doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Auguste Lebeau - maker

Would any of you fellas' be able to tell me anything of this maker's production... when his name alone appeared on the barrels. I've been shooting a nice quality BLNE 12 ga. of his making for a number of years now that came to me with a factory letter dated 1997. In that letter it stated that the gun was started in Leige in 1914 at the beginning of the Big War, and only completed/shipped at its end in 1918. Short of writing to the factory in Belgium, does anyone know the decade(s) that Aug. Lebeau produced under his own name exclusively; when his name became linked with that of Courally; and anything else that might be of relevance re: the few earlier gunmaking decades of this man. My 'Thanks' in advance for anything shared.

Robt.

Here is something: http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20l/a%20lebeau%20gb.htm

Since very beginning till 1919, when company got name of Lebeau-Courally. Aug. Lebeau died in 1896.

Auguste Lebeau 1865-1895
First Price, Philadelphia in 1876,
Diploma of Honor and Gold Medal, Paris in 1878,

Jules and Gustave Lebeau
34 Street Darchis Liege
Large Money Medal of Petersberg Saint in 1897 (highest distinction). Regular supplier of the Courses of Spain, Italy and Russia.
trade mark "The Puppy" on November 21, 1879
trade mark bulldog on May 28, 1881
They were associated with Webley and Courally through the continental company Webley-Lebeau-Courally

Courally Lebeau, 1948 to present
386 Street St Gilles Liege
http://www.lebeau-courally.com/

http://www.lebeau-courally.com/english/fusil_en.htm

Today, they apparently only make very high end shotguns.


Pete

'Thank You' Tuomo, Geno & Pete......that's way more than I had previously.....and I appreciate your responses.

Regards,

Robert

Robert,

this book is perfect source for you: http://www.jeffsoutfitters.com/store.aspx?panel=3&productid=39&categoryid=58

That it would, Tuomo, and I will look into that today. My Thanks again....


Robert

Robt. I too have read that 1919 date at the littlegun site and that by 1920 it had become Lebeau Courally...and I have looked at the info & dates given by Guy Gadisseur & Michel Druart in the who's who of Liege gunsmiths...But the data doesn't match my observations...for example...if in fact Courally joined with Lebeau in 1919...why then does the Liege proof house have some 1902 record of a Webley Lebeau Courally connection (I think this 1902 date is incorrect)...also...why would Courally apply for a coil spring boxlock patent in 1922 under his own name only (Fr552946)...If you ask me Courally didn't join with the Lebeau finishing house until about 1923 or later...I don't care what the proof house record interpreter says, I'm not convinced...are we to believe that all those Aug Lebeau boxlocks were produced pre-1896 (when August croaked)? or pre-1919 when supposedly Courally officially joined that finishing house? Again, I suspect that Courally joined the Lebeau house sometime after Courally's 1923 (made public) patent. Look at the Lebeau 16ga pictured below, what year would you guess it to be...











it says "LEUGRANIT" steel on the tubes...also..Gadisseur and Druart state the August was issued two patents...I have done exhaustive searches for those patents and have not turned up either...I'm starting to wonder if they really exist...if anyone knows those numbers...I'd appreciate knowing them...