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
Bettonville - Fontaine
Here is a
classic pin revolver, quite late, which has seen better days. Trigger foldable
because no trigger guard.
In
particular, the ejection rod of the sockets and the screw for fixing the barrel
to the frame are missing.
Caliber
not specified.
Markings
ELG on
star in crowned oval: accepted, in use since 11 July 1893: it is therefore too
late for a revolver with cartridges with a pin;
P under
asterisk: countermark of a controller, in use since 1877;
Under the
plate of grips
:
B&F under
crown,
it could be
Bettonville-Fontaine;
MJF:
initials unidentified. Probably a smelter.
We have very little information about
Bettonville-Fontaine, rue de la Sèche 7 in
Liège around 1889. In any case, he was still active in 1893... He is listed on
the site among the artisans identified, also with reserves, and in the first
volume of the "Liège gunmakers through their work".
GP with the help of HPH and GG (†)
Bettonville - Fontaine (Maybe)
It is about a revolver with central percussion of type “BULLDOG” of origin of
Liège. The smooth cylinder is with 6 blows. The loading/unloading of the
cartridges is practiced by a door on the right side of the weapon. The trigger
is curved under oval trigger guard. The probably striped barrel is short and
round with a frnt sight in half-moon. The squared grips are kind “ebony or false
ebony”. They are fixed by a central screw and two brass rivet washers.
This weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
ELG* in a vertical oval:
final acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
P*:
countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
The weapon also carries the following marks on an amount of stick:
S.A.
: subcontractor not identified.
B&F crowned is the mark of the manufacturer which could be (without any
certainty) Bettonville-Fontaine active in Liege at the end of the 19th century
and of which we have very little information.
FF:
subcontractor not identified.
At the time, the weapon passed in the hands of various corporations of arms
manufacture and the least important left a mark often not identified on the
weapon.
GG
Bettonville - Fontaine (Maybe)
Liege Revolver of the BULLDOG type -5 shots-caliber .320 or .380.
Loaded through a side gate and unloading using a removable rod. The grips seem to be made of bone. The cylinder is smooth, not fluted.
The octagonal barrel carries a half-moon sight, unusually located right in the center of the barrel.
For the length of the barrel, see:
This revolver is stamped with the marks of the Liege Proof House , namely
STAR/ ELG in a crowned oval
: acceptance post 1893.
STAR/F : countermark of the controller post 1877.
This revolver also bears some other marks more difficult to identify, since the quantity of arms manufacturers' registered or unregistered marks is quite large.
HV and JT are probably the marks of a workshop or a subcontractor, while in my opinion Crown/ B&F is the mark of the manufacturer. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, no manufacturer of this period corresponds to these initials. Possibly BETTONVILLE and FONTAINE active in Liege at the end of the 19th century and of which we have VERY little information.
GG
