Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman are in this book “The Francotte Dynasty”.
For more detail see: The Francotte Dynasty
Auguste FRANCOTTE
Carabiner Werder Francotte M1869
It's Cal. 11mm.
To the right of the piston in a circle the name of the manufacturer "FRANCOTTE a LIEGE".
Total length: 81 cm, Length of barrel: 37 cm.
Francotte "WERDER"
It is about a musket WERDER to rifled bore and to charge by the breech. It is about a weapon to falling block of calibre 11 mm (metal cartridge). 120.000 weapons were manufactured 1870 to 1872 (war against France) and by after 124.450 weapons were modified with calibre MAUSER 71. The trigger guard counted TWO trigger. False trigger being used as bolt and the true one curved in opposite direction.
The present weapon would be a civil version of musket WERDER because it does not carry any German lawful punches but those of the proofhouse of LIEGE, namely:
EL in English letters: provisional test, of use of 1852 to our days.
Peron: inspection post 1853.
N crowned: countermark of the controller, of use of 1853 to 1877. This gives us a good indication over the period of manufacture!!
The weapon also carries the marks following
///: they are marks of “equipors”. Marks of workshop to some extent!
AF crowned in a vertical oval: it is about a mark of manufacturer deposited by the manufacturer of weapons Auguste FRANCOTTE, street Holy Mont Martin, 60 in LIEGE. It was about one of the largest manufacturers of Liège. See historical on the site.
In this case it is indeed of a trademark and not a mark “of kindness”!
GG
