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
Louis Simonon
After going through the percussion (Cap & Ball) and
the pinfire system, Colonel Le Mat adapted the weapon to the central percussion.
For financial reasons the colonel came to have his weapons manufactured by
Auguste
Francotte and about twenty other Liège
manufacturers. In principle, the weapon manufactured in Liège included the
keeled ejection rod, the oval bridge and the gun selector on the hammer, which
could thus be operated with one hand. A copy of this type is kept at the Grand
Curtius in Liège (ref. 629Fe 1-2).
However,
the specimen presented here does not correspond to these last specificities. It
has a central percussion (adapted around 1869). The barrel is 8 shots it seems
to me + the central machine gun. The caliber could be 450. I only received 4
photos to judge!
The
weapon bears only one visible mark of the test bench of Liège, namely the
crowned R (striped gun – hallmark in use from 1894 to 1968?)
The weapon also bears a largely erased Liège
manufacturer’s mark, which makes identification very difficult. I think I read
L ? S ?? à Liège.
This could "maybe" correspond to
Simonon L.J.
gunsmith in Herstal. Between 1852 and 1889, he filed eight patents for
inventions.
GG
Louis Simonon
SIMONON, Louis was an arms manufacturer with Herstal (Liege) street of Herntz. It was registered with the proofhouse of Liège of 1932 to 1962.
Its mark was quite simply L.S.
1st gun:
D crowned: is the mark of the manufacturer of guns of rifle DELCOUR in Nessonvaux (see site)
Greek letter ETA (N): letter of the year 1955.
Coupled AA and spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance post 1893.
12-65 (?) in the letter omega lying: gauge nominal and length of casing, of use of 1924 to our days.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
1Kg 286: weight of the barrel which can draw from the powders without fume (weapons smooth) except for the gram. In use of 1924 to our days.
2nd gun:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: idem above.
12-65 (unobtrusive?) in omega lying: idem above.
P spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: idem.
1Kg 335: idem
Peron: inspection post 1853.
d in small letter: yearly letter (1958? without certainty).
18.5 - 17.4: chokés guns: cal. to 22 cm of the breech, of use of 1924 to 1968.
6017 should be the n° of series.
GG
