graybeardtmm3
Are you particularly looking for French guns?
i have an interest in brit/euro guns - particularly unusual (or distinct...) styles. unfortunately i don't have enough $$ to permit me more than lower level participation in this fascination. i have owned several french guns (have a robust & ideal presently), and would say that the french have explored more tangents in double gun design and construction than most. they also offer the "greatest" likelihood of happening upon an interesting gun from a seller who is largely ignorant of what they have. my ideal was bought through gunbroker, from a brick & mortar gunshop who had it listed as a verney-carron...shipped as such, and my ffl laughed and told me he was trapped as to showing it as a v-c on his books...
i truly appreciate the feedback here; the recurring discussions re: helice system guns, and speculations about the various barrel markings have much value in a little understood area. and, should another darne system gun float past me at a price i can manage, you fellows have much expanded my knowledge of things darne...
based on my limited knowledge, i would venture the opinion that the ellipse shaped markings are adverts. some contain no "genuine" information, but some, such as the two guns being discussed, have actual names (in this case "deschelle" and "couillard"). this fact seems to me to indicate a higher degree of expertise on the part of those mechanics and the possibility that those guns were of better quality than ones bearing only platitudes.
now, i would pose another question; having looked up the geographical locations of the makers....why would a maker in La Ferte-Mace send guns a much greater distance to be proofed in st. etienne, when paris is so close by?
best regards,
tom
