doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com need photos of lower grade francotte shotgun

I think that to be a firearms merchant in Norway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trondheim .

Kind Regards,


Raimey
rse

Francotte on Simpsons

That's about as basic as you get. Were it an American import by Abercrombie & Fitch or VL&D, it would have been sold as a "Knockabout".

The gun was proofed in 1939. The controller of proof was Leon Chesnoy. Though that punch is easy to confuse for the Gamma punch that used in 1950.

http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

I can't make out the barrel weight, but once proofed the weight was stamped on the barrels in kilograms. Also there is a "Acier ?" mark, which is "Steel ?", or the source of the tubes.

Pete

Larry -
To me, this gun looks more like a model I've occasionally run across known as the 'High Gun', most of which were made in the 50s or 60s.

I've never seen a 'High Gun' listed in a catalog, but they would appear to be a grade below the traditional 'Knockabout'.

Here is a pic of a ST 'Knockabout': http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/conten...anctble_02l.jpg

FWIW, which is absolutely nothing, from these pictures alone, I'm not 100% convinced Victor's gun was made by 'the' Auguste Francotte & Co.

A true expert, Bob Beach, can undoubtedly enlighten us...

If the Francotte trade mark is on the receiver, then indeed they made the gun. However, with the stamp only on the barrels it could be questionable. Francotte for a time, did source fitted tubes to other makers actions. Having said that, it is curious that the serial number coincides with the proof date stamp.

Pete

By 'on the receiver', I assume you mean on the side of the gun's receiver, like this one which reads "A. Francotte Maker & Patentee Liege Belgium"? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/conten...n12_04l_bud.jpg

The crown over AF stamp has been known to be copied.

Lack of "Francotte Choke Bore" on H20 table is another issue, as Victor points out.

It does appear the gun was made in Belgium.

This has come up before. The name "Francotte Arms Co" was apparently a branch of A. Francotte and made entry level guns. Higher grades will not have the Francotte Arms name, but will bear some form of A. Francotte. They are genuine, made by the same parent company, thus the crown over AF proof mark, but simply made for a lower market and distinguished by a slightly different name.

It doesn't have the lovely & pretty standard Horseshoe pattern on the rib ,as all the August Francotte, maker & Patentee SidePlate Guns I have seen have had had.
The Francotte Arms Guns I have seen seem very inferior to the VL&D August francotte Guns from the 20's n 30's
just my take
Franc

Thanks for all your input on this. It has been a real education. I was thinking about hanging on to it. However, I was curious what a low grade Francotte might be worth?