doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Société Manufacturière d'armes de Saint-Étienne

Good afternoon Raimey and Ted. The mark on the barrel must be a barrel makers mark much like the whale, rabbit (Ronchard Czeron), dolphin (Cannon Pierre), etc. I tried to clean it up but still can't make out what it is.




What are the chamber lengths? That'll go a long way to dating the gun. From this line:
https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=484411&page=5

1. Pre 1885. Saint Etienne under lever hammer gun Martinier Collin; 19.6 (8 guage - ad says 10 gauge but I think 10 gauge is 19.2); 80mm chambers; (Martinier and Collin founded the company which was sold in 1885; Their assistants then bought the company which ultimately became Manufrance.);
http://www.naturabuy.fr/rare-fusil-juxtapose-chiens-calibre-10-saint-etienne-item-2376357.html


2. 1885-1889 Manufance under lever hammer gun; 75mm chambers; 17.4 (14 gauge). Manufance was founded in 1885; the chamber is in mm thus 1889 or earlier.
http://www.naturabuy.fr/Fusil-juxtapose-...em-3799057.html


History summary:

Pierre Blachon arquebusier de métier, St Etienne fait la connaissance peu avant 1885 de Etienne Mimard fils d'armurier venu se perfectionner dans l'arquebuserie à St Etienne après un sèjour dans le métier à Liège. Donc ils font connaissance �tant tous deux employés à la St Martinier- Collin armurier à St Etienne. Cette société en 1885 est mise en vente et les deux hommes s'associent et achétent cette entreprise qui devient la Manufacture Française d'Armes et cycles de St Etienne, Etienne Mimard en est le Directeur général Président du Conseil d'Administration et Pierre Blachon Vice président et c'est lui qui sera le concepteur technique des premiers modéles produits par la Manufacture avec notamment l'invention du fameux Robust dont la commercialisation sera lancée en 1913 et qui en fera le fusil de chasse certainement le plus vendu au monde avec prés de 1 million d'exemplaires.
Pierre Blachon n'aura pas le temps de connaitre l'immense succés de son "Robust" puisqu'il meurt en 1914.

Pierre Blanchon gun maker in St Etienne a little before 1885 met Etienne Mimard, son of a gunsmith/gun dealer who had learned the gunmaking trade in St Etienne after an apprenticeship in Liege. They both were employees at Ste Martinier-Collin, gun makers in St Etienne. In 1885 this firm was put up for sale and the two men went together to buy it, It became La Manufacture Francaise d'Armes et Cycles de St Etienne (Manufrance), Etienne Mimard becoming the Director General, President of the corporate board and Pierre Blanchon Vice President. It was he who came up with the technical conception of the first models produced by the manufacturer with notably the invention of the famous Robust, which was first launched in 1913 and which became the most sold shotgun in the world with nearly 1 million examples. Pierre Blanchon did not have time to know the huge success of his "Robust" because he died in 1914.

This is a good photo history of the company:
http://patrimoineetmuseesruraux.e-monsite.com/album/manufrance-1855-1985/