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
Manufacture Liégeoise d’armes à Feu
It is about a shotgun to central percussion with two unrifled bores, juxtaposed, out of steel and of gauge 12. The two hammers are external. Behind those we find a key “Top lever” allowing the rocking of the barrels. Locks of type “ahead” and are decorated with an engraving in rollers. The stick in walnut is worked “with English”. The double trigger is protected by an oval trigger guard.
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege, that is to say:
ELG*in a crowned oval: final acceptance post 1893.
Peron: inspection, of use of 1853 to our days.
M*: countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
12 C in a rhombus: gauge, of use of 1898 to 1924, which gives us a date of approximate manufacture.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke, of use of 1898 to 1968.
P1K514, 3: Weight of the barrel which can draw from the powders without smoke (smooth weapons). In use of 1892 to 1924.
EL in English letters: provisional test, of use of 1852 to our days.
Choke 17,5/18.4 - 17,5/18.3: Chokes barrels, gauged in mm, to 22 cm of the breech and the mouth. In use of 1910 to 1924 what still refines the age of the weapon.
D= 70 M/M /20.6; Length of the room in mm and diameter in mm after optional test with the powder without smoke. In use of 1892 to 1924.
The weapon also carries the following marks:
Manufacture liégeoise d’armes à feu, société
anonyme Liège Belgique:
This firm was located street of Vertbois, 54 in Liege.
ML
crowned Special steel:
type of steel used for the barrels.
ML
crowned in a vertical oval:
one of the marks of this firm.
GG
Manufacture Liégeoise d’armes à Feu
It's about a shotgun hammerless to central percussion of type Anson & Deeley.
Locks are of type “ahead” and carry a light engraving. The key of opening is of
standard “Top Lever ”. The hammers are external. The unrifled bores of gauge 24
are juxtaposed. They are joined together by a striated band. The stick out of
wood of walnut is worked “pistol”.
The weapon carries the lawful punches of the proofhouse of Liege, namely:
ELG* in a crowned oval:
final acceptance post 1893.
Perron:
inspection, of use of 1853 to our days.
L spangled:
countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
EL in English letters:
provisional test, of use of 1852 to our days.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion:
test with the smoke-free powder, of use of 1898 to 1968.
24.65 in an omega:
gauge nominal and length of the casing. In use of 1924 to our days.
Choke 14.8 and 14.7:
choke barrels, gauged in mm to 22 cm of the breech and the mouth.
Letter "e" underlined:
yearly letter of 1966 (?).
The weapon also carries the following marks:
ML:
Manufacture liégeoise d’armes à feu,
company located in Liege street of Vertbois, 54.
ML crowned in a vertical oval:
idem above.
148520:
number of the weapon.
ACM in a circle:
mark of the manufacturer of barrels of rifles which I could not identify!
GG
The letter of the year 1966 give us a big problem because firm
ML existed only until 1929!!
Alain
Manufacture Liégeoise d’armes à Feu
It is about a shotgun to central percussion, juxtaposed unrifled bores, rocks with key top between the external hammers, barrels in English Damas, squared stick gun.
Punches
They are the punches of the proof house of Liege, that is to say
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: acceptance of 1846 to 1893.
Peron: inspection post 1853.
D spangled: countermark of the controller port 1877.
EL in cursive letters: provisional test post 1852.
NON POUR BALLE: chokes unrifled bores, of use of 1878 to 1897.
Other marks
I found a HENDRIK M, of Dalhem (Liege) which in 1886 deposited a patent for a system of lever arming the 2 hammers simultaneously. I cannot however affirm to 100% that it is about same.
The various letters are probably marks of workshops.
Manufacturer
It is of course about "Manufacture Liégeoise d’armes à Feu" street of Vertbois, 54 in Liege largely evoked on the site.
GG
2 rifles of Manufacture of Liège
Oldest (below on the photographs)
It acts of a shotgun to two shots with central percussion. The rocker is with key between the external hammers and the stick is English.
The weapon carries the punches of the proof house of Liège which one can interpret as follows:
Spangled ELG in a crowned oval: final acceptance - of use of 1893 to 1968;
Peron: inspection - of use of 1853 until today.
X and H spangled: countermarks of the controllers - of use of 1877 to 1968.
28 C in a drawn up rhombus: gauge - of use of 1898 to 1924.
PV surmounted of a stylized lion: test with the powder without smoke - of use of 1898 to 1968.
D 1K134: weight of the barrel which can draw from the powders without smoke (weapons smooth) - of use of 1892 to 1924.
Choke 13.2: chokés guns: cal in mm to 22 cm of the breech and the mouth - use of 1898 to 1910.
D = 65/15,8: length of the chamber in mm and diameter in mm after optional test with the powder without smoke - use of 1892 to 1924.
The manufacturer
Mark ML crowned in a drawn up oval is the mark of MANUFACTURE LIEGEOISE D’ARMES A FEU street of Vertbois, 54 in LIEGE, deposited the 03.03.1890.
Mark ACM in a circle (read so well) is unknown for me; it should act of the manufacturer of barrels.
2e rifle (with the top of the photographs)
It acts here of a double-barreled rifle with central percussion, lock embedded and rebounding, key top lever between the external hammers. The stick is of English type.
It also carries the punches of the proof house of Liege, namely:
Peron: inspection - of use of 1853 until today.
H and X spangled: countermarks of the controllers - use of 1977 to 1968.
The manufacturer
It also acts of MANUFACTURE LIEGEOISE D’ARMES A FEU of Liege as mark ML attests some crowned in an oval (see above).
GG.
Many thanks to Douglas for the photos
