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CONTINENTAL VINTAGE GUNS, GUNCASES, ACCESSORIES, GAMEBAG
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Liege has been an epicentre of Continental gunmaking,
with up to now fragmentary documentation.
I consider it worthwile to pay tribute to this
trade as guns continue to be in use/at hand/emerging
after 60 to 80 to 100 years,all in perfect
working condition. Proofing the high level
of workmanship/skills existing there.
Here are 5 examples of Liege guns,
2 of them with "Liege inside" and
"Liege outside", 3 of them with "Liege inside" and
names of Central European gunmakers on the outside.
A. Guns
A1. Fs.Dumoulin & Co
Here is a little/sweetie lady-birdgun,
sidelock ejector, 16/65, chokes 1/4 and 3/4,
round system, engraving by Leonard Smeets,
according littlegun.be "Graveur Incrusteux sur Armes
de Sa Majeste le Roi",
valid Belgian proof from 1942,
short stock,
sling swivels, provenance late Baroness H.M.K.R,
her first prename and family name initials together with
the 7-pointed crown in gold on the triggerguard.
It seems the Baroness carried the gun always over the
left shoulder as the blueing on the left barrel is
gone, never reblued or otherwise molested by a
gunsmith.
..Photo sideplate..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60739..Photo triggerguard..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60740...
A2. A. Forgeron
Another lady-gun, once more a little sweetie
16/65, this time a hare-gun, chokes 3/4 and 3/4,
valid Belgian proof from 1928,
with unsurpassable Louis XVI engraving,
in crisp condition, original short stock
extended with a nice walnut-piece ,
pairing gun probably Russian WW II booty
..Photo sideplate..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60741..Photo stock..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60742 A3. Piffl/Baden
..The first of the guns with "Liege inside" and
this time "Piffl/Baden" on the outside.
Viennese proof of 1963, fashioned by ex Springer
workshop-manager Piffl, engraved by ex Springer
engraver H. Winkler, stocked by ex Springer
stocker Hans Jiricek.
This gun has been featuring in my article here
"Joh.Springers Erben last gun"..
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/50374 http://www.jpgbox.com/page/50372 A4. F. Faukner/Praha
..The Faukner pair has been featuring in my
DGJ article spring 2009.
I have found it 1978 in the no longer existing
gunshop in Narodni street in Prague.
I did hold a gun to the light to check if it is
tight . The shop manager Pan Niclas smiled at me, left
the room and returned few moments later with
the tan-coloured guncase shown later here.
It contained a F. Faukner pair.
I am normally very sceptical to see 60 year old guns with
all the colouring, as it normally implies
recouloring.
But this was 1978, in deepest commie country, no
professional recolouring fraterniy there.
I needed some time to convince myself that this is
genuine and not redone for sale.
Another pair of "Liege inside" guns with this fine Louis XVI
engraving and the Czech retailer name on plate and action.
No way that this Prague boutique gunmaker could have
made those, I guess ex Defourny.
Belgian proof before 1922.
After now nearly 100 years with
all the original colour, rather an objet-de-vitrine.
("Zu schade um damit zu jagen")
....
photo Faukner pair/photo taken ex my DGJ article
(original DGJ photo by my late friend Dr.HW with
his Sinar camera.)
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60756..
A5. Springer O/U 12 bore
Johann Springer's Erben (JSE) had in their last
auction a rare JSE Over/Under dating from 1939.
...
I browsed through my Belgian gun catalogues
looking for similar-style products.
There have been Over/under guns by the Belgian
gunmakers Forgeron, Thonon, Lebeau-Courally,
Duchateau,Manufacture-Liegeoise.
I have full doubt, that this JSE O/U is not even
a one-off exercise of a JSE homemade gun,
because it has all the
typical elements of these Belgian O/U's.
The engraving is JSE like, the banderole is JSE like.
chokes both full.
In my opinion "Liege inside" and completed/finished
in Vienna.
A typical JSE hare gun.
Retired JSE gunsmith W. Niessner, who started his
apprenticeship at JSE in 1962, has been told by his
patron Johann Springer - the grandfather of the
present JSE owner -that a Springer gun has never
been considered a leightweight gun.
Not below 3,15 kg,
it was taken as THE tool for the great hare shoots
of Central and Eastern Europe.
Photo O/U sideplate /JSE courtesy
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60766 B. Guncases
B1. F. Faukner double guncase
This is a peculiar style of compact
vintage guncase seen in
Central Europe. Opening with flaps at
both ends. Inside with a full implement
of accessories.
It turned out that a leather patch has been
fixed above the initials "WG" of the original owner
("Dem tut keine Zehe mehr weh")
...Photo Faukner guncase/
Shown here with the protective textile/slips
to avoid touching of metalparts with the leather of
of the case.
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60743B2. Photo yellow-brown coloured Forgeron guncase
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60759 B3. Neuber/Springer/Faukner stiff long guncase
Another peculiarity of Central Europe are these
stiff long guncases.
Here are 3 of them.
The left one is by Neuber of Wr. Neustadt.
His shop ceased in the bombing raids onto this
town during WW II. This guncase has no sign of use.
Dates from before WW II, probably taking a
unscoped Mannlicher of Mauser.
Possibly the owner did not return from war,
rifled weapons were prohibited in the Russian
zone of Eastern Austria up top 1955, thus lying
around unused for decades.
I could not clarify the use of the 2 loops on this case.
The middle one is by Springer/Vienna, the right one
by Faukner/Prague.
I consider this type of long stiff case the optimum
protection for shotgun barrels, when moving
in a crowd on a tractor trailer from one drive to
another. Or if you move in a Russian vintage jeep
on slippery Puszta ground to another drive and the
Hungarian driver wants to show you that he has rally-
background.
...Photo guncases
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60734 ...Photo with Neuber stamp on lid
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60735...Photo Springer stamp on lid
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60736...Photo Faukner stamp on strap/hardly readable
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60737C. Accessories
.. All ex F.Faukner guncase
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60758 An oilbottle plus a small oiler with cover all
packed in 2 separate small wooden cases
.. 3-piece cleaning rod with linked elements
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60754...
D. Gamebag
The word of "gamebag" does unjustice to this item,
as it is rather a multipurpose bag.
Contains on the inside of the first leather/compartment
2 cartridge belt sections for a total of 12 cartridges,
a small compartment to hold a hunting license,
a second two-part textile compartment,
a third textile compartment and a fourth one
in elaborate crochet-work for an occasional rabbit
or pigeon for the pot.
Its a French vintage piece, the wonderful soft
carpincho gloves on the flap are of recent
Argentine origin.
..photo gamebag
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/60755
