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Posted By: Doug Mann Lefebvre of Paris - 07/15/21 02:30 PM
I recently purchased a, to me, very interesting gun. I was very pleased that the gun was much nicer in the hand than the pictures and is a side plated box lock completely cover with rose and scroll engraving.

Since the proof marks are Belgian I can only assume that it was made there, not in France. My biggest surprise was the internal finish on the inside of the gun. I've had quite a number of Lindner gun apart so I'm used to the high polish of the internal parts but I've never seen this polish before. I've seen G & H rifles before with bolts finished with what a friend of mine calls "worm tracks" but I've never seen a shotgun with all the internal parts finished in a similar way. It appears that the parts were all finished with this pattern then over polished. You can see it but you can't feel it.

Anyway here is a photo of the bottom of the action showing the pattern. The question has anyone seen this type of work before? I guessing that it must have taken a lot of time to do this work.
https://imgur.com/RuHrzHr
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/15/21 10:10 PM
It is called scraping, or, hand scraping, since it is always done by hand:

https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/the-art-and-science-of-hand-scraping

It is common on hand made French guns from back in the day. Probably the only gun that really needs it is a Darne, with its long slide, but, it is considered a sign of quality and does retain oil. I’ve seen it on some higher grade German and Belgian guns as well. There is a gent, locally, who offers a three day course on how it is done, and he is busy all year long, traveling the country doing it. My machinist friend contemplated it, but, the course is expensive. Too expensive for him, anyway.
Photo of the bottom side of an R10 Darne. Even the ejector hooks have been scraped, which, is purely decorative, but, it no doubt adds precision and smoothness to the ways and bed of the actual slide.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Congrats. Looks to be a nice gun.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: rocky mtn bill Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/15/21 10:34 PM
Griffin and Howe did use a scraped finish on rifle bolts, but I think it's not the pattern called worm tracks. The latter are made with a turning stone point. It's easy to do. The scraping finish is not easy. On custom maker who used it a lot was John Oberlies. If there's someone here who does the scraped finish, I wish he'd tell about it.
Posted By: Doug Mann Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 01:23 AM
Thank you Ted! You're correct in that all the parts, including the springs in the Southgate ejectors were done. It sure is nice to look at though!
Posted By: eightbore Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 11:50 AM
The bright parts on all of my John Oberlies rifles are "scraped". I've not seen similar scraping on any other gun.
Posted By: ellenbr Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 11:07 PM
How does this >>scraping<< compare to jeweling? What is the correct term in the language of French?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse
Posted By: graybeardtmm3 Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 11:28 PM
i had recently posted a link to several guns offered by johnmillerparts on gb....that was one of them - obviously a fairly high quality build. the seller turns up some quite interested guns from time to time. at one time i blundered onto a photo or two of a lefebvre gun with some text in an article about french guns in DGJ....but haven't been able to find the reference again. internet searches have not produced much more than the ad on gb, and the fact the gun was sold in an RIA auction in june. my assumption is that the company was a retailer of guns built by others....in this case liege.

but, it is a handsome gun - hope you enjoy it!

best regards,
tom
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 11:37 PM
It is not jeweling. Machine builders typically utilize scraping to establish accurate points of contact on the gibbs and ways of machine tools. They are looking for multiple points of contact as opposed to a continuous contact, and use scraping to get there. When it is applied to a gun that has no need for accurate contact points, it does help to retain lube, and looks good.
Jeweling involves the use of a metal circular brush, chucked in a mill or drill, valve grinding compound, and a step and repeat process to cover an object with circular polishing marks. Scraping is a hand procedure, done with a flat steel tool.
I’d be willing to bet the guys that scraped in the action on a Darne knew what they were doing, and the decorative stuff was performed by the FNGs. The decorative stuff just needed to look good, and scraping for accurate contact on machine tools, or, in this case, a sliding breech gun, is a lifetime Journeyman skill set.

I can jewel. If I put you in front of my drill press with the brush and a can of Clover, you can too. Different deal.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: ellenbr Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/16/21 11:49 PM
White Dutch Clover or Crimson?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/17/21 01:01 AM
Originally Posted by ellenbr
White Dutch Clover or Crimson?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Neither. One can lasts a long, long time.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Best,
Ted

___________________________________________________
Leave the strange musical quotes and hockey nonsense to Lonny.
Posted By: ellenbr Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/17/21 11:05 AM
Well, the Ole Luck of the Irish Green Clover. That's pretty neat. And it is only a >>Trial Size<<

Serbus,

Raimey
rse
Posted By: Doug Mann Re: Lefebvre of Paris - 07/17/21 07:17 PM
Originally Posted by graybeardtmm3
i had recently posted a link to several guns offered by johnmillerparts on gb....that was one of them - obviously a fairly high quality build. the seller turns up some quite interested guns from time to time. at one time i blundered onto a photo or two of a lefebvre gun with some text in an article about french guns in DGJ....but haven't been able to find the reference again. internet searches have not produced much more than the ad on gb, and the fact the gun was sold in an RIA auction in june. my assumption is that the company was a retailer of guns built by others....in this case liege.

but, it is a handsome gun - hope you enjoy it!

best regards,
tom
My Thanks to you for the post and links. The gun was in much nicer condition than the photos showed. The case colors were IMO at least 95%. The only issue that I found were the chambers are very tight and need to be opened, the gun liked snap caps just fine but didn't like RST plastic hulls - go figure. The chamber length is original. The bores could use a polish which is no problem and with .030 walls there is ample metal. I should give kudo's to the retailer John Miller the gun was packaged very well and he was very helpful in dealing with my local FFL who was an idiot and an a$$.
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