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
Simon Noël
This is a central percussion revolver. The caliber is not indicated on
the weapon? The barrel is eight-sided in its first half and then round. It has a
V-shaped back sight and a semi-rectangular front sight large enough to be
opposite the aiming notch. The barrel probably with 6 shots is hollow. Loading
and unloading is carried out by a side door and an embossed push-button at the
height of the hammer. The trigger guard is to volute. The butt has two wooden
plates (not identified?) gridded + a cap ring and its pivot screw.
The weapon bears only a visible mark of the proofhouse in Liège, namely a
T* which is a post-1877 controller’s countermark.
It also bears the manufacturer's mark,
Model NS 1885.
In any event, it could be the manufacturer
Simon Noël,
82 Foxhalle Street and 260 Fontaine Street in Herstal, who filed 10 patents
between 1873 and 1892. I have only been able to discover two patents for
revolvers which unfortunately do not correspond to the present weapon.
GG
Simon Noël
It is a revolver with central percussion, 6-shot cylinder, semi-round and
semi-hexagonal barrel with half-moon front sight. The trigger is curved with
oval trigger guard with finger rest. Grips are made of black checked wood
(walnut ??) with central holding screw. The butt ends with a ring and its cap
screw.
The weapon bears the hallmarks of the proofhouse of Liège, namely:
- ELG* in a vertical oval: definitive acceptance, 1877/1893.
- H crowned: countermark of the controller, 1853/1877.
It also bears the following markings:
Model NS 1885
and NS:
these are the manufacturer’s brands! It could look like:
-
Simon Noël,
industrialist, rue Fontaine, 260 in Herstal, author of 10 patents from 1873 to
1892.
-
Simonis Nicolas,
Blegny-Trembleur, author of 3 patents from 1877 to 1907.
8: In my opinion, would it be the number of the weapon?
MB: Presumably the trademark of an unidentified subcontractor.
GG
