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
Laurent Lochet and his wife Jeanne Habran.
Exposition of Paris - 1900
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
Here is a garden or living
room rifle,
Warnant type with
tilting breech, octagonal short barrel, Flobert caliber. 22 C, with semi-pistol
stock. It is an extremely common model that was manufactured in thousands of
copies before and after the 1st GM.
The markings
There is a "Belgium" on the barrel, which indicates if
necessary that the weapon was manufactured in Belgium.
There may also be another explanation: see the attached
link, where the second photo shows the inscription Henri Pieper Belgium. When we
clean the barrel, we'll see - miracle? - the name of
Henri Pieper?
The link also and especially
gives the patent of
J. Warnant.
The
LLH
marking under the barrel refers to
Laurent
Lochet-Habran, manufacturer of weapons and
rifle barrels.
H: could be the brand of the weapons
manufacturer Max Neumann.
Peron: is located on both the barrel and the breech, it
is the inspection punch since 1853
R crowned: rifled barrel, between 1894 and 1968
ELG on star in crowned oval: acceptance between 1893
and 1968
AE under star: countermark of controller between 1877
and 1968
FL 22 C: short. 22 caliber. It will probably not be
easy to find this type of cartridge because it is no longer used much nowadays.
GP with the help of PHL.
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
It is a
shotgun with central percussion and tilting barrels. The opening is convenient
with the “Top lever” key placed at the top of the breech.
The Cockerill steel barrels are juxtaposed, calibre 16
or 17mm4. They are also shocked. They were manufactured by the firm
Lochet-Habran
in Jupille (Liège).
The lock
is said to be "square". I don’t know what kind of length doesn’t have a direct
view of this one.
The
walnut butt is straight to "the English". She appears to have undergone a
denture (repair by replacement).
The
weapon bears the punches of the Liège proofhouse, namely:
ELG* in
a crowned oval: definitive acceptance after 1893.
M* and
N*: Controller countersigns, in use from 1877 to 1968.
Peron:
inspection, in use from 1853 to the present day.
EL in
English letters: provisional proof, in use from 1852 to the present day.
16C in a
diamond: calibre, in use from 1898 to 1924.
CHOKE
16.4/17.0 and 16.5/17.0: choked guns. Calibrated in mm at 22 cm from the breech
and at the mouth. In use from 1924 to 1968.
Stand up
Lion / PV: smokeless powder test, in use from 1898 to 1968.
P.1K136.7: barrel weight capable of firing smoke-free powders. In use from 1898
to 1968.
D= 65
M/M /18.8: length of chamber in mm and diameter in mm after optional smokeless
powder test. In use from 1892 to 1924.
The
weapon also bears the following markings:
ACL in a
circle:
brand of the
Lochet-Habran
barrel manufacturer in Jupille.
Acier
Cockerill spécial pour poudre pyroxilée
(Special Cockerill steel for pyroxy powder) : the steel used comes from John
Cockerill rolling mills in Seraing (Liège).
MJ:
Unknown brand. It is likely a brand of subcontractor who worked on the barrels.
3547:
serial number.
The
manufacturer of the weapon itself has left no trademark, so he will remain,
according to his wishes, anonymous !!
GG
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
Here is a rifle of Martiny type of Liège manufacture, see below.
The caliber is not specified.
Markings
Peron: inspection, since 1853 to our days;
ELG on star in crowned oval: acceptance between 1893 and 1968;
EL: provisional test, in use since 1852;
R crowned: rifled bore, between 1894 and 1968;
A under star: countermark of a controller, between 1877 and 1968;
7. 4: undoubtedly the diameter of the barrel;
379: undoubtedly a number of manufacture;
A species of T, not allotted
LLH: Laurent Lochet-Habran, either for the barrel, or for the weapon as a whole.
GP with the help of HPH
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
Here is
more than likely a flintlock slave rifle of Liège manufacture, relatively short
but of strong caliber, . 92 or 23. 4 mm as indicated on the barrel.
The
markings
LLH: Laurent Lochet-Habran, house founded in 1860 ;
EL: provisional test, from 1852 to our days;
Perron: inspection, from 1853 to our days;
O
under star: countermark of a controller, between 1877 and 1968;
ELG on
star in oval (the punch seems to me very new or in any case "different" from
those which I saw until now, but I fear that my sight drops seriously......):
acceptance, of use between 1846 and 1893;
FC: alas unidentified.
GP
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
Shotgun to juxtaposed unrifled bores of gauge 12. The lock is of type hammerless and the key top lever.
d: yearly letter of 1925
The weapon also carries the following marks:
LLH and ACL in a circle are the trademarks of Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN already largely evoked on the site.
Marks 5 and TF do not evoke anything for me, perhaps acts it of markings of workshop.
GG
Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN
The weapon
It acts of a shotgun to central percussion and with sharp powder, locks hammerless, Greener closing, unrifled bores juxtaposed and chokes, key of opening Top lever.
Punches
They are the punches of the bench of tests of Liege is:
Spangled ELG in an oval crowned - acceptance - use of 1893 to 1968
Small letter g: yearly letter of 1928.
X spangled: countermark of the controller - of use of 1877 to 1968.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke - use of 1898 to 1968.
Peron: inspection - use of 1853 until today.
1Kg 374: weight of the gun which can draw from the powders without smoke (weapons smooth) to the gram - use of 1924 until today.
20-65 in large C: gauge nominal and length of the casing - use of 1924 until today.
25.481: job number of the weapon.
CHOKE 16.0: choke barrels: cal to 22 cm of the breech - use of 1924 to 1968.
The manufacturer
A thing is certain LLH is the mark of Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN manufacturer of weapon and barrels of rifles with Jupille Liege.
From 1884 to 1897, the interested party deposited three Belgian patents concerning of the improvements to the shotguns.
GG
Lochet Habran
Here is a rather unique gun built in Belgium sometime near the end of the 1800's (as near as I can tell). It is chambered for 9mm short rimfire and deeply rifled. This type of gun was built for shooting "inside" the house, normaly into a target set up in the fireplace with some wood or straw backing. The action is held shut only by the strength of the spring and the weight of the hammer. There is a small lock on the back of the hammer that is actuated by pulling the hammer spur. This was a very high grade gun in its day, with fine checkering and gold inlays on the sight slide. Double set trigger and a good finish throughout.
Dave Young
This weapon is a gun of living room of MARIETTE luxury manufactured for the shooting of precision, the system of aiming with small plank encrusted with gold attests some. It is in 9mm short, the gun is striped.
Punches
The weapon carries the punches of the bench of tests of Liege following:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance - use of 1893 to 1968.
Peron: inspection - use of 1853 until today.
Spangled BB: countermark of the controller - use of 1877 to 1968.
R crowned: rifled bore - use of 1894 to 1968.
Markings
LLH is the mark used by the company Laurent LOCHET-HABRAN & G brother and sister of Jupille. This company manufactured weapons and barrels under various corporate names of 1898 to 1951.
This company most probably and logically provided the gun of this weapon.
MARIETTE
This mark very known, says to us can of thing since the MARIETTE, arms manufacture family with CHERATTE (Liege) during the 19th century counted many arms manufacturers in her rows. By deduction, the weapon having been manufactured by a MARIETTE after 1894 (see punches above) we eliminate old the MARIETTE not to keep that those active at the time is:
MARIETTE DIEUDONNÉ WITH CHERATTE – Proof house of Liège 1904/1922. This one is most probable since it deposited 26 patents of which various systems applicable to the weapons of living room.
MARIETTE E of Cheratte which deposits two patents in 1911-1912 for a tilting weapon.
MARIETTE-CERFONTAINE Dieudonné de Cheratte which deposits three patents of 1891 to 1908, for improvements with the rifles.
MARIETTE-DEUZE (BE 1894/1904)
In appendix, an extract of patent MARIETTE DD or figure this strange restraint system of the hammer.
GG
Many thanks to Dave Young for the photos
