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
HANQUET Ferdinand
It is a
small revolver with a spindle (Lefaucheux system) that looks good and has
several elements in that sense, such as its ball frontsight and its sympathetic
grid pads. It has a retractable
trigger like most of its counterparts designed to be carried in your pocket.
Its fluted rather than full cylinder suggests a rather late manufacture for this
type of revolver.
Caliber 7mm pinfire.
The origin of Liège is attested by its markings: oval ELG, proof markings.
ELG* in a crowned oval: Definitive acceptance in use from 1893 to 1968.
R
crowned: rifled barrel, in use from 1894 to 1968.
P*: countermark of the controller, in use from 1877 to 1968.
It
carries the Number 6, which is probably its serial number (on the back of the
cylinder).
Its manufacturer is easily identified by the marking on the left side of the barrel:
Fand HANQUET : this is the trademark of the arms manufacturer Ferdinand HANQUET in Liège (30.06.1842 to 05.07.1909). His company was registered with the Liege proofhouse from 1872 to 1920. The company was absorbed by the FABRIQUE D’ARMES UNIES DE LIEGE (F.A.U.L.) in 1920. He was also president of the Mutual of Armouriers.
Anecdotes : Revolvers with 7mm spindles have been implicated in famous miscellaneous events: it was with this type of weapon that in 1873 Paul Verlaine shot Arthur Rimbaud twice, and in 1890 Vincent Van Gogh committed suicide.
Chris and HPH
