doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Czar Nicholas' son Alexis' Gun

Anyone know the actual diminsions? How much has it been scaled down?

Bouvier

BLH & DT -
Great work; thanks for sharing! I have looked long and hard for a photo of Hippolyte Corombelle, Funken's mentor, but to no avail. Have either of you ever seen one I could reference?

Thanks, KBM

BLH, mr.T gave me the link to your post at engravers forum.
I have to say there is very good book about Russian arms by Juri Shokarev "Russian Hunting Arms. Makers and Firms", 2005
In this book the author tells short story about hunting arms development since Russia very beginning. There are some photos of Russian made guns from most Russian museums such as "Moskovsky Kreml'", "Orudjeinaja Palata"...
Aprx. 1000 (!) names of Russian makers, firms and factories since 17 till early 20-th century.
There were hundreds of engravers in Russia of very high level, unfortunatly we lost most of these names and remember foreign names mostly such as Faberge and only just because Tsars loved him.
But let me remind you, that all Faberge stuff been made by Russian jeweller and engravers hands, but not by Mr. Faberge personally.
Re. this Matska-Lebeau gun. I know now how to get an access to the gun and will tell about my reseach very soon.
But what I have to say now, if this gun is really Lebeau gun and it was in white (I don't see any other reasom of Matska name on locks) and been finished and custom tuned by Matska, 99% that engravings been made here in Russia and probably by unfortunatly one more unknown Russian engraver.

Dear Geno,

(This post is from Barry Lee Hands...he neglected to login and aske me to put this here.)

I would like to find a copy of that book by Shokarev, it sounds very interesting. I have Russian Arms and Armor by Yuri Miller and Antique Firearms by L. Tarrasuk.
There were many excellent Gunmakers serving the Court among them such great names as Grecke,Permiak,Goltiakov, Orlov, and Panov. And Knife and swordmakers such as Zlatoust. There are even a few signed engravings as in the example of Georgs Krebers of Tula.
Alas, as you say many of the details have not come through to us and their names sometimes survive only on the fine examples of their work still extent in the museums of Mother Russia.
When David sent me the photo of the Matska, it was a detail photo and he said nothing about the Lebeau connection. I made my stylistic criticisms and observations based soley on the ornament. These observations could support your idea that the gun may have been shipped in the white to Matska, but we also could consider the possibility that Matska ordered the piece finished as we see it today, and may have even ordered it with the inscription on the banner.If Matska did indeed order it complete for the son of the Czar, it is in no way a discredit to the fine workmanship of Russian Gunmakers, but may just offer us a glimpse into the complicated world of the international gun trade one hundred years ago...

Book id number: isbn 5-87624-055-9
But I found it in Russian only.
I never heard and never saw any word about Matska could sell not his guns. He wasn't gun dealer from any point of view.
From the other hand I don't see logic, when Nicky-2 ordered gun from Matska and Matska has ordered this gun at Aug.Lebeau...
F.O.Matska was so famous in Russia at the time, that Russian aristocracy and throne considered it an honour to order the gun made by Matska himself.
Moreover I never heard from Anne-Marie at L-C about any other Nicky guns besides L-C pair of boxlocks.

Dear Geno,
I think you need to go into the armory , look at the proofs and other marks and give us a full report.

KBM,
I don't have a photo of Hypo, but here are some photos from the 1910 exposition in Brussels of one he engraved. I'd love to own this gun.

those are fabulous pics Chris. Any chance you could scan those and send some files to barry_hands@yahoo.com? thanks, BLH

Mr. T asked me to post this pic of MacIntosh holding the Alexis gun.

Chris, this Hypo made outstanding engravings!
At the same time my son who studies at the art school told me the Rococco shells composition on locks of Alexis gun is not good enough to be outstanding.