doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com centaure?

Anybody have any info or opinions on Centaure? I just purchased a nice looking twenty gauge boxlock. The gun has a fancy back, scroll engraving with wedges on the barrels, pow, splinter forearm with anson release. I have never heard of this manufacturer but bought the gun because it seemed a fine gun. I have researched best I can and it appears the company or one with a similar name built a lot of handguns. I would appreciate any info that might be provided.
The barrel flats have Belgian proof marks with an "e" which is underscored, I believe this indicates 1966 is the year it was built.

Centaure was a Belgian maker. They made some very nice guns along with some lower price point guns.
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/art...0liege%20gb.htm

If you take the barrels off, you will find the proof house marks, which should include a date code. You can look up the marks and date code here:
http://damascus-barrels.com/bp.html

Pete

Centaure guns were made by Fabriques d'Armes Unies de Liege. Various models show up in Buxton's Guide to Foreign Firearms from 1963, with the indication that "there is no source of ready-made Centaure guns in the USA". I think someone began importing them shortly thereafter. They run from a pretty basic boxlock nonejector with Greener crossbolt and some game scene engraving to much fancier guns. If yours has a fancyback and scroll, that'd make it at least a Model 50, which went for $490 in 1963. (For comparison's sake, a Browning Superposed Lightning Pigeon Grade cost $475 back then.)

An underlined e does indicate 1966.

Buxton's does not show any Centaure handguns.

I've owned a couple Centaures. One was very basic, the other a nice little Royal Crown Grade 28ga. They also made OU's that looked a lot like Merkels. Good guns, from my experience.

Not sure about their SxS stuff, but I wouldn't mind owning one of their Mauser type actioned rifles in kal 9,3mm.

thank you for the info.
Hagen