It was listed in Gunbroker as a Louise Christople Double Rifle 10.75x52R in their SxS shotgun section. I found it when I was looking for things with 10.75 in the description. The shop updated the listing to Christophe after I spoke to them the first time, but did not fix the "Louise" in the listing

When I contacted the lister he could not answer anything but the most basic question as he had no real knowledge of the DR's much less this one. He could not tell me if the ejectors worked (it turned out to be an extractor gun) or if it had been fired by the previous owner. They had not done a chamber cast and while I explained it to him he was obviously lost; so much for a Gun Shop. The price was good so I gambled and got it for less than $3k with shipping.

I had hoped it was a 10.75x52R Springer like the one I already owned, but it turns out to be a 10.75x52R Grundig. I guess the German style stock was a tip in hindsight.

It has significant carry wear. Mechanically everything works as it should. The bores are excellent and I slugged them as .423 at the muzzle and .424 from the chamber. I have done a chamber cast and it matches up with a 10.75x52R Grundig cartridge I have on hand (I have piled up a number of 10.75 cartridges) The scope mount looks offline in the pictures but is good. The trap door buttplate is not original as the cartridge holes are not fully cut out. After I have shot it and confirmed it fires well, I will likely add a buttpad as it is a little short for me. The triggers feel good and are crisp leaving good impressions on some walnut. The action is tight. The original horn trigger guard is broken and will need replacement. All the screws are unfortunately buggered up. The barrel solder at the muzzle is sloppy (someone may have messed with the regulation) (I will include a picture later)


Weight 6lbs7oz
LOP- 13.75in
Barrel 24.5. The barrels have been reblued at least once before


Proofmarks do not show a date stamp or barrel weight as I have seen on other L Christophe guns so I am unsure of date of make. I think this maybe because it was made for export but I really don't know (I will try adding a proofmark picture later)

old colonel
Good find.I wouldn't worry about it being chambered for a different caliber, now you have a whole new caliber to play with. Have fun.
Mike

The trap door buttplate looks much like Mannlicher Schönauer use to have. AND IMO the butt stock isn´t original.

Yes, the buttstock does not look Belgian at all, but rather German. Also the wood colour is different. Nonetheless the rifle seems good. The scope mount bases look very nicely executed.

With kind regards,
Jani

I bet that there is a JB on the barrels/action.
Jules Bury did most everything for Christophe.
Mahillon on the other hand mostly sourced from Francotte.
Nice find!
WC-

Unfortunately it is not stamped "JB" as my three other L Christophe guns are stamped. The barrels bear some of the same exact marking and the ribs are identical to my Jules Bury made DR so I believe the same maker did the barreis, but at this point it is not a provable fact Jules Bury made this gun. Nor are there any other maker's mark to determine the barrel maker. (No JF for Falla)

That said it is a quality gun that should provide good service, I have done a base set of cartridges and should get to shoot it next week if I can make it to the range

That's a very nice gun. That hogback stock is about as German as German gets. I'd bet in that caliber it'd make a nice, effective boar-stopper.



Going a little OT, if you have an image of a Jules Bury "JB" stamp, could you put it up for reference? My French guild 16 has the barrels stamped with "JB" (in addition to St. Etienne proofs) and both I and everyone else who've handled it have always concluded that meant the gun was barreled by Jean Breuil. I'd like to make sure....

And thanks.

It will be awhile until I am back in my office (over a week) and I do not have access to posting pictures on the road. That said until then, the Jules Bury proof mark is a JB under a crown. It normally (at least on five examples I have seen) appears on the water table of the receiver.

I found an example on the littlegun website


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None of the Jules Bury made Louis Christophes barrels I have have seen have any JB markings they are all marked HY Andrew Toledo Steel Works

I believe I owned that rifle several years ago. ...don't know how many 10.75 Christophe DRs are out there, but all the details are identical. I never got around to firing it, but I believe I still have its chamber cast somewhere in my gunroom. Glad to see it wound up with someone knowledgeable enough to shoot and enjoy it.

You did well...I believe I sold it for about $6K.

I purchased some vintage 10.75 ammunition from a cartridge collector seller on gunbroker and have fired two 10.75 Grundig Rounds (jacketed soft points) through it. The barrels shot together (1 inch) at 25 meter. I am still waiting for dies from CH4D in order to pursue reloading for it.

Unfortunately I am headed out for a deployment next month so it will wait until I get home to work things out for reloading for it. I do not want to restore it until I have developed a load for it that I am satisfied with.

If you sold it in its current state for $6K you did very well. I felt in its unrestored condition what I paid was stretching it. There is a real challenge selling guns with obsolete cartridges as the number of us who wish to play with them is limited.

My plan in a couple of years when I have a good load generated, and I have either a claw mount scope or claw mount red dot sight then I will spend the money recheckering, refinishing and putting a good butt pad. Then I will probably sell it as I am still not sure why I could not resist owning to DRs in such similar calibers.

Old Colonel,
While you are gone, keep your head down, we have lost enough friends.
Mike