doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Von Lengerke &Detmold

Whenever the information is available, I'd pay a reasonable price for a letter if it had more than the specifics mentioned above. Engraved on the rib before the gold bar of my 1899 12ga mid-grade Francotte within a decorated box is "Made for C.W. Billings." Curiosity about the first owner is killing me.

Eightbore,
Due to the fact that the letter referenced the correct serial number but wrong specifications for my Francotte, it's hard to know if any of it is accurate. I was hoping to get the name of the original owner. I got the following information instead.

Serial Number was listed in VL&D inventory book of March 1, 1924. Letter noted that VL&D New York received it on Nov. 22, 1924 and sold it to VL&A (Von Lengerke & Antoine-Chicago)on the same day. No information on cost or sale price was available.

Never the less, since the problem of documented specifications not matching gun could not be resolved, and no further verification was available I had to disregard all of it.

Undoubtedly why the process ground to a halt altogether, which is a shame.

The limited gun description info he did email me about some of my guns was accurate - maybe there is still a chance it will come together as an offerable service.

One of my Foxes, an A Grade 3" chambered 32" barrelled gun was originally consigned to VonLengerke and Detmold from the Fox factory. I have wondered many times since receiving the Fox letter to that effect just what type of company they were. Now I know at least that they were sporting goods retailers who were eventually bought out by A & F. Thanks much.

Stan