Ted, that is an excellent erudite explanation of the epoch ..I'm just genetically bound to look into this case color story more. I've never been enamored with case colors...I really like the silver on the Wm Evans my wife owns.
But I didn't buy this gun. partly because it suddenly had a reserve put on it. Here's what I sent to the seller. Hope it'll help the guy sell a gun which has been on the market for 10 years.
"Michael, I bid on your gun but you had the reserve set too high for me. I actually don't really need another shotgun... But at least I'll identify the gun for you which might help it sell.
-- It is an "Artisanal French Saint Etienne gun" (meaning the gun maker (arquabusier) is not known - typical of the Saint Etienne area)
-- It is "normal proof" (one stamp) (14,223 PKI - stamped from 1896 - 1923)
-- 18.4 is 12 gauge
-- The chamber length stamped on the flats is 6,5 cm...i.e. 2 1/2". If it now has 2 3/4" chambers, it's been lengthened without being reproofed - fairly common in French guns in America but this can be a worry/sticking point for some. French barrels though are usually pretty stout.
-- It is proofed for T powder (crown over PT) - the first really smokeless powder in France which came out in 1900
-- Given the PT and the 6.5 mark - the gun was made between 1900 and 1912.
-- "Acier Comprime" is simply "compressed steel," an invented term which is a sort of an advertisement for the steel in the barrel.
-- "Choke Rectifie Perfectione' is just "Perfected Regulated Choke" which really means nothing.
-- "Special pour Pyroxylee" - is another advertisement "Specially for Pyroxylide powder" - i.e. Smokeless.
-- The letters "G.H." in a circle may be the barrel maker - can't identify it.
-- the letters B.A. may be the maker who put the gun together and the 3603 is his serial number series. There were 150 shotgun makers in Saint Etienne at the time. (there is a Boyer A. 62 Rue du 11 Novembre Saint-Etienne - nothing more than this and this info is from post WWII).
-- "Qualite Supre" is "Super quality" - means nothing
-- "En Lingot" - "In Ingot" implying the barrel was made "from an Ingot"
-- The number 50 may be the barrel maker's serial number.
-- I'm not a case color expert but a friend who knows the topic thinks the case coloring might be modern cyanide process redo.
Anyway, hope you find a buyer for it - French guns are not well known here and it may be hard sale. My wife is from the Saint Etienne area which explains my interest in the subject. By the way I noticed it was sold twice on Paulin in 2009 for $529 and again in 2010 for $351. The ads then were identical to your ad now. Good luck and I hope this was helpful."
Last edited by Argo44; 09/09/17 01:17 AM.
