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
This weapon is with my direction a Belgian rifle ALBINY but the photographs representing the weapon supplements are not very clear.
It is doubtless about a displaced weapon repurchased by the PIRE firm in ANTWERP and reconditioned gauges 28 of hunting of them!
It was also shortened out of snap hook.
This weapon carries a multitude of marks and punches which I classify as follows:
Marks of the Manufacture d’Armes de l’Etat in Liège:
GB in an oval: mark Belgian government (state-owned property) used of 1831 to the surroundings of 1920.
The small mark beside GB is illegible for me. Could be an inspection mark.
1870: year
999: n° of work order of Manu.
Mark round on wood (strongly erased and overloaded) Punch of government (L in a crowned circle, LEOPOLD I or II)
300 m: beside the rise is the distance from shooting.
735 GH: probably mark of controller.
S: lawful marking indicating that the weapon was useful in the regiment of pomegranates.
FP in a crowned oval: marking of tests of Manu.
Punches of the proofhouse of Liege
The weapon having been reconditioned in gauge of hunting, it has undergoes a new test and was struck following punches:
ELG * in a crowned oval: final acceptance post 1893.
Peron: inspection post 1853.
A spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
28 C in a rhombus: gauge, of use of 1898 to 1924. This marking thus states that the reconditioning was practiced between these two dates.
The retailer
Marking on the stick: It is about the arms manufacturer Jules PIRE & C° in ANTWERP, 33 avenue of Keyser.
Others
The two coins encrusted in the stick are decorative additions probably placed by one of the owners (civil) of the weapon.
GG
