doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com French shotgun information

Was looking on a few French web sites (thank you google translate). Apparently, the grandson of Aime Maisonnial was answering some questions about his family’s guns. He is quite proud of them and still has an order book of the guns they made after the war. Unfortunately the earlier book was lost. He recommend this book. The Armory of St.Etienne Unfortunately for me it’s in French. However, I know some of you do speak French and I thought it might be of interest.

On the internet gun club, his grandson posted an article and a catalog from 1920.
Maisonnial at Internet gun club

Canon Heurtier.

Heurtier (canonnier), 28 rue Clément Forissier ;

Thanks Dave. I believe FAB500 also discussed that book. I will try to get a copy of it. One of the reviews says that while it has all the makers, sub makers, names, etc..it doesn't give a lot of judgement on the quality of the guns they made. Still, the names and makers' marks are what we really need here.

Unfortunately, I no longer visit IGC.

That's the procedure that many makers in St. Etienne followed, using skilled tradesmen to make the various parts. Vouzelaud (don't know whether they're still in business) operated that way. One of the Vouzelaud brothers stayed home and ran the shop, while the other one made frequent trips to St. Etienne to follow the progress of guns they were having built there.

Good catch on Heurtier, Argo! I kept looking at that, interpreting the first letter as an I.

>>Canon Heurtier<<, yes great catch indeed with that French magnifying eye.



Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Salut,
D'après la photo, les canons sont signés Claude Breuil, fils et successeur de la canonnerie Breuil-Aulagnier.
Cette canonnerie, fondée par Charles Breuil et Geneviève Marie Aulagnier, fut rachetée en 1957 par Chapuis.
Jean Breuil a travaillé chez son cousin Charles Breuil pendant une petite période. Puis il créa sa propre canonnerie en 1913. Celle-ci fut rachetée en 1963 par Verney-Carron.

Merci FAB.

Translation:

According to the photo the barrels are signed by Claude Breuil, son and successor of the barrel maker Breuil-Aulagnier. This barrel maker, founded by Charles Breuil and Geneviève Marie Aulagnier, was bought in 1957 by Chapuis.

Jean Breuil worked at his cousin Charles Breuil for a short period. Then he created his own barrel making company in 1913. This was bought in 1963 by Verney-Carron.

Thank you FAB for the information!

Thank you Argo for the translation!

FAB500 has sent me some information on Maisonnial which I'll post here with a translation for the record. We all learn.

Les Maisonnial sont originaires de Lapt (Haute-Loire, France).

Le premier à faire profession d'armurler est Jean Aimé Maisonnial, né à Saint-Etienne le 22 avril 1896, fils de Jean, voyageur de commerce et de Anna Sarron, employée de commerce dans un tabac de la place Chavanelle, quartier des armuriers.

Aimé épouse Rosalie Boyer à Saint-Etienne le 16 juin 1920. Cette même année, après un apprentissage et un « tour de France » chez divers armuriers, Aimé Maisonnial vend les trois fusils qu'il a réussi à faire en dehors de ses heures de travail et s'installe 68 grande rue Saint Roch à Saint-Etienne. Il est mentionné 13 rue des Rives en 1931. Le 26 novembre 1931 sous le n° 5475, Aimé Maisonnial dépose la marque “Royal-Super-Steel. Crochet-Ahérobloc”. Il renouvellera cette marque le 26 décembre 1946.

De son mariage, naissent trois fils. L'aîné, Joannès (1922-1978), travaille très tôt au côté de son père et prend sa succession. Installé au 13 de la rue Clément Forissier au moins depuis 1937, Maisonnial Père et fils continuent de fabriquer durant toute la guerre. Ils se constituent un stock qui fait leur “fortune” après guerre, jusque dans les années 1950-52 où la myxomatose déprime le marché.

Joannès Maisonnial, formé à l'Ecole Professionnelle puis à l'atelier de son père, prend sa suite après sa mort, en 1957. Il se lance, probablement entre 1962 et 1964, dans la fabrication d'un superposé avec éjecteurs automatiques sous licence des brevets 1.307.757 et 1.328.873. Ce sont ceux de Georges Jay des 23 novembre 1961 et 17 juillet 1962 avec addition du 12 novembre 1964. Il conserve son atelier jusqu'en 1965, date à laquelle, ne trouvant plus les ouvriers qualifiés pour maintenir le niveau de sa production, il décide de fermer. Il lui reste encore beaucoup de stock. En Algérie, Boumédienne vient de prendre le pouvoir et réouvre le commerce à l'armurerie. La demande est forte. Tout le stock part pour l'Algérie. L'atelier est démonté et Joannès Maisonnial part pour Vichy. Il y reprend un magasin d'armes « Aux armes de Saint-Etienne ». Joannès Maisonnial décède en 1978.

------------------------------ translation ---------------------------------------------------

The Maisonnial's were originally from Lapt (Haute-Loire, France).

The first to enter the profession of gunmaker was Jean Aimé Maisonnial, born in Saint-Etienne on 22 April 1896. He was the son of Jean Maisonnial, traveling businessman, and Anna Sarron, employee of a tobacco business at the place Chavanelle, (Saint-Etienne) in the gunmakers quarter.

Aimé married Rosalie Boyer at Saint-Etienne on 16 June 1920. That same year, after an apprenticeship and a trip around France to visit a number of gunmakers, Aimé Maisonnial sold the three guns that he had succeeded in making outside of his work-hours, and set himself up at 68 grande rue Saint Rochelles at Saint-Etienne. He is mentioned as being at 13 rue des Rives in 1931. On 26 November 1931 under number 5475, Aimé Maisonnial registered a trademark "Royal-Super-Steel; Crochet-Aherobloc". He would renew this trademark on 26 December 1946.

From his marriage came three sons. The oldest Joannès (1922-1978), worked very early beside his father and succeeded him. Installed at 13 de la rue Clément Forissier at least from 1931, Maisonnial Father and Sons continued to make guns during the entire war. They created a stock which made their fortune after the war, until the years 1950-52 when Myxomatose (Rabbit virus) depressed the market.

Joannès Maisonnial, trained at the Professional school then in the workshop of his father, took over after his death in 1957. He began probably between 1962 and 1964 the fabrication of an Over/Under with automatic ejectors under license from the patents 1.307.757 et 1.328.873. of Georges Jay from 23 November 1961 and 17 July 1962 with an addition on 12 November 1964. He retained his workshop until 1965 when at with time, no longer finding qualified workers to maintain the level of production, he decided to close. There remained a lot of stock. In Algeria, Boumédienne had just taken power and reopened the commerce in guns. The demand was strong. All the stock was sent to Algeria. The workshop was then disassembled and Joannès Maisonnial left for Vichy. There he opened a Gun store "Aux Armes de Saint-Etienne." Joannès Maisonnial died in 1978.