Gunmaker,
Great find! I really like the fences and that even the screws on the underside of the forearm are engraved. It should look really nice when it's cleaned up a little.
Karl
That will be one fine looking gun when finished.
Great gun from a great maker. Looks solid and a perfect candidate for your well trained talent. Look forward seeing the "after" pictures!
I love it as is. Well done!
Screws appear untouched. Nice find.
Wow! Great find! I would love to stumble across something like that
For that price, n that you have the skills to do the work to bring her back..., totally awesome deal.
That looks like a` lovely old one,a 14 or 18`extractor ? those Francotte carved fences are right up there with the best of them , I believe.
I had a similar one from 1904 a long time ago.
I'm sure it will look amazing when you do your stuff on her
Pictures when its done , please Sir
cheers
Franc
That’s a very well-drawn shotgun. I’d just deal with the decayed recoil pad, and shoot it otherwise as-is.
Anyone wonder how some of these guns get so much checkering wear?
Artifact from refinishing?
Even if the checkering was shallow to begin with, how much carry would it take to cause that much wear?
One gun guy who spent months per year in the field?
Most Francotte guns have very small diamonds many 32 lines per inch or more and diamonds wear very fast. Bobby
gunmaker, do you know what it weighs? Either a great sporting clays gun or a wonderful game gun, if a bit lighter. beautiful bones!
I should have it by weeks end and can answer that.
The only hang up with showing the ad, and the before's, here, is none of you tire kickers will want to pay him for his work when he posts it for sale.
Guess I better not sale it! This will replace my WW Greener which will be available soon.
Is this a medium grade from 1900-1901?
Nice quality double from one of the three Belgian makers respected on these shores. The other two are Lebeau Courally and Fabrique Nationale de la Guerre. There are obviously other real good makers that are little known on these shores.
I guess that model would be like the top of the lower mid grade,
with like the knockabout & high gun on the lower end, this type of gun in the middle, then up through their sideplated BLocks, 20,25,30 on up the the eagle grade.Then into the best Sidelocks etc
But looking at those fences, its hard to say mid grade, isn't it?
They are so well done...the wood looks like a diamond in the rough....
I am a big fan of these older Francottes...they are just gorgeous
cheers
franc
Congratulations. A great deal! Even compared to the already hugely undervalued Francottes out there.
I bought an early minty Knockabout with a rare 32" barrel set and solid pad similar to the pictured gun. I sanded on the rubber of the pad until the cracks disappeared. It is that way today and it is beautiful. Don't replace the pad.
According to the serial number on my Francote knockabout it's a medium grade, so not all knockabout guns by Francote were considered lower grade guns.
I love the feel and handling of my Francote, I am sure your's is a great gun, congrats on the find!!
TM
Just looking at the photos again, nice engraving, probably the reason the checkering is so worn is the one of the previous owners couldn't help himself from fondling it!!
Mine doesn't have a recoil pad, mine has a horn insert in the forend, and a horn butt plate.
TM
For that price, n that you have the skills to do the work to bring her back..., totally awesome deal.
I'm sure it will look amazing when you do your stuff on her
Pictures when its done , please Sir
cheers
Franc
I can't find where Gunmaker mentioned a price, but would like to know what one in that condition sold for.
TM
Aaron, you have made a very good purchase. Francottes , IMO, are wonderful shotguns and undervalued in the market. Once you get inside of your Francotte you will find very nicely finished parts, typical of most high end European shotguns.
I would suggest that you contact Bob Beach at Griffin & Howe and get a letter on your gun. The cost is $60 but it makes the Fox and Parker letters look poor in comparison. You can also get on the Griffin & Howe website and check your serial number to see if it is in the records.
I own two Francottes, a grade 45 (Eagle) and a sidelock. I bought the Eagle grade from a large chain store (you can guess who that might be) and beat on them for six months for a better price. The gun looked "tired" for better choice of words. The wood on the gun looked gray, the bluing was not good, the checkering was worn, and the trigger guard was a lovely shade of plum. The metal was perfect otherwise with great bores and screws etc. I planned to restock the gun but other work got in the way just as it might you. In any case I refinished the wood, recut the checkering, added a leather covered pad, and reblued the barrels and trigger guard. The gun now looks wonderful.
Doug
This gun is in the G&H records file. It is probably a VL&A gun. Get a letter and find out who ordered it.
Our own Vic Venters had, at one point, a sidelock ejector out of Belgium, that was going to be a restock project for himself. His stock dimensions, like many of us, were such that off-the-rack was mostly not possible.
Racking my brain to try to remember the name, but, coming up with nothing.
Perhaps he will chime in with what the outcome is/was.
I do remember he said the quality was top of the line.
Best,
Ted
Our own Vic Venters had, at one point, a sidelock ejector out of Belgium, that was going to be a restock project for himself. His stock dimensions, like many of us, were such that off-the-rack was mostly not possible.
Racking my brain to try to remember the name, but, coming up with nothing.
Perhaps he will chime in with what the outcome is/was.
I do remember he said the quality was top of the line.
Best,
Ted
Ted, The gun you are referring to is a Brancquaert. The gun is in line for a restock to Vic's measurements very soon. These shotguns are as fine as any sidelock you will find anywhere, absolutely stunning metal work!
Thanks, Doug. I wouldn't have remembered that name. Belguim was tough enough.
Any chance you could post a few pictures, with Vic's permission, of course, say, before, middle and end of the work? I really enjoy seeing those.
Best,
Ted
TMair, indeed the price was not mentioned by gunmaker, but it was on the sight where he bought it,,,gunsinternational
franc
Well bummer, I specifically asked if this gun locked up tight and was on face and was told all was well. Upon delivery I was quickly able to determine that was not the case. There were other issues I asked about that were also answered incorrectly. No desire to work out any further deal, back it goes.
That's too bad, get your heart set on something only to find is not what you were told.
thats a real shame, that chunk of metal in the middle was so damn pretty...keep looking I guess...good luck man
cheers
franc
