Question For Our German & Austrian Members

[Foxi]

For the members that live in Germany and Austria, what is the general perception on differences between Heym and Krieghoff?

Heym has the bigger marketing and people like Ivan Carter have contributed significantly to its popularity in the USA.
Krieghoff manufactures more expensive weapons overall. I'm not referring to their off-the-shelf products here.
In terms of quality, the differences are certainly very difficult to discern.
When it comes to reselling weapons, Krieghoff clearly beats Heym, at least in German-speaking countries, so a gunsmith at Big F. (a prominent weapon dealer,which everey hunter knows here)
Foxi

 

[Foxi]

A brief addendum for the amateur historians among you:

The roots of both companies, and many others, lie in the town of Suhl in Thuringia, Germany
There, knowledge of gunsmithing craftsmanship has been passed down for centuries, the value of which cannot be estimated. Guns were already being built there long before the Pilgrim Fathers ran aground on your rocks.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Really !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Care to share sources, evidences, pics of muzzles, rookhawk?

I find this really, really difficult to believe...

For what it is worth, it is the first time ever I hear someone making this type of comment on Krieghoff...

I agree that one either loves or hates the decocking "safety"; I agree that the "engraving" is at its best when completely absent; I will add that the nickel plating does nothing to improve the looks of the rifle and that I have seen a few rifles on which it was chipping away; I will agree that the ergonomics will work for you or not; but as to state that the rifles "are regulated with a dremel", I have certainly never seen, or heard, anything like that, and I am immensely skeptical.................................

As to Tex .416's original question, I am neither German nor Austrian, and although I was posted in Germany (where I hunted in the Black Forest) I never lived in Austria, but I hunted a lot in the Alps and the European mountain hunting community is fairly tight knit, with good or bad reputations crossing borders easily.
So, my input is as follows...
Both Heym's and Krieghoff's European reputation was based on their double rifles and drillings. Neither was considered a leader in turn bolts -- that was Mannlicher's, then Steyr-Mannlicher's unchallenged supremacy; and train loads of ex-military K98 were converted for both Teutonic gentry and Latin masses with various degrees of sophistication from exquisite to simply functional.
I am not aware of any issue with Krieghoff, but Heym had a very publicized accident with a double rifle action breaking under fire. This was, in the end, written off as one-of-a-kind "material defect" accident, but it hurt them tremendously for a while.
My experience with them is that both are effective and reliable, and I would argue that choosing one over the other is more a matter of technical choice (decocker), personal ergonomics, style & aesthetics, rather than quality.

I have no dog in this fight. I like Krieghoff and Heym products. New and old.

A quick call to the Krieghoff U.S. representatives will confirm that they do indeed “machine” one side of the crown to move one of the offending barrels bullet POI.

They will also send it back to have it re soldered and moved if requested.

3” at 50 yards is the standard for Krieghoff big bore accuracy. Many achieve much better groups with their Krieghoff big bore. But if you contact Krieghoff to ask what they consider “good enough” for a big bore. It’s 3” at 50 yards.


I owned a Krieghoff hammer gun made in Suhl that was a piece of art.