Aeisir
Moderator
+1 on that. The Paatz DSM was a very nice example, indeed!
Rare, Paatz Sportmodell
- Thread starter mauser99
- Start date
+1 on that. The Paatz DSM was a very nice example, indeed!
luftmacher
Senior Member
Thanks for posting that, Bob! I did a double-take on the price at first, but this one has a LOT to offer. Rare maker, good condition, retailer stamp AND SA unit mark (and enigmatically HIGH number for Paatz!) all in one!
Steve
Steve
mauser99
Senior Member
Sportmodell
I fianally got around to taking out my example and got some photos.. The rear receiver bridge where you can clearly see grind marked where the Paatz sportmodell was removed & just "sportmodell" was added. But, they missed the [P] and you can see it.. Also this one is the highest recorded. serial # 14780 So just with three examples we can see just over 1k were made at least.
Low # 137268
mid # 13788
hi # 14780 the last two being almost exactly 1k apart. This is where serial study comes in handy for estimating production..
I fianally got around to taking out my example and got some photos.. The rear receiver bridge where you can clearly see grind marked where the Paatz sportmodell was removed & just "sportmodell" was added. But, they missed the [P] and you can see it.. Also this one is the highest recorded. serial # 14780 So just with three examples we can see just over 1k were made at least.
Low # 137268
mid # 13788
hi # 14780 the last two being almost exactly 1k apart. This is where serial study comes in handy for estimating production..
Attachments
No trace left of Paatz 21st Century
BTW
We interviewed a fellow in September who was a worker for Paatz after the war.
This was a very small firm located on stream bank and had been waterpowered (typical) in the early days.
After the war they made bicycle parts and gears for a short time before the Communists closed them down. This was the case on most the small "mom and pop" firms in Zella Mehlis with the preponderance of skilled artisians consolidated under the Ernst Thalman Werke in the updated Simson-BSW-Gustloff facility in neighboring Suhl. From what I have been able to learn those not working in those modernized facilities and still working in home work shops were for the most part roled up under the trade name "BUHAG" on firearms. Some converted to other machine products. What carried on in Suhl and Zella Mehlis under communisum was centrally controlled. The Makers logo applied to the products made then, especially shotguns, may have been the same design as any of those firms but were made largley in the facility the party and Fritz Sauckel built up and took away from the Simson's. They were logo marked with what ever brand the buyers desired or what would sell.
Paatz was torn down and there is no longer any trace of it or many other of the fine small makers who for centuries had hand made quality firearms in small quantity before the war. Zella Mehlis suffered the worst and is still far behind the twin village of Suhl in recovering from the effects of communisum.
There is a whole "nuther story" in what occurred in Thuringia after the war.
BTW
We interviewed a fellow in September who was a worker for Paatz after the war.
This was a very small firm located on stream bank and had been waterpowered (typical) in the early days.
After the war they made bicycle parts and gears for a short time before the Communists closed them down. This was the case on most the small "mom and pop" firms in Zella Mehlis with the preponderance of skilled artisians consolidated under the Ernst Thalman Werke in the updated Simson-BSW-Gustloff facility in neighboring Suhl. From what I have been able to learn those not working in those modernized facilities and still working in home work shops were for the most part roled up under the trade name "BUHAG" on firearms. Some converted to other machine products. What carried on in Suhl and Zella Mehlis under communisum was centrally controlled. The Makers logo applied to the products made then, especially shotguns, may have been the same design as any of those firms but were made largley in the facility the party and Fritz Sauckel built up and took away from the Simson's. They were logo marked with what ever brand the buyers desired or what would sell.
Paatz was torn down and there is no longer any trace of it or many other of the fine small makers who for centuries had hand made quality firearms in small quantity before the war. Zella Mehlis suffered the worst and is still far behind the twin village of Suhl in recovering from the effects of communisum.
There is a whole "nuther story" in what occurred in Thuringia after the war.
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