Anyone know or heard of this maker? Would Brevete Depose be patent pending? French guns seem to be an enigma.

It's more like a registered trademark. From the top lever, the gun looks to be one based on the Helice action, which was invented by Verney-Carron. Once the patent expired, other makers copied the action. Verney-Carron registered several names, and 2 or 3 of them included the word "Helice". But other makers also used some form of the name Helice on their guns. This looks to be one that copied the action but didn't use the name. Looks like this one may have based the name they use on the French word "solide". Same as in English. And the Helice action was indeed solid.

I agree as it has the proverbial V-C Stop and >>SOLYD<< is just a trademark.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

The floor plate is marked Vertiable Hammerless.

The key to identifying the difference between a VC "Helice" top-lever action (note: VC never copywrited the word "Helice") and ones simply labeled "Helice" is on the top lever. VC reversed the screw shaft joining the lever so no screw head visible. It would help of you'd post the barrel flats and the advertising on the lower sections of the barrel, along with the water-table/action flats.

Here are some used "Solyd"'s 'for sale in France - looks like it's a Saint-Etienne made gun:
https://armurerie-bernizan.com/inde...sil-de-chasse-fusil-de-chasse-cal-12-65/
http://www.aiolfi.com/vente/686-arm...hasse-solid-categorie-c/#tab_description
https://www.naturabuy.fr/Saint-Etienne-solyd-item-9811951.html
https://www.chassepassion.net/forums-chasse/topic/recherche-dinfos-sur-un-fusil-juxtapose-cal-16/

In the last 2011 article on Passion la Chaise,
. . .-- the author identifies the barrel maker as "Fanget" and one correspondent believe it was made by VC because of the trademark "Acier Diamont" (diamond steel).
. . .-- But another claimed it is "artisanal made" in Saint-Etienne."
. . .-- One said a call to this armurier in Saint-Etienne could solve the mystery: un armurier devrait pouvoir te rensseigner: cedric camus 04 77 56 72 46.
. . .-- The poster said his father's "Solyd" was bought in the 1950's.
. . .-- Later on in the post, a poster put up another "Solyd" and said it was made by Manufrance (post no longer available):
http://www.naturabuy.fr/Veritable-Hammerless-Saint-Etienne-modele-Solyd-item-235036.html
. . .-- (The article also discusses the word "hammerless" which is of course English).

https://www.naturabuy.fr/Fusils-juxtaposes-SMFM-critere-498486.html

Salut,
"SOLYD" était une marque déposée par la S.M.F.M. Cette société fut fondée en 1945 par Rouby-Montuclard.
En 1956, ils ont fabriqué quelques fusils avec une mise à feu électrique qui n'a pas vraiment eu de succès.

Can you identify mine?

Vesailles: Here is my analysis of your barrel flats; photo is unclear; It is Saint-Etienne. I don't know what the three balloons are but might be a manufacturers' proof mark. Where I think where the Fanget mark is (need a clearer photo) there should be some other sort of advertising bits. I'd have to research "Helios"... You didn't give us much to go on.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here is what fab500 posted about the original gun:

"SOLYD was a copyright of SMFM (Saint-Etienne)(Société Moderne de Fabrication Mécanique). This company was created by Rouby-Montuclard in 1945. In 1950's they made an electronic action which were not a great success."

Crown over Vs(whatever) on the following thread also:

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=133488

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

https://www.shotguns.se/html/france.html

see 24 and 25

or

29 Paris proof house , double proof

I think most of these examples are post 1950?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Two streams of commentary:

-- Rariddell's question about his SxS "Solyd" which FAB has identified for us as a post 1945 gun. I would like to see the barrel flats and the inscriptions on the lower barrels for historical knowledge.

--Versailles' posting of his barrel flats with blurred photos of some of the inscriptions. The (8) "G" (seen on other guns) and the "Crown V" stamps are interesting along with "Helios" on the lever." I'd like to see more information about this gun, better photos too...because for the moment, can't identify the maker or the artisanal maker. Fanget may be the barrel maker but the photo is blurred.

Gene

It does say Canon Fanget. On the opposite side of that is markings but not legible. I may can get better pic, but of what?

I'd like to see a better quality photo of the crown V. I'm hoping FAB500 can help with that:

There is usually a stamp here which says "Choke Rectifie"....sometimes it will have a name with it:


Are there any serial numbers?

Also on some better quality guns there will be the name of the retailer on the bottom of the action:

[quote=ellenbr]I think most of these examples are post 1950?

Serbus,

Definitely post 1945

I’ll get some really good pics once the gun arrives.

For those interested in Verney-Carron shotguns, or other French shotguns that feature the Helice system: An excellent copy of the 1922 V-C catalog is available from Cornell Publications. Over 100 pages long . . . although you do need to be a Francophone to get the most out of it.

The catalog includes a full page endorsement from Captain Rene Fonck, French ace of aces in WWI (75 kills), and surviving ace of aces of all nations from that conflict. Over a photo of Fonck, he has written: "I am very pleased with your Verney-Carron Helice Grip shotgun. The birds fall like Krauts!" The equivalent in the US would have been if Winchester had an ad with Sergeant York endorsing one of their rifles.

Of more interest from a technical standpoint: Opposite the full page Fonck ad is a really good drawing of the Helice system. "Helice Grip" is one of the names that V-C did trademark.

It’s actually way lighter than I thought. Catalog suggest 5.9 pounds but that seems a little crazy. Here are some barrel marks

Chambered for 2 3/4". Not sure the meaning of "L'epervier" as a gun term. ('L'epervier" appears on a number of nautrabuy.fr guns. Several posters claims it is a model of a Fanget barrel.
Cette canonerie portait le sigle "épervier " qui est le modêle et la marque déposée de la maison FANGET Canons en 1950 .

The name Pierre Dechelle has appeared here before:
https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=497422&page=5

Here is what I wrote at that time:

Pierre Dechelle. There are several guns with barrels with his name from the late 40's-60's on www.naturabuy.fr. Can't find a lot of history. There is some backing and forthing on Passionlachasse.com with mention of his name. Here is a little clip from an article I can't get total access to:

Rough translation: in the 40's the Barrel maker Jean Breuil took on the services of a well known barrel maker Francois Deschelles, who had begun with the Manufacture National d'Armes. In 1946 Deschelles took over the barrel maker at Rue des Francs-Macons in Saint Etienne. With his partner Paul Terrier he developed the honing of barrels in 1951 and adopted the stamp Pierre Dechelle and not Deschelle, which creates confusion.

Paul Terrier apparently in the 1970's opened a gun repair shop in Saint Etienne (same shop referred to on passionlachass.fr..).
www.canonnerie-stephanoise.fr/

Here is a Fanget barrel with "Pierrage Dechelle".
https://www.chassepassion.net/forums-chasse/topic/information-sur-un-fusil-de-famille/
According to Passion La chaise poster, "Le Pierrage" was the internal finishing of the barrel. The fact that the name of the finisher was placed on the gun was an indication of the quality of the work. (edit: word turned out to already be in our Fr-Eng, Eng-Fr dictionary).


So it looks like you know what firm made the gun, what company made the barrels and the model, and who reamed and honed the barrels. That seems a pretty complete history.

That’s actually really cool. I’m actually really impressed with this French made double. It’s simple but nicely made and very lightweight.

I guess the last bit would be the three marks on the flats

images hosting

Those sunbursts with an "S" are new to me. They might be a mark for the gun being proofed in-house. Have to defer to FAB500 for analysis.