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
Francotte / Marchand
Here is
a classic open-frame pinfire revolver, black wood grips held by a transverse
screw, ring trigger (less common than the classic folding trigger on a model
without trigger guard).
We read
J. Marchand on the heel of the grips.
The markings
ELG on an asterisk in an oval: accepted between 1846 and 1893
N under asterisk: Controller’s countermark between 1877 and 1968
There is
also a shield on the barrel, whose shape looks very similar to those used at a
certain time by the firm Auguste Francotte, but the letters inside the shield
are so badly struck that I cannot attribute the revolver to this well-known
house.
As for J. Marchand, there was a gunmaker by that name, rue Nysten, 42, in Liège, but it was in 1922, which does not correspond at all to this gun, manufactured in the second half of the 19th century and at least before 1893.
There was also a Hubert Joseph Marchand, an armourer in Liège who filed a patent in 1875 for a revolver system; after examination of that patent, it has nothing to do with the exhibit before us.
Personally, I’m inclined to Hubert Joseph, who is a contemporary of the gun. But without absolute certainty.
Because
it may also be that the owner marked the gun with his name...
GP and thanks to MD, MAX, PHL and HPH.
About this house, see the new book “The
Francotte Dynasty”.
