doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Info needed — Dutreuil

Hi all,
Local shop has a possible "project-gun" candidate. Neat little 12 g. gamegun, BL, non-eject w/ sideclips and nice engraving. Barrels look clean. Only drawback is there's
quite a bit of play in the barrels & this would need to be fixed to make into a shooter. Model is Dutreuil Diard Aine. On bottom of action in gold is: Vitry Le Filis (sp?).
Looked to be St. Etienne stamped on flats, but didn't have my cheaters with that day.
Thanks in advance for any info.
Jim

If the price is right, do a sheet metal shim of the hook. French guns tend to be robust and well made, even in the lower grades of finish.

Thanks RM,
It's priced okay, which is why the wheels are turning. Anybody familiar with this name — Dutreuil?
I wonder if maybe it could be a store name? Nothing on littlegun or google.
Could have sworn I've seen this as a maker's name somewhere...

TP - I don't think the name will tell you anything useful in a buying decision. Just make a carefully considered decision as to whether the gun will be useful or if it is more likely to become a money pit. Keep in mind that $1500 buys you a good condition W & S Model 700.

Twister, if you've seen that name before, you're one ahead of me--and quite a few people ask me about French guns. (I may not know the answers to their questions, but I do know French.) Interestingly enough, one of my French references shows a Dutreuil from St. Etienne who was a 19th century explorer. St. Etienne isn't that big; likely the same family.

There are several French towns named Vitry, but all with something after it, and not close to what you gave. But it's also a French family name. If it's "le Fils", that would mean the son, sort of like Junior in this country.

Thanks for the info guys.
RM—Only interested in the name because of dumb curiosity,
just trying to further my knowledge. The name won't influence my purchase decision. It is what it is; a neat little gun with pretty wood, nice scratching and loose barrels. It may be a money pit. BTW, those $1500 Webley's just aren't in the places I look. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places? Seems like $2500-3000 is what I see 700's go for. In my neck of that woods that would be Cabelas.

Larry-thanks for your help with French. I will swing by the shop
again for another look. This time with my reading glasses.

-Jim

TP,
A few months ago, Thad Scott had a Dutreuil 20 ga sidelock made in Liege (unfortunately, the bores were pitted and oversize) .
That one was signed "Dutreul a Epernay" which is a small town located in the center of the Champagne area.
The "Vitry" mentionned is likely to be "Vitry le Francois" or an abbreviation thereof. That town is close to Epernay. It mght have been the same Dutreuil or close family.
As usual, Dutreuil was almost certainly a dealer who ordered guns engraved with is name.
I have no idea what the Diard and Aine mean.
Pictures would explain a lot.

Regards,
WC

Thanks WC,
Thought it was Thad Scott's site, but wasn't sure.

Went back to the shop for a closer look, this time with reading glasses. On underside of barrels, right tube near fore end hook:
Diard Aine then set of three numbers stacked on three lines: 901,
1899, 1709. Right tube next to flats: St. Etienne, 18.2, 6.5 and the letters AU. Left tube next to flats: St. Etienne 18.2, 6.5 and the letters AU. On flats under left tube: Crown over PT, RLCTIFIE in an arc over - D.N - . On flats under right tube: PT (no crown), the same RLCTIFIE in a semicircle over the D.N or D. 7 on it's side and ACIER DECARBURE.
Barrels ring true but measure 26 5/8" (wonder if maybe someone hacked an inch off?). Noticed there is a set pin for the hinge-pin on the knuckle of the action. The hook looked like it had been messed with.

On the underside of the action it says: Vitry-Le-Fçois (Looks like you nailed that one WC).

Do any of these proof marks tell original barrel length?
Thanks again.

TP - check out Holt's auctions. They had some W&S 700's in very good shape that didn't make 500 BPS last auction - 500 BPS would translate into about $1250-$1500 delivered in the USA. The unused ones, and they had several, got pricy, though.

TP
Barrel length is metric.
Steve