doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Info on Francotte pigeon? Gun

Gun came in- 7.75lbs 14.5lop 30in barrel .735 bores with slight frosting in bores actually quite nice both choked .033 . Barrels .175 thick at 3.3in .075 at 9 inches minimum.040 6in from muzzle. Guess she’s my new duck goose gun.

It's gorgeous - enjoy it!

Wow!! That is really pretty. Have fun with it!!

Very neat gun, with impressive wall thickness! With the side clips and at that weight it may well have been ordered for Live Birds and Inanimate Targets, which were limited to 8# in competition.

VL&D started importing Francottes in 1889.

The first annual Sportsmen's Exposition in Madison Square Garden, New York, 1895
https://books.google.com/books?id=n0IhAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA419&lpg#v=onepage&q&f=false
A very attractive exhibit was made by a very fine showing of Francotte bammerless guns. No cheap guns were shown, but just a limited number of special high grades, the best being an extra fine one, which was sold to George Barker for $108. This gun was a 12-guage, weighing 7 3/4 pounds, having the Siemon-Marten steel barrel and six fastenings, a double bolt of the Purdey action, a double side breech projection, Greener cross bolt and doll's head extension, with extra bite in the extension. There were other grades from $80 to $450 the latter containing the most artistic and elaborate engraving and most elegant finish throughout.

Both Justus and Carl von Lengerke, and Gus Grieff, were regular competitors in east coast shoots, and the GAH, using and promoting Francotte imports
1895 Penn. State Shoot
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/47783/rec/22

24 Francottes were used at the 1899 GAH, no doubt with Smokeless loads which were in wide general use after about 1895

Wow, I didn’t really understand the quality of these turn of the century Francotte guns. This one is solid, tight and Heavy (not too heavy but close) but takes on a swing of its own.Can’t wait to stumble across one of this model in a 16ga, it will be purchased on the spot if I can swing it. Found Teddy Roosevelt had a similar one but with fluid steel barrels. I prefer the Damascus at this weight if I’m going to deal with 7 3/4lbs. Anyway these Francotte dual sear box locks with 3rd fasteners are very impressive. A 6-6.25lbs one of these with 28inch barrels would be a dream of a bird gun.
Thanks again for the information! I used some comp 1, 7/8 loads that were suggested here and will definitely buy more.

Well I found and bought a 6.25 ejector knock about in great shape today. 28in barrels nitro proofed 14.5 lop supposedly choked skt/mod. No serial number yet, but see pics of barrel flats? Anything special about these barrels? Were all knock abouts light?

Hurlingham reduced allowable weight for pigeon competition from 8 lbs to 7lbs 8oz for the 1883 season.

The "Featherweight" models were pre-1910
The post-1910 Knockabout with ejectors was $80 net
The No. 10 Quality was a non-ejector lightweight field gun at $100 net
The lettre annale is 'd' for 1925
The barrels are the time of proof weighed 1.397 Kg (maybe) = 2.97#. The gun is indeed a lightweight
I don't think I've seen a Francotte import marked 2 5/8"
The arrow points at what may be the crowned D of Delcour-Dupont tube maker, using Cockerill steel

It says “ The Knock About Gun” on the top of the right barrel and VLD spelled out on left. Just hadn’t seen a knock about with ejectors before. Looks like barrels were proofed d 1925.

Thanks again. I appreciate any information on these guns since I will be keeping them. I was happy to find a lighter shorter barreled version so quickly and inexpensive. It has the same dolls head with cross bolt as other. I have seen with regular slot style rib extension but prefer the dolls head combo.

A repro of the 1925-26 VL&D catalog is available
https://cornellpubs.com/product/997/