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
Meizer-Duquenne
It is a completely collapsible rifle with English
stick, with opening to side key of
LECLERCQ
type gauges 12 mm of manufacturing of Liège of them. “The” rifle of poacher by
excellence.
The
weapon seems in good state, having preserved a good part of its marbling and
bronzing of its barrel, octagonal first, then round.
One
manufactured thousands of specimens of this kind of weapon, with one or two
barrels (generally juxtaposed), in a multiplicity of gauges, especially in .410
or 12 mm like this specimen.
She is signed
MEIZER-DUQUENNE
LIEGE on the barrel.
One finds the punches usual of the proofhouse of Liège:
The peron (step) : punch of inspection of 1853 to our days
PV under lion: punch of test to the sharp (black) powder, used between on October 4th, 1898 and before February 26th, 1968
G under star: countermark of the controller enters on January 27th, 1877 and before February 26th, 1968.
10.4 are the gauge in mm (what corresponds to the 12 mm or .410)
EL in english letters: provisional test, use since December 21st, 1852
0 kg610 is the weight of the barrel.
The Greek letter "Lambda" is the yearly letter of 1954. Year of manufacture of your weapon.
ELG in a crowned oval is the punch of acceptance since July 11th, 1893 until before February 26th, 1968.
410.65 in the Greek letter Omega gives the nominal gauge and the length of the room, of use since June 30th, 1924.
232
is undoubtedly the serial number of the weapon.
The house
MEIZER-DUQUENNE
is not taken again in “Who's who arms manufacturer of Liège”, nor in the works
of our late friend Guy Gadisseur on publicity in arms manufacture of Liège. One
finds via Internet some weapons of this house, of which a rifle of great hunting
of the Mauser type on the site littlegun.be, and other rifles
LECLERCQ
type.
GP
Meizer-Duquenne
The weapon
It is about a rifle of hunting single stroke to bolt of the Mauser type, with lined balls.
The calibre is 10,75 X 68 M R.
10,75 indicates the calibre of the projectile and 68 the length of the chamber (in mm).
Mounting is out of wood of drowning with stick “pistol”.
Punches
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
ELG on star in a crowned oval: final acceptance post 1893.
Peron: inspection post 1853.
X under star: countermark of the controller post 1877.
R under crown: rifled bore, of use of 1894 to 1924.
B. BLINDEE: rifled bore of gauge higher than .22 for lined balls. In use of 1910 to 1968.
PV surmounted of a vertical and stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
Marks
With the thunder, “engraved” and not struck mention “MEIZER - DUQUENNE LIEGE”.
Doesn't the engraving of the word LIEGE seem to be same hand that the remainder of engraving?
In short, it seems not very professional.
Doesn't MEIZER-DUQUENNE appear in the list of the arms manufacturers of Liège of the XXe century?
Then you it is about the name of a small craftsman unknown of Liège or name of the first owner?
I am unaware of it for the moment. Perhaps will the visitors of the site bring you a response to this mystery?
GG
