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
LEVAUX, Nicolas and Eugène RADELET
Bd d'Avroy, 244 to Liège
1929- ?
LEVAUX Dieudonné
Patent n° 38.750 register to Liège (by MERCENIER G) to 26.01.1876.
GG
Dieudonné LEVAUX
Patents: 28.279 of the 15/11/1870, 28.367 of the 31/01/1871, 38.750 of the 15/02/1876, 43.296 October 1877.
LEVAUX Dieudonné (or Dieu Donné), Feneur (Dalhem) then Trembleur (Blegny) is before a whole inventor whose weapons (generally of the revolvers with crack provided with an extractor with disc) were manufactured by various firms inhabitants of Liège: G Mercenier, L Ancion-Marx... and others, which had sometimes the courtesy to make appear the name or the initial ones: D.D. Levaux Bté - D.D.L. Bté.
Certain arms manufacturers or famous merchants finished of Levaux by affixing their name there: Braendlin, Hughes in England, Bodeo E Carral in Italy, Ferran y Turdera in Argentina, A.D. Jansen in Brussels, etc...
The weapons based on one or more of the 4 patents quoted above were an unquestionable international success lasting nearly 30 years.
HPH
Dieudonné Levaux
Here is an interesting revolver by
Dieudonné
Levaux-Stas of Cheratte. This armourer has
already been extensively mentioned on the website.
You can
also see patent 38750 of 29 January 1876 relating to the “revolver system with
extractor and central fire”. There are also other Levaux revolvers in the
“exceptional collection”.
All I can
add is that the revolver we are dealing with also has a system for disassembling
the grips (and thus accessing the mechanism): you have to push on the cap ring
(to the left when you hold the revolver in your right hand). This system was the
subject of (partly) patent 043296 of 11 October 1877, the drawing of which is
shown below (the other part of the patent concerns the triggerguard used as an
extractor).
It is
therefore advisable to the happy owners of Levaux revolvers to check if the cap
ring is fixed or movable to allow the handle to be opened.
GP
Dieudonné Levaux
It is about a revolver top break
Dieudonné
Levaux with central percussion. This weapon
was the subject of a patent filling the 15/02/1876 undert the n°
38750.
(See the enclosure) the barrel is with 8 sides and carries a rectangular front
sight placed dovetail. The cylinder is with 6 blows. The calibre is of the .320.
The trigger is without trigger guard. The stick consist of two plates of walnut
squared joined together by a central screw and rivet washers with ears. This
stick ends in a ring of cap and its screw-pivot. The entirety of the weapon
carry gilded nails (or out of gold?) placed in rhombus.
Punches
The
weapon does not carry any lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liège.
Marks
This
revolver of luxury carries the following marks:
5368: serial number?
D.D.
Levaux Bté
: Revolver Levaux
was manufactured by several firms of Liège of which in particular
Lepage,
Ancion-Marx,
Jean-Baptiste Rongé.
It carries however only the mark of the inventor who is probably also the
manufacturer.
Acier
fondu
(Crucible cast steel) : matter whose is made the weapon.
C
Albaladejo Y Ca San Martin IB Buenos Ayres
Obviously it acts of the Argentinean retailer!
GG
Dieudonné Levaux
Very nice !!!
Dieudonné LEVAUX
Here is a DD levaux 450 revolver with the fold out sideways cylinder.
It's a very similar gun to the smaller one in the "exceptional private
collection".
Must be a rare gun because I can't find any others on the internet anywhere.
Mark
Dieudonné LEVAUX
Here is
a Levaux six-shot revolver of unspecified caliber (probably 380), sold by T Page
Wood to Bristol.
I see
only a crowned G (?) as a punch, which could be the mark of a controller of the
Liege Proof House (in use until 26 January 1877). But I don't see the ELG punch
in an oval (unless it's on the barrel, where the gold wire is interrupted????).
The
mention DD Levaux Patented appears on the weapon, but it may have been
manufactured by someone else. Read the long notice published on the Littlegun
website on this subject.
The
mention ACIER FONDU (FOUND STEEL) refers to the type of metal.
As for
the mention on the barrel, it is in fact the house T. Page-Wood of Bristol,
created in 1876. See the interesting notice below. Note that the Stockel does
not mention it. . . .
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=195806
I cannot
explain the two numbers, 1863 and 4569. 1863 does not correspond to a date since
Dieudonné Levaux's patent dates back to 1876. . .
GP
Dieudonné LEVAUX
Dieudonné LEVAUX
Revolver Dieudonné LEVAUX with central percussion and top break. This weapon was the subject of a patent filling the 15/02/1876 under the n° 38750 (see enclosures). The cylinder is with 8 sides with front sight in half-moon. The cylinder is a 6 shots. The gauge is not indicated on the weapon. The grips consists of two plates of walnut squared joined together by a central screw and two brass rivet washers. This stick ends in a ring of cap and its screw-pivot.
Punches
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of LIEGE, namely:
ELG* in a vertical oval: final acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
M spangled: countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
These dates thus indicate a period of manufacture of 1877 to 1893.
Marks
This revolver carries the following marks:
PATENT 455: mark attesting that the weapon is thus patented protected.
15546: serial number.
Interlaced T.J (read so well?): this mark was completely unknown for me and my research is remained vain! Is call launched to the readers? Revolver LEVAUX was manufactured by several firms of Liège of which in particular ANCION-MARX and Jean-baptiste RONGé.
Marks ND and GF in a rectangle read so well because the photographs are fuzzy are most probably marks of subcontractors.
GG
LEVAUX-STAS Dieudonné
Revolver with annular percussion (to be checked) seems to me with the shape of the striker, with closed framework, of caliber 380 to 6 shots.
The loading and the extraction of the casings are practiced by a side door dropping thanks to the action of an internal spring and a metal rod swivelling on an axis.
The grooved barrel with six shots does not comprise obviously an other extractor.
The gun is octagonal and is equipped with a front sight in half-moon.
The stick is made up of two plates of drowning finely squared maintained by a through screw and two rivet washers. It ends in a metal cap and a ring.
The plate covering the system is removable and is solidarized with the frame by a system tenon mortise.
The weapon carries the punches of the bench of tests of Liege, namely:
Spangled ELG in an oval: acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
H spangled: countermark of the controller post 1877.
The weapon was thus manufactured between 1877 and 1893.
It also carries other marks like:
Cal 380: gauge weapon (38 short)
822: job number.
DDL Bté: meaning that this weapon is patented. I think that this weapon could be manufactured by LEVAUX-STAS Dieudonné, manufacturer of weapons with BLEGNY-TREMBLEUR (plate of HERVE in the neighbourhoods of Liege), which deposits between 1870 and 1888, eleven patents in particular on the revolvers.
A checking is in hand in order to compare presents it weapon and the patents which it deposited. All new positive elements will be the subject obviously of a communication.
GG
D.D. Levaux breveté
Calibre .38
D.D. Levaux breveté
Sold by "MAGAZIN ROYAL"
Photos Littlegun
D.D. Levaux caliber .38
D.D. Levaux
Scarce large frame Belgian Levaux double action self-extracting revolver with Argentinian retailer's address gold inlaid on the barrel.
Left/upper side of the barrel displays following markings, "Buenos Aires". Right/upper side of the barrel displays following markings, "Ferran y Turdera".
Liege proof on the cylinder. Top break design. Non-fluted cylinder. 5.5 inch long octagonal barrel.
The revolver is lightly engraved (frame, cylinder, bridge, trigger guard, grip, etc).
Photographs et technical details friendly authorized by "Collectiblefirearms"
Another D.D. Levaux in caliber 11mm
Scarce large frame Belgian Levaux double action self-extracting revolver. Top break design. Non-fluted cylinder. 5.5 inch long octagonal barrel. Left side of the barrel displays following markings, "D.D. Levaux BT". Right side of the barrel displays following markings, "Acier Fondu". Liege proof on the cylinder. Beautiful ebony grips with diamond checkering. Nickel plating on the trigger and hammer, blue finish an all the remaining steel parts.
