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
Lovinfosse-Hardy François
Here's a lovely
little revolver from the "Vélodog" category, chambered for the 6mm long Vélodog
centerfire ammunition. The concept for these weapons is generally attributed to
René Galand, son of the famous Charles-François Galand, who was certainly (at
least) an accomplice in this project.
At the beginning
of the 20th century, this category of pocket weapons arose from the need for
gunsmiths to modernize their small revolvers in order to remain competitive with
semi-automatic pocket pistols, such as the 6.35, for example. These pocket
weapons are still based on the design of the British Bull Dog revolvers
developed in the early 1870s, but feature a modernized, yet elegant look. The
shrouded hammer and recessed trigger make them easy to carry in a pocket and
limit the risk of snagging when removing them! The pocket gun market was flooded
with these revolvers from Liège, which were sold at attractive prices, sometimes
even offered as gifts alongside a larger purchase, such as a bicycle, for
example (which justifies their colorful nickname, Vélodog...).
Markings:
Number 18 (back of
cylinder): probably serial number.
ELG over a star in
an oval under a crown: final acceptance after 1893.
PV surmounted by a
stylized lion: smokeless powder proof, in use from 1898 to 1968.
Crowned R:
Verification mark for rifled handguns, from January 30, 1894, to February 26,
1968.
AH joined under a
star: countermark of the inspector after 1877.
Crowned L on the
back of the cylinder: assigned to one of the two forges/foundries supplying the
cylinders on demand.
The initials FL
can be seen in an oval under the left plate. This mark was previously attributed
to the firm LOVINFOSSE-HARDY, François, a gun manufacturer located at 76 Rue
Hayeneux in Herstal, holder of two patents between 1885 and 1909. This craftsman
is well documented on the website.
In summary, this
pocket revolver from the "Vélodog" family in 6mm Vélodog caliber most likely
comes from the workshops of François Lovinfosse-Hardy. It was inspected in Liège
after 1898, and it is reasonable to assume that it was produced in the early
years of the 20th century.
Chris
