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
Verrées & Oste S.A.
The weapon
Shotgun double, percussion central, locks hammerless and key “top lever.
The unrifled bores are of gauge 12-70.
The forearm is with push rod.
“English” engraving.
The stick out of wooden of walnut is “worked with English”.
Punches
The weapon presents the punches of tests of Liège, namely:
ELG on star in an oval under crown: acceptance post 1893.
Z under star: countermark of the controller post 1877.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
1Kg 354: weight of the barrel which can draw from the powders without smoke (weapons smooth) except for the gram.
12-70 in an omega: gauge nominal and length of casing, of use of 1924 to our days.
“z” in small letter: yearly letter of 1947. (Date of manufacture)
18.3 CHOKE 18.2: chokes barrels: gauged to 22 cm of the breech. In use of 1924 to 1968.
Marks
VERREES & OSTE à LIEGE: manufacturers of weapons in Liege, registered voters with the proofhouse of 1942 to 1952.
The company will become then VERREES & Co S.A. street Saint Gilles, 386 in LIEGE, in 1952.
In 1956, it takes again firm LEBEAU-COURALLY and the name keeps some!
SPECIALY MADE FOR MGD: special manufacture for MGD? I am unaware of to whom that correspond?
1356: serial number.
LLH: mark of the manufacturer of barrels of rifles Laurent Lochet Habran of Jupille
(see site).
GG
Verrées & Oste S.A.
Damage for your too dark photographs, the weapon really seems to be worth the sorrow of it.
I could not all especially read the inscriptions, markings and punches of the barrels.
In short, I then nevertheless to say to you that it is about a double rifle with locks hammerless and key of opening “Top lever” It acts of a gauge 12 and the barrels of steel are of course smooth.
The forearm seems me to be with push rod and the stick out of wooden of drowning of English type.
The weapon carries the punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance post 1893.
U spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
12-70 in an omega: gauge and length of casing, of use of 1924 to our days.
1Kg652: Weight of the gun which can draw from the powders without smoke (weapons smooth) except for the gram. In use of 1924 to our days.
CHOKE 18.3 - 18.2: Chokés guns: cal. to 22 cm of the breech. In use of 1924 to our days.
Letter omega: yearly letter of 1949. (Year of manufacture of your rifle)
The weapon also bears the name of the firm which it manufactured either VERREES & OSTE S.A. Manufacture d’armes fines, street Saint Gilles, 99 in LIEGE.
VERREES, Joseph was registered with the proofhouse of Liege of 1945 to 1949 while VERREES & OSTE S.A one is of 1942 to 1952. The company then changed corporate name to become VERREES & Co street St Gilles 386 in LIEGE (1952/1956)
In 1956, VERREES took again the activity of Continental Company LEBEAU-COURALLY.
In 1954, it deposited a Belgian patent for an improvement with the fool-proof mechanisms for firearms.
At the time of a visit in 2004, the director Mr. MOERMANS affirmed that the company preserved all the numbers of manufacture with the name of the first purchaser.
This firm recently has just changed direction but perhaps could it still answer your question.
In appendix, extract of a page of catalogue VERREES & OSTE showing a rifle resembling yours partly.
It also bears the name of a known engraver LEONARD SMEETS, of which you can see a work of great beauty on the site in the page:
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/graveurs/a%20smeets%20leonard.htm
GG
