doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What's an Arquebusier?

Is an Arquebusier a French gunmaker - like Granger - or a gun retailer - like our Griffin & Howe?

I'm trying to find out more about Guyot. I've been able to track some info on an N. Guyot as being an Arquebusier in Paris in the late 19th century.

Thanks

OWD

An arquebus was a very early shoulder fired long gun. You might find something on Google.

IMHO most of the late 19th century Paris Arquebusiers were retailers rather than gunmakers. I wouldn't know about Guyot. Hopefuly others are able to contribute more.

Regards,
Jani

Arquebusier is someone who makes and sells guns that he has made.
Since the 18th century(and maybe before), he would order some parts from specialised makers like the barrel, lock plates, furniture and often would only assemble them all.

I've had zee Frenchman's Guyot sxs gun, no one was interested then, and I was only interested in getting rid of it.

Thanks guys.

LG-

What was Guyot like? Do you know when it was made? Do you remember the address on the bbls?

Thanks again.

OWD

"Rue de something or other - Paris"
A good, well made gun OWD.

You say N Guyot, I found a B Guyot,late19century, 48 rue de Lyon, Arquebusier brevete de SAS le prince de Monaco, in Paris.
May be 50 rue de Lyon.(arquebusier patented of his majety the prince of Monaco ).
Arquebusier looks good, as arqubusier du Roi ( of the king ). You may have good gunsmith, as this gun look like, arq of his majety the prince of Monaco.You may find small country dealer ordering cheap "guild gun".
Maybe B guyot was good and N Guyot was running the store before or after him and was not so good.
It is a very common family name, and we can expect many gunsmith namaed Guyot.

Arquebusier literally means gunmaker . . . but even in English, not all those who styled themselves "gunmakers" really are, or were. The same is true for those that use the title in French. The other commonly seen term is armurier, but that's somewhat more likely to mean a gunsmith rather than a gunmaker. If you're in France and want to visit gunshops, "armurerie" is the key word to look for.

In the specific case of Guyot, he really was a gunmaker. Not sure whether he also stamped his name on guns made by others (or maybe even made in Belgium, as did some of the Paris gunshops), but I can't recall ever having heard of a Belgian-made Guyot.

From what I've found, there were a number of Guyots making guns in Paris at various times - N. Guyot and many others.

I'm still looking for more info.

If anyone out there knows of any on the market, please let me know.

There are a handful of them on the market right now:

http://safarioutfittersltd.com/EuropeanPage21.htm

http://www.drake.net/products/Guyot-Paris--Mint-Condition-12-Ga.-Sidelock-Game-Gun?id=28588

http://www.stevebarnettfineguns.com/asp-bin/Detail.asp?ID=4726

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8318700

http://www.vintagedoubles.com/inventory.php?sort=4&process=fullview&gunID=706

There's also this article from SSM:

http://doublegunshop.com/james_flynn_guyot_shotgun_service_031606.htm