Originally Posted by Steve Helsley
Steven
Is the last gun you posted a Beringer?
Steve Helsley

Steve, the Godin action on that Marrison gun is very much a Beringer copy, as far as the underlever is concerned. The Beringer guns I’ve seen (in pictures, not in the hand) have a single-bite barrel lump attachment, and are often with a small stud rising from the action flats to aid with opening/closing the barrels — exactly the configuration Lang copied in his first pin-fire in 1853 or so. I now firmly believe Lang’s gun was copied after Beringer, and not Lefaucheux as usually surmised; both French makers presented guns at The Great Exhibition of 1851.

The Godin action pictured above has the typical Lefaucheux double-bite screw grip, combined with the Beringer lever. Add the nifty safety mechanism, and Godin appears to have merged the benefits of both designs. The action is claimed to be Godin’s patent, but I don’t know if the patent refers to the overall action, the action with the safety catch, or just the safety catch. Documentation on Godin is sparse…