doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com French Shotgun, any info?

I posted this over at the firingline.com, but was curious if anyone here had any further information:

My grandfather gave me, through my dad, an old French side by side, 12 gauge shotgun he had gotten from his neighbor. This neighbor was an elderly Polish gentleman who escaped Poland with this shotgun ahead of the advancing Germans in WWII. I didn't talk to the original owner of the gun, so I don't have any information other than it is of French manufacture. Unfortunately, both this gentleman and my grandfather have passed away. I have had the shotgun for 21 years, and it has been sitting in my closet in a case. I occasionally take it out and clean, lube and oil it. It is in very good condition.

It has on the opening lever:
Helice Elite BTE SCDG
Marque Deposee

On the underside of the receiver, it has:
Hot & Prunier Valenciennes

Where the barrel assembly rests on the receiver:
A crown over the letters PT
the numbers 52 30485

On the undersides of the barrel assembly where it meet the receiver it has:
The proof mark for St. Etienne 1897 double proof finished and joined barrels
Canons Gallia
A rearing lion in front of:
Marque Deposee
Crochets Encastres

A crown over the letters PT
18.4
65
Reforage Longitudinal Cylindro

Canon Surete'
B.A.
Double (with another word I cannot make out)

A diamond shaped mark with the letter BF inside

the numbers 52 30485

The stock has an offset for a right handed shooter.

Who is the manufacturer? Does anyone have any information about this gun? What it's value might be?

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/bldmaghead/Album%202/

WTF! I clicked on the attached link and my virus alert went crazy! Not a good way to make friends here bldmaghead.

Ok, let me look at that link. Believe you me, not something I was trying to do in any way shape or form. It is supposed to link to the pics on my photobucket account.

I tried the link on another computer, it works fine. Not certain why it gives the virus alert.

I just tried the link and use Norton anti-virus. No problem. Can't add much else to the discussion at the moment.

There is nothing wrong with this link. The only thing that will happens is it takes you to photobucket. And you can see the pics of the gun.

Here are some of the pictures

I see both our shotguns have 65mm chambers.

My Helice shotgun is like this

http://www.phoenixinvestmentarms.com/archives/Proofmarks.pdf

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?8612-French-Firearms-Information

Also, check out this info
Marcel Philippon started producing in 1933 and his son also called Marcel took over until he died in 1964, beeing only 50 y.o.
Quite good traditionnal guns from St Etienne: hammerless, Purdey type... and one called 'H�lice tribloc'

Nice looking gun skeettx.

Looking at my gun, who would you say is the manufacturer?
Would it be Hot & Prunier Valenciennes as is what is engraved in the bottom of the receiver in front of the trigger guard? (I will take and post a close up of that later today).