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
Cap Joseph
The weapon
Shotgun hammerless with square lock. The two pairs of barrels are juxtaposed.
They are very similar and difficult on photographs to distinguish one of the other.
The forearm in the bag is with push rod but with black wood me seem-you it whereas the stick is out of wood of walnut more clearly?
Punches
They are the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
ELG on star in a crowned oval: final acceptance post 1893.
Peron: inspection post 1853.
EL in English letters: provisional test of 1852 with our days. AD and S spangled: countermarks of the controllers post 1877.
PV surmounted by a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
D = 7O mm/20.7: length of the room in mm and diameter in mm after optional test with the powder without smoke. In use of 1892 to 1924.
P1K 382.7 and P1K 385.6: weight of the barrel which can draw from the powders without smoke (smooth weapons). In use of 1892 to 1924.
12C in a rhombus: gauge, of use of 1898 to 1924.
CHOKE 18.4: chokes barrels: gauged in mm to 22 cm of the breech and the mouth. In use of 1898 to 1910. This period is thus the period of manufacture of this weapon.
Small letter “g” (read so well?): not identified yearly letter because my list does not go up higher than 1922.
Marks
Head of eagle: it is about one of the trademarks of CAP Joseph, manufacturer of barrels of rifles street Jonruelle, 62 in LIEGE.
2027: serial number.
GG
Cap Joseph
Double shotgun to juxtaposed barrels and percussion.
The unrifled bores are in Damas ribbon.
Locks are of type “behind” with external hammers. They are fixed at keys.
The rod is out of wood and is maintained by two pass-rods fixed under the barrel.
The stick is out of wood of walnut cut “with English”. It ends in a metal buttplate on return.
Locks in addition to mark G.E. GOULCHER are engraved of scene hunting!
Punches
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of tests of Liege, namely:
ELG on star in a vertical oval: final acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
EL in cursive letters: provisional test, of use of 1852 to our days.
VIII: they are marks of “équipors” corresponding more or less to the Roman numerals.
The manufacturer
The manufacturer of Liège of this weapon did not leave of trademark on the weapon, that was often the case for weapons intended for export.
The foreign customer wishing to make appear his own mark as it is the case with G.E GOULCHER arms manufacturer in NEW YORK since 1840. It was specialized in the manufacture of parts and elements of weapons especially of locks of quality.
Not very visible mark JC on the barrels probably comes from the manufacturer of barrels of rifles of Liège CAP Joseph street Jonruelle, 42 in LIEGE.
This leaves us think that “sior” GOULCHER will have imported the barrels of Liège and mounted the weapon itself but it is only assumption.
GG
Cap Joseph
J.C in a rounded corners rectangle is the mark of the barrel manufacturer CAP s, (Henri) Joseph 62 rue Jonruelle, in Liege then rue de Sluse between 1904 and 1920.
He is the author of 4 Belgian patents registered at the same period.
GG
