Britte and the Superbritte Shotguns
Submitted by: Luc Vander Borght

I have been on your web site and looked at the comments on the Britte and the Superbritte Shotguns.

I would like to give you some more information that may help your readers:

Britte is a Belgium Corp who used to manufacture parts for gun makers, they sold parts to most Belgian gun makers for years (this Corp is more than 100 years old)They stop making parts in June 1936...when they got and order for the Belgian army for parts using 100% of their capacity.After WWII a few guns were finish with existing parts. In 1962 when Miss Dessart the Grand Daughter of the founder died they definitely stop assembling guns. They actually are specialised in precision tooling and mechanical parts.

They are originally a Gun factory and a gun parts factory. Their products range was Boxlock all gauges, Sidelock all gauges, traditional O/U belgian made based on the SAIVE O/U patent. In 1931 Theophile Britte developped his new patent and started the production of a new concept: The SIDE OPENING O/U shotgun the "SUPERBRITTE". They produced between 1932 and 1936 a TOTAL of 250 SUPERBRITTE in 12 / 16 / 20 gauge including 5 Double rifles in 35 cal and 9,3X74R (I only saw 2 of them.)

To make a long story short, Britte Corp was managed since 1946 by Mr Louis Dessart (Theophile Britte Grand Son) in 1997 he sold his Corp to Vincent Pissart his son in law and sold to GRIFFIN & HOWE, the family collection of SIDELOCK and SUPERBRITTE shotguns adn also all the inventory of parts remaining in the basement since 1936.

In 1999 "Aug Francotte" had a project to revive the SUPERBRITTE but they went out of business before achieving it.

GRIFFIN & HOWE owns all the ORIGINAL Britte And Superbritte guns from Mr Louis Dessart chidren collection. They also owns a limited number of barreled actions SUPERBRITTE and SIDELOCK they are seeling now.

All the SUPERBRITTE shotguns, even with other brand names like "MASQUELIER LIEGE" and "JULES BURY" have been manufactured by BRITTE for these gun dealers in Liege who used to be partner with Theophile Britte in a Corporation called "BRITTE ARMES EN BLANC" which litterally means in English "BRITTE GUNS IN THE WHITE"

I can ensure you that no one else made a single original "SUPERBRITTE" bearing the trade mark "SUPERBRITTE" except using the original parts made before June 1936 when BRITTE stop producing gun parts.

To-day GRIFFIN & HOWE IS THE OWNER "SUPERBRITTE" BRAND NAME but ALSO THE OWNER OF THE "JULES BURY" BRAND NAME. GRIFFIN & HOWE HAS THE WRITTEN PERMISSION from Britte SA the actual Britte corp, TO USE THE "BRITTE" Brand name for guns

I hope this will be of help for your readers.

Luc Vander Borght


Dave Weber
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