BSF history notes from Hermann Grimm

[MDriskill]

Collector / researcher Hermann Grimm posted these notes on FB today. Considering how little is known about the history of this company, they are too good not to share!

Hermann Grimm's BSF notes

BSF History as far as I know, but I can't guarantee it was all like that.

1949/1950
The "Bayerische Sportwaffenfabrik" was founded in 1949/1950 by Dipl. Ing. Egon Wilsker (also Wischo KG Wilsker & Co, Erlangen) on the basis of local hardware factories and was called "Bayerische Sportwaffenfabrik Dipl. Ing. E. Wilsker & Co".

That is probably why there are "Wischo" as well as "BSF/Bavaria" marked guns. I haven't been able to find out yet if both marks were used from the beginning to the end of the manufacturing period, or if "Wischo" eventually disappeared in favor of "BSF/Bavaria." In Germany, "BSF/Bavaria" can be found far more often than "Wischo." The "BSF/Bavaria" logo can be assigned to the period 1952 to 1985. The "Wischo KG, Wilsker & Co Erlangen" logo could have been used until the end of the 60's.

1952
Economic difficulties led to the sale of "BSF Dipl. Ing. E. Wilsker & Co" to the Erlangen gunsmith Hans Schütt.

1952 -1969
"BSF Hans Schütt GmbH, Erlangen" etc. Hans Schütt died in 1969.

1969
Name changed to "BSF Hans Schütt oHG." The daughter, Ms. "Panciera Schütt", runs the business

1982
The "BSF Hans Schütt oHG" was sold to Herbert Gayer and was then called "BSF Hans Schütt oHG, owner Herbert Gayer".

July 1985
The company “BSF” is finally closed. The Hermann Weihrauch Sportwaffenfabrik Mellrichstadt continues to use the name "BSF" for export products ("Marksman" etc.) and owns the original "BSF" tools for production.

"Burgo"
"Burgo" is the trade name (brand) of Karl Burgsmüller, Kreiensen / Harz. This company produced and sold weapons (hunting weapons, self-defense weapons, sports weapons, compressed air and alarm guns, hunting accessories) up until the 1970s and 1980s. The rifles were manufactured by the Weihrauch company, among others. In addition to the Weihrauch rifles, other rifles were also sold under the "Burgo" name, including models from the Bavarian Sports Weapons Factory (BSF), the BSF model S54 was offered by "Burgo" until 1980 as the model 430.

In addition to "Burgo," BSF also produced for FKN (Fernkauf Nord = mail order company via product catalogues). The S54 was sold by FKN as the "Marschall" and "Supra-Luxury" models (depending on the version).

[Tinram]

Very interesting..thanks for sharing!

[Garvin]

Excellent, thanks Mike.

[MDriskill]

Another interesting BSF find on FB this morning - a minty boxed S20 pistol with a dated hang tag.