Who are we?
A group, impassioned of firearms, proud of our Belgian origins and eager to increase but also to share our knowledge on the priceless Liege gun making heritage.
Since the 14e century, Liege is a famous gun making center which created, invented, manufactured, improved and also, it should be acknowledged, sometimes copied thousands of models of firearms (and was also copied many times) for a production of several million pieces.
Under these conditions it's not easy to correctly identify, to know the inventor, the manufacturers, to date a piece or simply to establish its provenance.
Most of us are members of the Association "Friends of the Liege Arms Museum'' which is one of the most important museums in the world in its speciality: developments in the technologies of portable armament.
The idea to make available to the enthusiasts, a practical and modern tool, began with the physical meeting of three people: Alantrigger, Guy Gadisseur and Philippe Hausoul.
Alain (alantrigger) proposes to put his technical means (website) and his computer know-how available as well as to specialize in the quest of beautiful gun photographs, the two others to collaborate as effectively as possible.
Thus the part of this site devoted to the Liege Arms Industry is officially born on May 1, 2004.
We hope it will be in constant evolution: from our encounters on the Net, a network of contacts, generally productive, was born.
So numerous others well -informed enthusiasts have put forward their knowledge.
We thank them here in advance.
We also want to thank the friendly sites (commercial or not), the collectors, the Museums which authorize us to publish their photographs.
Conscious of our deficiencies and imperfections, we invite you to send us your remarks, corrections, comments... and to add your input to this venture and, except by express request to preserve anonymity, the list of the regular collaborators will grow rich by new participants.
PRINCIPAL COLLABORATORS
Alain Daubresse (Alantrigger), engineer, born in 1954, belgian weapons and Winchester.
Guy Gadisseur, retired young person, born in 1946, Liege made handguns of the XIXe century. Deceased on February 25th, 2017
Hausoul Philippe, communal civil servant, born in 1951, handguns.
Preferred period 1854 - 1914.
GP, journalist, born in 1953, Belgian regulation and civil guns.
Michel Druart, retired headmaster, born in 1943, writer for the reviews AMI and Fire from 1983 to 2002, "generalist" in air gun and firearms, specialized in Belgian patents.
Marcel, Liege firearms of the 19th century and American guns.
Alberto Riccadonna, born in 1952, research Engineer, writer for ARMI & TIRO, ballistics expert for the court of justice. European firearms 1750 - 1945
Christian Pisart, born in 1949, attached to the service Treasury of an important Belgian multinational (in Brussels), administrator of the asbl (Fort de) "la Chartreuse" and ''Front de Sauvegarde du Fort de Loncin". XIXe century Regulation handguns (but not limited to) and fortification.
Max Dascotte, born in 1941, Administrator, Belgian guns and especially, his passion, Swiss ordinance guns, as well as impulsive purchases.
Has joined us in 2009.
PHL, born in 1972, teacher, in perpetual search of documents, catalogs and advertising objects relating to arms manufacturing, Belgian cartridge factories and powder mills.
Has joined us in 2021.
Jean-Christophe Plaquevent, French citizen, born in 1953. PhD in chemistry, retired research director of the CNRS. Metallic cartridge handguns, grosso-modo period 1850-1950.