Little old double barreled pistol

fernando · 1st February 2012, 03:38 PM

Liege (province) has a great firearms history. They used to make the finest stuff in the XVIII century. Later they were invaded by Napoleon, from whose system rules were established, like the imposing of proof marks. Coming the XIX century (becoming Belgium) production was massified and they started replicating all kinds of models, some under contract and implicit quality rules and other countless pieces without the minimum of standards ... including safety.
When you find a pistol for sale over here, the probability that it has the Liege punctions in it are extremely high.

Maurice · 2nd February 2012, 09:23 AM

Thank you again for your great help!
Now I know it was probably Belgium, I contacted a Belgium friend of mine.
He gave me the same information as you guys, so the mistery is solved to me.

Indeed they seem to be made in larger quantities at that time!

broadaxe · 4th February 2012, 05:56 PM

Just to support my colleagues here: Belgian two-barrells box-lock boot gun. I see them occasionaly even here (Israel) as family heirlooms and field finds (in bad shape). Along the 19th century Belgium was a major supplier of both small and large arms to the region. Would you like to see a Liege 3-ton muzzle loader?

Maurice · 6th February 2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadaxe

Just to support my colleagues here: Belgian two-barrells box-lock boot gun. I see them occasionaly even here (Israel) as family heirlooms and field finds (in bad shape). Along the 19th century Belgium was a major supplier of both small and large arms to the region. Would you like to see a Liege 3-ton muzzle loader?

Thanks for the confirmation!
Sure, would like to see the muzzle loader!

Rg,
Maurice

Matchlock · 6th February 2012, 11:02 AM

Hi Maurice,

Your little double-barrel percussion pistol belongs to a well-known group of cheap Liège-made Belgian mass production firearms which were used as noise makers to scare off starlings fron vineyards (German: Weinbergpistole). They were almost identically manufactured from the 1870's thru the 1940's and came either single- or double-barreled.

Best,
Michael

broadaxe · 6th February 2012, 11:54 AM

Here you go: this giant is mounted on the wall of old Acre, length is 2.75m, bore is ~230mm.

SERGIU · 6th February 2012, 12:43 PM

Maurice,
No such weapons were ever made in Romania (wallachia or Moldavia) but here in the former austro-hungarian province of Banat we could find a number of this typical boxlock pistols , mainly belgians, but according to marks on the barrels, also german-made pistols and even hungarian. They came cheap, and we found anouncements in local 1880-1890 newspapers for arms dealers who still selled them along with other obsolete small arms like lefaucheux pinfire pepperboxes or one-barrel boxlock pistols. (dealer, Dusan Lazics, Zapolya street in Timisoara, prices: belgian bulldog 5 shots 3,50-5,00 fl.; small velodog revolver engraved 4,00-6,00 fl; boxlock pistol 1,50-2,00 fl)
But all the boxlock pistols in our museum arsenal have octogonal barrels.

6th February 2012, 11:02 AM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Maurice, Your little double-barrel percussion pistol belongs to a well-known group of cheap Liège-made Belgian mass production firearms which were used as noise makers to scare off starlings fron vineyards (German: Weinbergpistole). They were almost identically manufactured from the 1870's thru the 1940's and came either single- or double-barreled. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 6th February 2012 at 01:58 PM.

6th February 2012, 11:54 AM	#6
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	Here you go: this giant is mounted on the wall of old Acre, length is 2.75m, bore is ~230mm. Attached Images

1st February 2012, 03:38 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Liege (province) has a great firearms history. They used to make the finest stuff in the XVIII century. Later they were invaded by Napoleon, from whose system rules were established, like the imposing of proof marks. Coming the XIX century (becoming Belgium) production was massified and they started replicating all kinds of models, some under contract and implicit quality rules and other countless pieces without the minimum of standards ... including safety. When you find a pistol for sale over here, the probability that it has the Liege punctions in it are extremely high.

2nd February 2012, 09:23 AM	#2
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,460	Thank you again for your great help! Now I know it was probably Belgium, I contacted a Belgium friend of mine. He gave me the same information as you guys, so the mistery is solved to me. Indeed they seem to be made in larger quantities at that time!

4th February 2012, 05:56 PM	#3
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	Just to support my colleagues here: Belgian two-barrells box-lock boot gun. I see them occasionaly even here (Israel) as family heirlooms and field finds (in bad shape). Along the 19th century Belgium was a major supplier of both small and large arms to the region. Would you like to see a Liege 3-ton muzzle loader?

6th February 2012, 12:43 PM	#7
SERGIU Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Timisoara, Romania Posts: 32	Maurice, No such weapons were ever made in Romania (wallachia or Moldavia) but here in the former austro-hungarian province of Banat we could find a number of this typical boxlock pistols , mainly belgians, but according to marks on the barrels, also german-made pistols and even hungarian. They came cheap, and we found anouncements in local 1880-1890 newspapers for arms dealers who still selled them along with other obsolete small arms like lefaucheux pinfire pepperboxes or one-barrel boxlock pistols. (dealer, Dusan Lazics, Zapolya street in Timisoara, prices: belgian bulldog 5 shots 3,50-5,00 fl.; small velodog revolver engraved 4,00-6,00 fl; boxlock pistol 1,50-2,00 fl) But all the boxlock pistols in our museum arsenal have octogonal barrels.