Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.
For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS
BERNARD Ernest
It is about a shotgun to 2 juxtaposed unrifled bores, locks pinfire are of
Lefaucheux type just like the double key of opening. The stick of walnut is
worked "with English". The trigger guard is with volutes.
It carries the punches of the proofhouse of Liege is:
Spangled ELG in an oval:
acceptance of 1846 to 1893.
M crowned:
countermark of the controller of 1852 to 1877.
EL in cursive letters:
provisional test of 1852 to our days.
Peron:
inspection of 1853 to our days.
The manufacturer:
It is probably about
Ernest Bernard
of Liege, addresses been unaware of, which deposited two patents in 1862 and
1864.
Mark
E.B crowned in an
oval could be his.
Is it about a system Lefaucheux to two keys invented
by the latter in the years 1850, it was thus copied by this arms manufacturer of
Liège not identified from the weapon if it is not possibly the arms manufacturer
or subcontractor using of
crowned mark JN,
mark which is unknown.
It is not in any case about
Émile Bernard,
who is largely posterior for him (1900/1935).
GG
BERNARD Ernest
It is about a shotgun to central percussion. The unrifled bores are juxtaposed. Locks are known as “behind” and the opening of the weapon is done using a double key known as “key Lefaucheux“. The hammers are external; the double curved trigger is protected by a trigger guard with volute. The stick out of wooden of walnut is worked “with English”.
The marks
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the bench of tests of Liege, namely:
ELG on star in a vertical oval: final acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
M spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
EL in English letters: provisional test, of use of 1852 to our days.
Peron: inspection, of use of 1853 to our days.
17,0: gauge in mm corresponding to gauge 16.
The weapon also carries several marks, namely:
E. BERNARD CANONNIER (GUNNER): Ernest BERNARD was a manufacturer of barrels of rifles in Liege. In 1864 and 65, it deposits two patents:
- A grip to tighten the barrels intended for punching and a preparation of metal to make the barrels of rifles.
Mark E.B crowned in a vertical oval is in all probability the mark of this craftsman.
Spangled DC on the barrels: mark unknown probably belonging to a subcontractor.
The manufacturer of this weapon did not leave any mark allowing identifying it, it will thus remain anonymous. This way of making was common at the time.
GG
BERNARD Ernest
This gun, because of its multiple stamps, asks more questions than it answers them.
This is a side by side smoothbore shotgun , Lefaucheux pinfire type locks as well as double locking key .
Liege proof house STAMPS are:
STAR/ ELG in an oval: acceptance stamp -1846 to 1893.
STAR/M : countermark of the controller - 1877 to 1968.
EL in cursive letters: provisional test - 1852 until today.
Perron: inspection stamp from 1853 until today.
The manufacturer
Probably Ernest BERNARD, of Liege who registered two patents in 1864 and 1865.
The crowned E.B. in an oval could be his stamp.
Back then, French arms manufacturers used to come to Liege to acquire quality guns at low prices.
These guns were supplied ''in the white'', i.e. without any markings. The buyer could then put his name on them and it's probably what RIFFAUD in ROCHEFOUCAULD did here.
Riffaud, arms manufacturer in Larochefoucauld (Town of Charente - France).
The stamp ''CANONNIER'' does not mean anything to me; it was probably stamped later because it is placed OVER the Liege Proof House stamp.
GG
Small correction made by a visitor expert and warned:
I read that the purchaser of rifle made put his name: Riffaud de Larochefoucauld.
Actually it is about Riffaud arms manufacturer in Larochefoucauld (Town of Charente - France).
J.L.
Photos Littlegun
