doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Saint Etienne info. please?

Can anyone give me information on this maker?Where made? Nothing fancy but he says it is a nice gun. Thanks in advance. Bobby

St. Etienne is or was a center of gunmaking activity, Bobby. Could it be a stamp on barrel flats as seen in the case of the Charlin which I have pictured on the "French stocking" thread. Perhaps your man has taken that stamp as identifying the maker.
jack

The city of St. Etienne was an important early gun making center in Europe. Tradition holds that the king of France, Francis I, helped jump start the gun making activity there in 1535. Before that, like Liege and other cities, it had a tradition of making arms and armour. The history of the Proof House in St. Etienne is a bit serpentine. The gunmakers had been doing their own proofing. Louis XIV appointed a noble to oversee the quality of firearms (armes à feu, literally Arms of Fire)by 1665. Eventually, through government regulation, the Proof House grew.

Like Liege, Birmingham and other locations through out Europe, a community of gunmakers lived and worked there. Their work was sold through Europe, the Mediterranean and well into the Ottoman Empire.

Post some pictures, would like to see them. Some one may be able to recognize a maker's mark.

Pete

It is probably marked like this gun made by MAS (manufacture de Arms de St Etienne)It is a nicely made, quality gun with some unusual features typical of French made guns. More images at:
http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/St%20Etienne/

I think Jim has the answer, Bobby. In a literal sense, St. Etienne both is and isn't the "maker". The ancient, regional guild association from which this company derived would have connotations of both collective notoriety and personal anonymity. Not the ragged individualism we are accustomed to.

jack

James,
Great shotgun...it seems that everthing MAS made is of very high quality...I especially like the way the rear lump extends well beyond the breech face of the barrels...this, of course, increases lever distance from the hinge pin to the rear lug making the gun stronger overall...I've seen that step on the barrel flats on another gun, a German Neuman (not a Belgian Neumann)...I thought it was another variation on left/right resistance like side clips, but I really don't know...
Are you missing both swivels or just the rear? if you have any of the front swivel, please post a photo, and maybe I can scare up with the rest...if you want them

Below is a photo of a Manufrance Robust trigger guard ...I was just wondering if you could say if it resembles the MAS guard and how close...thanks...Bob

The French did a round knob/SPG that has to be about the closest thing to English without quite being there.

James, original 65MM chambers, lengthened to 70MM--if I'm reading the barrel flats correctly?

Robert, the guard looks just like the ones on a couple of Robust I have, check this one out, a No7, made 1925-30 I think;
http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/Robust/

Some where around I have the swivels, I seem to remember a German gun I owned once with this step, a Nimrod I think, it had several other locking gadgets on it. Nothing is really new with double guns, most thing have been tried before I think.

Jim

Larry, chambers are 70mm now, surely were 65mm originally, The round knob on this one looks a lot better than the usual one you see on Frenchies.

Jim

James,
Does that Robust 7 have double fore end hooks? If so, I don't think I've seen that before? (I've yet to scratch the Ideal itch, so it may be the same) Is this what "crochet encastre" means? Recessed hook...or opposing hook? ...or does that term apply to the lock up only?

this one has only one...