Hi everyone. I'm a first time poster here. I was hoping to gain some information on a recent sxs purchase I made. From what I was told, and could tell online, its Belgian, but I can't figure out some things. I've identified a lot of the markings by going to
http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.htmlBarrelOn the outside is a knight on on a charging horse, marked Bayard underneath. Below that is marked [DEMI BLOC]. From what I can find Bayard is a registered trade mark of Henri Pieper of Liege, Belgium and was used on all of rifles, pistols and shotguns of the time. And DEMI-BLOC is Henri Pieper's coined term for his dovetailed lump design.
On the underside, I see Choke 18I on both barrels. I can only assume that means 'I'mproved Cylinder, but what does the 18 stand for? Certainly not gauge as its definately a 12ga. Then further inside there is a *L on each barrel meaning Controller of Proof code {Salmon Antoine 1937 - 1968}. Then I see
EL on each barrel, which appears to be a provisional proof for smoothbores. Also about midway between the barrels there is a marking [Duffy's INC Sparks, MD]. I did find a company called Duffy's Gun Room in Sparks, MD. I gave them a call. Guy I spoke with said that if it was stamped then that means it was imported by them in the past 10-15yrs. If it was engraved, it would have been sooner than that. From what he explained, they have people that buy guns all over the world, and they arrive in a bushel basically. What's there is there. He did say though they would have stamped an import SN. Based on the pictures below, I'm wondering if its the 0150 or the 15938. I'm hoping a trained eye here can tell me what numbers belong and what doesn't.
On the bottom of breach there is a 1Kg662 which I guess means 3.66lbs at time of proofing. The next mark I don't know what that is. I'm hoping its the date code but I'm having trouble matching it up .... Any thoughts on this? Then there is the Lion with PV underneath. Shows that it was Nitro Proofed. Then followed by a crown with ELG* below it. From what I can find this is a designation proof to show conformity of the German-Proof-Law-of-1891. Although I gotta admit, I have no clue what that means. Maybe it was a requirment mark to be imported into Germany? Lastly as the bottom there is the ever so faint marking of circle. But wear/tear over the years have smoothed this area out to an almost unrecognizable mark. But since I already know its a 12ga, then that means there 'should' be a 12-70 mark there. That would indicate its a 12ga and chamber length 70mm (2.75in). But looking at it closer, I noticed the chambers appeared to be longer than 70mm. I was shocked when I found out I can fit a 3in Mag in there with no problems. I seriously doubt it was cut like that from the factory. Unsure of when this gun was made, I'm guessing it was while paper hulls were the standard and I'm thinking someone lengthened the chamber to 3in to accomodate plastic hulls once expanded. I don't know much about chambers on breech lock guns, but what I noticed was in the chamber it narrows after 3in, like a ramp rather than a raised step. So maybe this was the way it was made at the factory then. I don't know. Barrels and chambers are smooth & shiny. So it either wasn't shot much, or was cleaned rigiourously.
ReceiverThere is the same PV marking showing Nitro Proof. Then what is called a 'Perron' mark. I guess that was a inspector's mark to indicate the breech was inspected. Lastly a *U, another Controller Proof mark {Charlier Hubert 1923 - 1953} or {Fuchs Jacques 1960 - 1968}.
Then there is the numbers. I don't know if that was a early form of SN or something else like the import SN?
15938 - Receiver / Barrel
0150 - Receiver / Barrel / Handguard
1737 - Barrel only
https://i.imgur.com/QUFQFmJ.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/fIVJRcE.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/JeHvx9o.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/NbtAu1e.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/UZwRXcZ.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/8YEDnR3.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/5xRqc5q.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/f5Gm3Dh.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/fVjaBYR.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/NBg2ctg.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/mTTJNVv.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/EpUQ66H.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/sfGqYkH.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/H7guNwg.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/D9nCHhB.jpgLastly a couple interesting pictures. From everything I read, these guns typically came in a 30in barrel. This one would appear to have been cut down to 20in. But what intrigues me, what is that yellow stuff in between the barrels? Epoxy maybe? Or something else. For anyone that's cut down a sxs before, I'm curious what this might be.
https://i.imgur.com/MZNlR4Z.jpgAnd then there's the sling. The person I bought it from, got it from an estate auction in Petosky Michigan. I'm assuming that's the guys initials, but I am having trouble reading the word before it. Any takers?
https://i.imgur.com/jmTOdGk.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/8BIav6h.jpgBut what bothers me, I feel I did a decent amount of deciphering, but feel I don't really know much more about it. From the case colored receiver and every bolt/screw being engraved it looks like an expensive brand, or was it cheaply made like a garden variety gun of the era? I can't find a lot of examples online that would tell me something like this. As for value, I 'think' that would be purely subjective to eye of the beholder. But for the $200 I paid, figured a working sxs gun that is nitro proofed is worth a try all day long.
I appreciate any input people can offer and look forward to how accurate or inaccurate my initial findings were.
