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
Masereel Antoine
A Swiss
revolver made in Belgium, yes why not, they have probably been legions to follow
this way. This weapon seems to me to be a Swiss model of 1882.
The
weapon does indeed bear the statutory hallmarks of the Liège proofhouse, namely:
ELG* in
a crowned oval: definitive acceptance post 1893.
AC*:
controller's countermark, in use from 1877 to 1968.
Crowned
R: striped gun, in use from 1894 to 1968.
The
weapon also bears the following markings:
L
crowned which could be the mark of the cylinder melter (Herstal?)
55:
meaning ignored, workshop brand?
P 937:
serial number.
P 14937
+ : this is probably a Swiss marking (army, customs, police?) after its
manufacture in Belgium.
GG
It is indeed a Swiss 1882 made in Belgium. I think it was made by gunsmith
Antoine Masereel. It can also be
found in 8mm Lebel.
In attachment, the literature (see the paragraph
foreign manufactures) and
some photos of n°11181 which is identical at least in terms of manufacture.
Photos of a 1882 Swiss manufacture, the locking and positioning notches of the
barrel are always vertical on the Swiss and horizontal on the Belgians, in
addition the Belgians always have a milling in the barrel for the ammunition
stock and, on the contrary, the Swiss do not have one.
Max.
Here is the text (Sorry, only in french)
And the pictures
Masereel Antoine
A nice part if there is one! This is a
revolver with central percussion. The fluted cylinder is six rounds from a
medium caliber.
The hammer
is bouncing. The trigger is curved under oval bridge. The damask barrel is
8-sided with a triangular front sight. The grips consists of two plates
(wood?) finely grided and joined by a central
screw. This grips ends with a cap ring and its pivoting screw.
The weapon has several hallmarks from
the Liège proofhouse, namely:
ELG* in a crowned oval: definitive
acceptance, in use from 1893 to 1968.
AK*: controller countermark, in use
from 1877 to 1968.
R crowned: striped guns, in use from
1894 to 1968.
It also bears other hallmarks
unrelated to the proofhouse, namely:
L crowned: would it be an unidentified
brand of barrel maker?
A Crowned: unknown?
Finally, it bears the following marks:
A. Masereel à Liège: this is
the arms manufacturer
Antoine Masereel
rue St Hubert, 15 in Liège. He sat on the bench from 1910 to 1953. On
17.12.1920, he filed the trademark
ALTA.
The
lion in a shield surrounded by two erect lions:
this is also a trademark of this armourer.
SC1913: This would be the numbering of
the weapon in several places on it.
Two crossed
flags: unknown meaning probably linked to the
Masereel
brand.
GG
Masereel Antoine
It is in
fact a COLT NAVY 1851 percussion revolver produced by the Liège armoury. These
armourers, some working under a COLT licence and others not, produced weapons of
a wide variety of quality.
This gun
conforms to the other parts already known, the finish is not perfect, it is true
that the gun seems to have suffered a lot. For example, the engraving of the
barrel with 5 strokes (Brooklyn Bridge?) has almost disappeared, it’s
unidentifiable. This gun has chipped horn pads on it.
The
markings still visible are:
46723:
presumably the serial number.
4677: (on
the barrel) is it a reminder of the serial number? I don’t know?
CAL 35:
This is the calibre of the weapon.
Flags
with crossed stems: trademark ?? I couldn’t find it in the list of brands. It is
true that some “manufacturers” put fanciful marks on unauthorized copies!
However, there is a trademark that could be this one
but partially erased (without any guarantee), it could be
Antoine
MASEREEL (See trademark attached).
The
weapon in question is also a Colt, a weapon that he manufactured extensively and
which you can find in the attached list.
LRF: This
could be a manufacturer’s brand or a subcontractor. Checked on the list of
manufacturers of Liège-based COLT, it is not there. See list in the annex.
The
hallmarks of the Liège profhouse still visible on the barrel are:
ELG* in a
vertical oval: definitive acceptance in use from 1846 to 1893.
C*:
Controller’s countermark, in use from 1877 to 1968.
GG
Masereel Antoine
I got a few gun butts that the salesman says are from “La Manufacture d’Armes A. Masereel.” His grandfather had bought the stock of coins in early 1960.
A & B are made of ebonite, F in an unknown material and the rest is made of pressed horn.
Gaston.
MASEREEL Antoine
MASEREEL Antoine
Revolver of the type GASSER-MONTENEGRIN to central percussion.
The grooved cylinder is rather long, and yet in a calibre (8mm) enough running, usually this type of barrel announces a special calibre of type Russian NAGANT or 12 mm Gasser. It is true that in this case the cylinder often carries 5 cartridges only; yours has 7 rooms!
The rifled bore is with 8 sides with hexagonal ring and front sight in half-moon.
The loading is practiced by a side door dropping thanks to an external spring.
Unloading is practiced with the hand and casing by casing thanks to the metal rod swivelling on its axis.
The grips consists of two plates in bone, they are connected by a through screw and two rivet washers.
The stick ends in a ring of cap aimed in the metal skeleton of stick.
The weapon carries the punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance post 1893.
C spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
R crowned: rifled bore post 1894.
The L crowned does not belong to the proofhouse and its origin is unknown.
I think that it could act of a mark of foundry struck by the manufacturer of the cylinder.
The trademark to the lions drawn up on the former ones belongs to the manufacturer of weapons Antoine MASEREEL street Saint Hubert, 15 in Liege
The illegible initial struck the amount of stick are probably marks of subcontractor.
In appendix: a page of catalogue MASEREEL showing a similar weapon and an engraving of sailing boat well in the style of the engraving of boat engraved with the thunder.
GG
MASEREEL Antoine
MASEREEL Antoine, manufacturer of weapons (BE 1910/1953) street Saint Hubert, 15 in Liege.
In 1910, it takes again the activity of SMETS Joseph & MASEREEL A.
His catalogue n° 51 offer a great choice of rifles, rifles and revolvers of all types such as Lefaucheux, Moray, Bull-dog, Constable, S&W, Kobold, The Cyclist, Lincoln, Vélo-dog, Constabulary Mauser, Novo, Municipal, Russian Constable of police force, Nagant system, American Colt, revolver Oury extractor, Montenegrin etc.
GG
Mark of Masereel
Masereel
It is about a copy inhabitant of Liège of the American revolver with percussion COLT NAVY 1851 called in LIEGE “BROOKLYN BRIDGE” because of coarse engraving being reproduced on the barrel (suspension bridge and evolution of boats).
Inspired freely of the Navy Colt, it borrows the majority of its characteristics to him.
230 mm length, it is shorter than its model.
The octagonal barrel measures 100mm.
It functions in simple action and its barrel presents 5 rooms at percussion. It is a little longer than the model.
This type of weapon was manufactured by several arms manufacturers of Liège of which CLEMENT and RONGÉ and probably MASEREEL since this one carries the mark from there.
The majority of these marks were however whimsical such as for example the cross and crowned keys which are also reproduced on the CLEMENT-RONGÉ!
One can consider that this weapon was manufactured by Clément Rongé, which would explain the mark? It would then have been resold by MASEREEL, it was practical current at the time, but this is only assumption!
The lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege are reproduced on the cylinder, namely:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance post 1893. This date can appear late for a weapon with percussion but these BROOKLYN BRIDGE still appeared in the catalogue ALFA of 1911!
J spangled: countermark of the controller post 1893.
Other markings are:
PATENT SYSTEM: whimsical marking not meaning anything
Crowned cross keys: to see above.
A crowned: mark unknown and probably whimsical. One can consider A of Antoine MASEREEL but they are extremely doubtful!
GG
