Kettner Luger L99

The History of Kettner

Eduard Kettner GmbH is a gun trading company founded in 1884, specializing in hunting and sporting rifles. Initially registered in Cologne, Kettner opened its first hunting shop at the start of the 20th century. Later, it acquired factories in Suhl and Porz, which were renowned manufacturers and exporters of firearms at the time. The Bühring family purchased Kettner in 1925, leading to an expansion of the headquarters in Cologne. Despite the devastation of the Second World War threatening the company's existence, Helmut Bühring re-established Kettner, setting up a repair workshop in the ruins. By 1969, the company headquarters moved from downtown Cologne to Cologne-Ossendorf.

Kettner experienced a period of economic decline leading up to its first bankruptcy in 2003. The Bühring family had sold the company to the investment firm Deutsche Investors Capital (DIC) in 2001 in an attempt to salvage the company. Despite substantial investments, DIC failed to halt the company's sinking business performance. Following the bankruptcy, insolvency administrator Hans-Gerd Jauch sold most subsidiaries to Kettner Deutschland GmbH, controlled by Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier. Nevertheless, the company struggled to achieve profitability.

The second bankruptcy of Kettner happened in 2008 under the control of Kettner International GmbH and other investors who suffered significant personal financial losses, leading to the second insolvency proceedings against Kettner International. Hans-Gerd Jauch once again took up the role of bankruptcy administrator.

Post-bankruptcy, the company saw a significant overhaul under Schmid Industrie Holding, which acquired it in 2009. They also managed to take over Kettner Austria, merging the two entities. Despite these efforts, the company had to close all its branches in Germany by mid-2012 due to insufficient sales.

Today, Kettner GmbH operates from Austria with 15 branches, an online shop, and two additional branches in Croatia. Grube KG held the rights to the Kettner brand name in Germany until August 2022. The company now also trades in hunting accessories and clothing. Since September 2022, all trademark rights are held by Eduard Kettner GmbH, based in Pöttelsdorf. Despite the ups and downs, Kettner continues to be a part of the hunting and sporting rifles industry.

Kettner Luger L99 Rifle Review

Kettner Luger L99 in 9.3x62

Figure 1: Kettner Luger L99 in 9.3x62 (Source: https://www.progun.de/marketplace/gun-house/s22h4p40_luger_kettner_-_93x62.html#beschreibung)

Most people associate Luger with the pistol made famous by the numerous WWII movies and series, but not many know that there are also bolt-action rifles carrying the Luger name, like the Luger L99, for instance. It was produced by Zastava and sold by Kettner. It is basically a re-branded Zastava M70 and is a simple budget-friendly rifle that gets the job done.

The Kettner Luger L99 bolt action rifle has a 600 mm hammered barrel that is screwed into the sleeve, a two-position safety next to the bolt, and a simple wooden stock that ends in a classic straight buttstock with a plastic recoil plate.

Perhaps the weakest part of the rifle is its trigger, which is a classic German-style hair trigger, but there were some complaints about its quality on the L99. The trigger guard also leaves a lot to be desired since it is hardly big enough for normal use, and it is entirely too small to use with gloves.

On the side of the guard, there is a push button that opens the hinged lid that covers the magazine. It is a five-cartridge box magazine, and the loading could hardly be any simpler.

The action is based on the Zastava action, which is based heavily on the Mauser 98 system. It features a two-lugged bolt, and the receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounting, too.

Kettner Luger L99 Bolt Action Rifle Calibers

Kettner Luger bolt-action rifle can be chambered for:

7x64
7 mm Rem.
8x57 IS
9.3x62
.30-06 Spring.

Kettner Luger L99 Bolt Action Rifle Variants

We aren’t aware of any additional variants of this rifle. If you have any information that could help us expand our database, please contact us at info@optics-trade.eu.

The receiver of Kettner Luger bolt-action rifle. It is drilled and tapped for scope mounting

Figure 2: The receiver of Kettner Luger bolt-action rifle. It is drilled and tapped for scope mounting (Source: https://www.progun.de/marketplace/gun-house/s22h4p40_luger_kettner_-_93x62.html#beschreibung)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Kettner Luger L99

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Kettner Luger L99

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Kettner Luger L04 are the following:

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Kettner Luger L99

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Kettner Luger L04 are the following:

Best Scope Mounts for Kettner Luger L99

Fixed Scope Mounts for Kettner Luger L99

This steel two-piece MAKfix scope mount is made in Germany and comes with a 30-year warranty. It is made for Zastava M70, but it is also a suitable choice for your Kettner Luger L99.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Kettner Luger L99

Our recommendation would be this detachable repeatable 30 mm EAW pivot mount for Luger L99:

Picatinny Rails for Kettner Luger L99

Picatinny rails are one of the best mounting solutions when it comes to variability. They have equidistant slots all over the surface allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. This steel Picatinny rail manufactured by the Croatian company Rusan is an ideal fit for your Luger L99.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu