Foxi
AH legend
In the late 80s I was a hunting guest at the home of a publisher, who owns about 80% of the hunting magazines published in Germany (and many more).
Horst Blenk, the then owner of Blaser and inventor of the R93, was also invited.
He carried the R93 for the first time on this driven hunt, shortly before it was ready for the market.
Blenk took over the Allgäu hunting rifle company from Horst Blaser at the end of 1985 and ran it as owner and managing director for almost 14 years. During this time, the number of employees and the company's turnover tripled. The internationally marketed R93 bolt action rifle was developed under Blenk's direction. Blenk attached great importance to optimising operational processes in a pragmatic way.
The evening before we met for a social get-together and he was my neighbour at the table and the next day my neighbour on the stand in the deep forests of the Hunsrück, a region in central Germany.
He told me late in the evening that the production of the R93 was much cheaper than the classic 98 system and its numerous variations, as everything could be produced by machine to maximum quantities, and a French armaments company offered him over 2 million (at that time still German Marks, God rest their souls
) for the patent, but he thought it should remain in civilian hands.
He already had enough money back then.
On the day of the hunt, he shot a few roes and a small pig.
On social hunts in almost all European countries there is a "hunting king" who is proclaimed at a banquet in the evening.
This is the one who has shot the most.
This is also the case here.
But the one who shot the most was an old forester (forestry superintendent).
He said to me at dinner that evening that he was looking forward to being honoured as "king" as he had never had this honour in his long life as a hunter.
In addition, the Big Boss, the publisher, awards a very tasteful bronze sculpture (a boar) to the king of the hunt every year.
The Big Boss came to our table and told the forester that he had to understand that he would not be proclaimed king of the hunt today, because his guest Horst Blenk, owner of the Blaser company, would be "king", as he places his "adverts in my newspapers for a quarter of a million German Mark every year".
The forester nodded dutifully and then furtively wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
After all, money rules the world.
Later,I never saw Horst Blenk again, only witnessed the absolute triumph of the R 93, which literally dug up the water for other manufacturers and drove them to the brink of bankruptcy.
Almost everyone wanted them, especially the young hunters.
He sold his company to Lücke und Partner shortly after the market launch of this gun and must have been a little annoyed that he had probably sold his company too cheaply because the success of the R93 was so enormous.
He went to Canada, ran a real estate business there and died at the age of 81 in March 2022.
RiP
Horst Blenk,
You ingenious Swabian inventor
Your idea divides gun enthusiasts among hunters.
You either love the R93/R8 or you don't like it.
Foxi
Horst Blenk, the then owner of Blaser and inventor of the R93, was also invited.
He carried the R93 for the first time on this driven hunt, shortly before it was ready for the market.
Blenk took over the Allgäu hunting rifle company from Horst Blaser at the end of 1985 and ran it as owner and managing director for almost 14 years. During this time, the number of employees and the company's turnover tripled. The internationally marketed R93 bolt action rifle was developed under Blenk's direction. Blenk attached great importance to optimising operational processes in a pragmatic way.
The evening before we met for a social get-together and he was my neighbour at the table and the next day my neighbour on the stand in the deep forests of the Hunsrück, a region in central Germany.
He told me late in the evening that the production of the R93 was much cheaper than the classic 98 system and its numerous variations, as everything could be produced by machine to maximum quantities, and a French armaments company offered him over 2 million (at that time still German Marks, God rest their souls
) for the patent, but he thought it should remain in civilian hands.He already had enough money back then.
On the day of the hunt, he shot a few roes and a small pig.
On social hunts in almost all European countries there is a "hunting king" who is proclaimed at a banquet in the evening.
This is the one who has shot the most.
This is also the case here.
But the one who shot the most was an old forester (forestry superintendent).
He said to me at dinner that evening that he was looking forward to being honoured as "king" as he had never had this honour in his long life as a hunter.
In addition, the Big Boss, the publisher, awards a very tasteful bronze sculpture (a boar) to the king of the hunt every year.
The Big Boss came to our table and told the forester that he had to understand that he would not be proclaimed king of the hunt today, because his guest Horst Blenk, owner of the Blaser company, would be "king", as he places his "adverts in my newspapers for a quarter of a million German Mark every year".
The forester nodded dutifully and then furtively wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
After all, money rules the world.
Later,I never saw Horst Blenk again, only witnessed the absolute triumph of the R 93, which literally dug up the water for other manufacturers and drove them to the brink of bankruptcy.
Almost everyone wanted them, especially the young hunters.
He sold his company to Lücke und Partner shortly after the market launch of this gun and must have been a little annoyed that he had probably sold his company too cheaply because the success of the R93 was so enormous.
He went to Canada, ran a real estate business there and died at the age of 81 in March 2022.
RiP
Horst Blenk,
You ingenious Swabian inventor
Your idea divides gun enthusiasts among hunters.
You either love the R93/R8 or you don't like it.
Foxi
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