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
Henri Mathieu SAUVEUR
It is a
COMBLAIN rifle
model 1871-1883, originally in 11 mm (11x43), converted by
Henri SAUVEUR
into a short .22 caliber. The weapon bears the hallmarks of the Liège
proofhouse:
ELG* in a
crowned vertical oval: definitive acceptance, in use from 1893 to 1968.
C*:
countermark of the controller, in use from 1877 to 1968.
The .22 C
(short) caliber.
Henri
SAUVEUR fils & Cie
was registered with the proofhouse between 1908 and 1938. It seems that it began
its activities in 1903.
Among other things, it produced precision weapons,
rifles and pistols (Henri SAUVEUR
was an excellent shooter, champion of Belgium in 1913, 1926 and 1927). The
Belgian champion Paul Van Asbroek won medals at the Olympic Games in Paris in
1900 and London in 1908 with pistols of
Henri SAUVEUR.
But it also transformed old military weapons into sporting or recreational
weapons, such as the weapon used by the Belgian cavalry until the early 1900s.
A new .22 short barrel was introduced into the old one
(11 mm). In addition, the movable bridge has been fitted with a Winchester
extension to facilitate its operation.
Finally, the hammer has also been modified, but
we don't see it in the pictures. It is not impossible that the buttplate
retained the number of the weapon and the letter of the regiment (cavalry) to
which it belonged.
Chris, HPH, Max, GP, Alain
Henri Mathieu Sauveur
Henri SAUVEUR actually began his career of manufacturer of weapons in 1903.
He was registered with the proofhouse of Liege of 1903 to 1938 and since 1908 was installed in LIEGE street Out-Castle n°9 under the denomination Henri Sauveur Son & Co.
He makes use of mark HS in a rhombus on point.
He would thus not be the manufacturer of this weapon.
Another SAUVEUR fore-mentioned Henri Mathieu was also a manufacturer of weapons in Liege street sister of Hasque, 2 in 1888 then street On the Fountain, 84 in Liege in 1908. Between these two dates it deposited two patents for a system of single-barrelled rifle taking care by the breech and a system of safety of hammer adapting to the Chassepot rifles transformed into shotgun.
I am unaware of if it used a specific mark but its dates of activities tally better with the period of manufacture of this weapon.
GG
