doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need Information on Francotte

Thanks you for the Belgian proof marks site. This one appears to be 1931 "J" date code. Has the crown over PV also.

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A 16g with 2" chambers?? Is that right?

What do the chambers measure now?

OWD

Gerry:
Bob Beach will be able to elaborate, but the fact it doesn't match the description of the gun w/ that serial # in his Francotte records is a worry, as is a 1920 serial # w/ a 1931 date stamp, and finally the lack of 'crown over AF' makers mark.

example of AF makers mark here:
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=208093

regarding the importance of that mark:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/everygun/GunMfgDetail.aspx?id=377

Looks like a very well made fake unless someone can figure out what the "real" serial number may be. Francottes in the 80,000 range are very well known and documented and Francotte didn't make a lot of mistakes. It is a wonderful gun and should be investigated further.

Real sidelocks and concealed third bite? A bit more gun than a sideplated Eagle Grade in my opinion. Why would someone fake a Francotte? I'm sticking to my "fake" opinion unless someone can find the AF stamps. This looks like a great gun, but I guess I could be mistaken.

Hard to see the proofmarks, but I think I see 16-70, which would be 2 3/4". And that's further indication the gun could not date from 1920-21, because that proofmark wasn't used until 1924.

Bob Beach just did great research work for me on an A&F-imported Sauer from 1936. I highly recommend the G&H research service to anyone with a gun imported by VL&D, VL&A, or A&F that Bob can connect to a serial number in their record books.

I'm not seeing the tell-tale seam on the lumps? Wouldn't a best Francotte have chopper lump barrels? I'm no expert.... Regardless, I'd love to have it in my safe. Enjoy it!!
V/r
Maxey

I wonder if it was made by Francotte.

I'm thinking they may bought it from someone else, put their name on the barrels and then sent it to JJ Kool in Rotterdam. Kool was probably a retailer.

Why else would it have Poldi steel barrels, no maker's name on the locks, and no AF mark on the action or bbls?

And if someone was going to fake it, they would have put the AF mark on it.

OWD

Take another look at the date code. It is a lower case 'j' but with the underscore - 'j'. That indicates manufacture in 1971. If you search on the Francotte barrel inscription as is appears on the barrel you will find a few other examples in the 80,xxx to 90,xxx serial range. "J.J. Kool" was likely a retail store in Rotterdam.