The Shooter’s Companion

Shotguns·makers·models·history

An independent reference on sporting shotguns, for shooters, collectors, buyers and sellers.

Krieghoff

Drawing of the Danube passing steep-roofed buildings and a low bridge in Ulm.
Drawing: Ulm beside the Danube.

Origins

In 1886 Ludwig Krieghoff and a partner established Sempert & Krieghoff in Suhl, Thuringia.1 His son Heinrich founded his own Suhl company in 1916, and in 1919 the two firms merged under Heinrich’s direction.2, 3 The family company now spans five generations.4

Krieghoff restarted in Ulm, Germany, in 1950 with thirteen employees.5, 6 Its first competition shotgun, the K-32, followed in 1957.7 In 1960 the company moved into its present production site at Donautal.8 The K-80 succeeded the K-32 in 1980.9

Factories and partners

Krieghoff moved to Ulm after the Second World War, and its Donautal site has housed production since 1960.10, 8 Its address is Boschstraße 22, Ulm.11

According to Krieghoff, an American-German consortium proposed a competition gun based on the Remington Model 32.12 The trap shooter L. M. Donaldson brought the idea to Germany.13 The Ulm gunmakers took the Remington design as the starting point for the K-32.13 Later exchanges with shooters helped shape the K-80.13

Dieter Krieghoff established Krieghoff International in 1986.14 The American company imports and distributes Krieghoff hunting and sporting arms and operates the main service centre.15 Its Ottsville, Pennsylvania, facility also makes custom stocks.16

Timeline

1886

Ludwig Krieghoff and a partner establish Sempert & Krieghoff in Suhl.1

1900

Ludwig’s -fitting principle leads to a patented measurement method.17

1916

Heinrich Krieghoff establishes his own Suhl company.2

1919

The two companies merge under Heinrich’s direction.3

1925

Krieghoff introduces lightweight Dural into hunting-gun construction.18

1950

Krieghoff restarts in Ulm with thirteen employees.5

1957

Krieghoff introduces the K-32.7

1960

Krieghoff moves to its present Donautal site.8

1966

Kenneth A. Jones wins the world championship with a K-32.19

1976

Don Haldeman wins Olympic gold in Montreal with a K-32.20

1980

Krieghoff introduces the K-80.9

1986

Dieter Krieghoff establishes Krieghoff International in the United States.14

2000

Krieghoff introduces the K-20.21

2009

Phil Krieghoff becomes managing director.22

2018

Krieghoff introduces the women’s K-20 Victoria at the American SCI Convention.23

2026

Krieghoff celebrates its 140th anniversary, led by the fifth generation of the family.24

Families and models

The K-80 succeeded the K-32 in 1980.9 The changes mainly improved metallurgy and strength; the K-32’s , locks and mechanics stayed.25 The K-20 followed in 2000 and comes in 20, 28 and .410.21, 26 The KX-6 Special is a single-barrel trap gun for Singles, Handicap and League shooting.27 Essencia is a shotgun.28

Reading the names and numbers

K-80/S and K-20/S identify versions with , which give engravers more space.29 Victoria takes its name from the Goddess of Victory and identifies a stock designed for women.30 The stock has a shorter and a tailored .30 Krieghoff keeps model names such as Parcours and Victoria separate from upgrades such as Logo and Vintage Scroll.31

Marks

The Logo engraving puts the Krieghoff emblem and lettering beneath the receiver.32 On the K-80 and K-20, a lily mark identifies barrels tested for steel shot.33 The Ulm uses the antler mark inherited from Oberndorf.34 German carry a year stamp of the final two digits; at the applicant’s request, letters may replace them.35

Owners can ask Krieghoff International to date a gun by sending the serial number and model information.36 In many cases it can identify the gun’s age.36 Some prewar guns receive an approximate date.36

Drawing of the action of an over-and-under shotgun.
Drawing: Detail of an over-and-under action.

Sources

  1. Krieghoff company history, year-1886. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  2. Krieghoff company history, year-1916. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  3. Krieghoff company history, year-1919. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  4. Krieghoff Story: Welcome to the family, family-company. Krieghoff International. maker website
  5. Krieghoff company history, year-1950. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  6. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, maker-and-country. H. Krieghoff GmbH. manual
  7. Krieghoff company history, year-1957. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  8. Krieghoff company history, year-1960. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  9. Krieghoff company history, year-1980. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  10. Krieghoff company history, ulm-relocation. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  11. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, ulm-address. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  12. Krieghoff Story: Welcome to the family, remington-design-and-consortium. Krieghoff International. maker website
  13. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, remington-ancestry. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  14. Krieghoff company history, year-1986. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  15. Krieghoff Story: Welcome to the family, american-operation. Krieghoff International. maker website
  16. Krieghoff International FAQs, custom-stocks-in-ottsville. Krieghoff International. maker website
  17. Krieghoff company history, year-1900. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  18. Krieghoff company history, year-1925. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  19. Krieghoff company history, year-1966. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  20. Krieghoff company history, year-1976. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  21. Krieghoff company history, year-2000. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  22. Krieghoff company history, year-2009. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  23. Krieghoff company history, year-2018. H. Krieghoff GmbH. maker website
  24. 140 Years of Krieghoff, anniversary-and-fifth-generation. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2026-02-27. maker website
  25. Krieghoff International FAQs, k-32-and-k-80. Krieghoff International. maker website
  26. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, k-20-equipment. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  27. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, kx-6-special. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  28. Krieghoff Essencia Side-By-Side Sidelock Shotgun instruction manual, family-and-action. H. Krieghoff GmbH. manual
  29. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  30. Krieghoff Shotguns: Field & Competition, version 08/2023, victoria-stock. H. Krieghoff GmbH, 2023. maker catalogue
  31. Krieghoff Competition Shotgun Price List 2025. Krieghoff International, 2025. maker catalogue
  32. Krieghoff Competition Shotgun Price List 2025, grade-structure. Krieghoff International, 2025. maker catalogue
  33. Krieghoff K-80 and K-20 instruction manual, steel-shot-marking. H. Krieghoff GmbH. manual
  34. Beschussamt Ulm Historie, 1952-and-antler-mark. Regierungspräsidium Tübingen. proof house
  35. Beschussverordnung: consolidated German text, proof-mark-and-year-code. Bundesministerium der Justiz und Bundesamt für Justiz, 2006. proof house
  36. Krieghoff International FAQs, dating-service. Krieghoff International. maker website

Revised 2026-10-14