Love the Zeppelin shot!. Have to use Google translate.

[Jerry Cornelius]

Yup. Been there and done that with the book on haenels. At least the pictures are in English

[Geezer]

That is above and beyond the call of duty.

[Shed tuner]

That is above and beyond the call of duty.

#11 on your list ?

"buying a book written in a language you don't understand, because of some loose association with a gun in your collection"

[Phil Russell]

Ernst G Dieter:
Luftgewehre und Luftpistolen nach 1945 aus Suhl und Zella-Mehlis, 2002 ISBN 3-8311-3748-X

In German but nice pictures and exploded diagrams.

Cheers, Phil

[ccdjg]

Ernst G Dieter:
Luftgewehre und Luftpistolen nach 1945 aus Suhl und Zella-Mehlis, 2002 ISBN 3-8311-3748-X

In German but nice pictures and exploded diagrams.

Cheers, Phil

There is currently a third edition which contains quite a bit more information and better colour pictures. You can see a short review in the Gallery: https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....is-after-1945/

[45flint]

There is currently a third edition which contains quite a bit more information and better colour pictures. You can see a short review in the Gallery: https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....is-after-1945/

I have the second edition but have hesitated to go to the trouble of getting the third given as the titles says is concentrated on guns manufactured after WW2 which don’t really interest me. Is there really any more prewar info?

[Binners]

Yup. Been there and done that with the book on haenels. At least the pictures are in English

Very good

Soooo looking forward to the New BSA collectors book by JM......

[ccdjg]

I have the second edition but have hesitated to go to the trouble of getting the third given as the titles says is concentrated on guns manufactured after WW2 which don’t really interest me. Is there really any more prewar info?

I would say the degree of coverage of pre-war vs post war is about the same, but now there is a lot more detail. The number of pages has increased from about 220 to about 250. No colour in the 1st edition, a bit in the 2nd, and plenty of guns in colour in the 3rd, especially the pre-war pistols, the pictures of which have also been enlarged. There is a new section on pellets, well illustrated in colour, but all immediate post war. All in all, a much nicer book to browse through, certainly far better than the 1st, and better than the 2nd .

Language need not be a problem with foreign airgun books these days. With a smart phone and a good app, (I have a Pixel 3a, which comes with Google Lens), I can take an instant translated picture of any page, complete with the illustrations, all in the right place and the fonts well matched to the original, and I can then print it out if I want.
(You don't even have to tell the app it what the language, as it works it out for itself. The app has been excellent for me with Czech and Polish airgun books).

[45flint]

Interesting on the map I can locate FLZ (Friedrich Langenhan) factory lower left and Venus Waffenwerk (Tell) lower center. Carl Walther factory on the right (destroyed after WW2) Gives you a feel for the size of their operations compared to Walther? Both Airgun manufacturers never survived the war: what could have been? Not sure FLZ gets credit for the scope of its innovation and production? They sold under so many names.

[draitzer]

Note that Langenhan were making bicycles [Fahrräder] as well as guns - this may account for the large factory area.

Don R.

[ccdjg]

It is interesting how many well known airgun manufacturers were also involved in bicycle production: For example in the UK there was B.S.A., in the USA there was Johnson & Bye and Pope, and in Germany there was Langehan and Eisenwerke Gaggenau. No doubt there are others. Why the connection I don't know, but equally weird, here in the UK it was always the case that bicycle shops sold airgun pellets, even if they sold nothing else connected with airguns.

[Garvin]

It is interesting how many well known airgun manufacturers were also involved in bicycle production: For example in the UK there was B.S.A., in the USA there was Johnson & Bye and Pope, and in Germany there was Langehan and Eisenwerke Gaggenau. No doubt there are others. Why the connection I don't know, but equally weird, here in the UK it was always the case that bicycle shops sold airgun pellets, even if they sold nothing else connected with airguns.

Thinking of similarities, they both involved welded steel tubes, compressed air, careful design and assembly using engineering principles, muscle strength to function, and the objective of getting things from A to B efficiently (ie. humans and pellets).

[Geezer]

Thinking of similarities, they both involved welded steel tubes, compressed air, careful design and assembly using engineering principles, muscle strength to function, and the objective of getting things from A to B efficiently (ie. humans and pellets).

I was having the same thought. Making fairly simple things out of steel tube.

Definitely, in the good old days, bike shops often sold airgun pellets. But so did general ironmongers, village stores, any kind of sports shop (including the cricket bat/football type, not the RFD/country type), fishing shops, etc.

[Jerry Cornelius]

Thinking of similarities, they both involved welded steel tubes, compressed air, careful design and assembly using engineering principles, muscle strength to function, and the objective of getting things from A to B efficiently (ie. humans and pellets).

Yes, it’s all light engineering isn’t it, not so surprising to see together

Why do key cutting and shoe repairs go together, that’s what puzzles me.