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Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.

It is a Warnant-type breech rifle. The caliber could be 22L. This Warnant breech is lifted using the lever placed to the right of the breech. By opening the breech recovers the cartridge holding system and vice versa. The hammer should be ring percussion type not visible in the photos. The trigger is curved with volute bridge. The barrel is eight-sided with a front/back sight system. The butt in walnut is shaped "in English" with grape leaf carvings in various places. The cap is with engravings.

The gun also bears the mark G.Mariette breveté indicating that it is a gun invented (partially) by Guillaume Mariette manufacturer in Liège-Cheratte.

PS: I point out that this is a gun of Guillaume Mariette and not of Gilles Mariette who was his brother and who signed his full name!

Marking: 19 on all pieces – under barrel: G. Mariette, DP, JC, A, cork mark ELG, Z starred.

Une poivrière de Mariette Guillaume très classique sauf que celle-ci à des canons particulièrement long.

Salon pistol late 19th century signed by Mariette Breveté (Guillaume probably rather than Gilles?),

popular by its design but certainly less so by its calibre 297/230 short Morris.

Gilles MARIETTE

Gilles MARIETTE arms manufacturer of CHERATTE (Liege) was active 1832 to 1865, it deposited many patents throughout his person career. He would have been informed of the trade of arms manufacturer by his father maitre locker with the Imperial Manufacture of Liege since 1803.

In 1839, it deposited the patent for a “Poivrière” of its invention which was going to make its notoriety but which was going to also to attract vexations in justice him in particular with Samuel COLT and Eugene LEFAUCHEUX (Francis BALACE) however the result of these lawsuits is not known for us.

This type of weapon, called "pepperbox" in the Anglo-Saxon countries was very popular among the weapons of defence until the end of 1850. It was also abundantly copied by many other manufacturers of share the world!

The weapon in illustration is splendid a small pepperbox of luxury whose stick is out of ivory, the four guns screws in Damas and are numbered from 1 to 4. Their heart is smooth and is of calibre 5 mm These guns have each one with the mouth, four grooves allowing the disassembling of the gun using a square key. The whole of the guns is screwed on a pivot of the carcass. The chimneys are in the axis of the guns the purpose of what is to reduce the risks of failure of percussion.

The carcass is engraved in hollow bottom of birds and foliage interlaced and gilded with fine gold.

Even the punch of the bench of test of Liege (spangled ELG in an oval - acceptance of the test, used of 1846 to 1893) was gilded with fine gold.

The lower percussion is done using a ring trigger as on all the models of this manufacturer. While pressing this trigger, the barrels and come to be placed successively places from there for the shooting. At the same time, the lower hammer arms and strikes the chimney of the lower barrel. A shield is set up when the hammer strikes and isolates the struck chimney.

The mention "MARIETTE BREVETE" is struck the lower support.

Here is a large 12mm "Mariette Breveté" pinfire revolver, it has a bronze trigger guard, and has cylinder stop grooves in the backside of the cylinder as shown on a photo, from the cartridge shield comes a pin which blocks the cylinder.

Very beautiful part this pepperbox with 18 barrels, there exists about it one to 24 guns with the Royal Museum of the Army in Madrid.

It carries indeed the mark of Auguste FRANCOTTE Street Mont St Martin, 61 in Liege.

These weapons had much success at the time and I think that MARIETTE did not have average the techniques to ensure itself all the orders.

Also MARIETTE it probably let other manufacturers manufacture her weapons under licence, thus collecting the royalties!

Belgian Mariette Single Action Pinfire Revolver: 8 mm cylinder, 3" barrel marked Mariette. Liege proof. Frame engraved with viticulture and marked M.Arendt. Ebony grips

Mariette Brevete 4-Shot Under Hammer "Percussion Pepperbox": 38 cal., percussion, four – 2-3/8" screw barrels., liege proofed, ring trigger, scroll engraved round frame, stamped "Mariette Brevete" on grip strap. Plain 2-piece ebonized wood grips.

Pistol of shooting one shot "Système G.MARIETTE" It acts at the base of a system of pistol of living room invented by the French FLOBERT and modified later by MARIETTE.

The folding lock is short in this case, but there are the long ones, the extractor is with lever, the stick in drowning and the trigger guard with volutes.

On certain models, the end of the barrel was threaded to receive a second barrel and thus to create a rifle known as of easily dissimulated poacher in the clothes.(to see appendix)

Considering marking G.MARIETTE on the weapon, it probably acts of Guillaume MARIETTE (1840/1888) of Cheratte (Liege) the interested party deposited twenty-two patents in Belgium at that time of which modifications with the Flobert gun above.