doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Belgian hammer gun questions

After picking up a Belgian, evidently a guild gun, hammerless 16ga, circa 1910-24,I have been admiring the workmanship.

Well, today, at Cabelas gun show in 'the peoples socialist republic of Ill., and it was flooded with European guns. Someone said Sweeden was taxing gun owners for each gun they owned and Cabelas bought a large lot of guns people were getting rid of I guess. Alot of the older, better Biakals, FEG, Sauer, Belgians, Ayas, (I picked up a boxlock Garbi for $200), Lauronas and others.

Anyway, I picked up a hammer Belgian 12ga in about 80+ % in very good working order. Good and tight on face, hammers had good positive clicks on thumbing back.

On the barrels it says: Fabriqueq D'Armes Unies De Liege. I guess the maker's name is in there somewhere. Has engraving of a horse with rider jumping fences on each barrel along with other modest engraving.
One of the proof marks is 12-70 inside an oval C, which I think dates it 1924 or later. Kind of surprises me they would still be making hammer guns that late. Serial number is 958xx.

Anyone know for sure the maker and date of mfg.?

Thanks much.

Here is some info on FAUL
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/art...0liege%20gb.htm

There should be a date code on the barrels.

For proof and trade marks and date codes:
http://damascus-barrels.com/bp.html

Pete

Thanks Pete,

The only single letters are Z and X with stars above them, which I think are inspector's initials.

The one mark that I couldn't figure out looks to be a small cursive S, which would be a 1940 date. Would they have made a hammer gun that late?

The hammer gun pictured in the first site you listed, looks just like my gun with a little different engraving.

Mine also has a small "egg" cheek piece.

ALSO, MY BARRELS DON'T HAVE FLATS
as the water tables are slightly concave to seat the barrels. Never saw that before.

The answer to all this yes. They would have made one that late. Hammer guns are made today. The concave flats are not unusual. Sounds like a decent field gun that was meant for the European market. While it should have no problem with modern ammo, it is still over 60+ years old. I would not feed it a constant diet of duck loads. I picked up a Husqvarna hammer gun of the same vintage. Once the stock was removed all sorts of cracks were discovered. So have the gun checked out.



Pete

Thanks Pete,

Although I can't find cracks anywhere, that pic is very compelling.

I plan on shooting 7000 psi loads from RST or Polywad.

No problem. The gun was supposed to be the start of a cheap project, that progressively got more and more expensive. The cracked stock was the 1st blow. None of the cracking was visible until the action was removed. While we often talk barrels to death, the wood will often suffer just as much under heavy recoil. 7000 psi sounds just fine.

Pete

Up here in Canada we have a company called Tradeex Canada. I just looked up their website, They have hundereds and hundreds of guns and rifles, pistols too, they heve Walther P38s on at $255.00 each.
I might get a 12 ga Husky hammer gun for $125.00 Or a Husky Mauser rifle in 9.3x62 or 9.3x57 for around $300.00.
Sweden can'y have many guns left!
Mike

Just remember PSI is not what damages the wood. The wood would much prefer an oz of shot moving 1200fps @ 10K psi than 1¼oz moving 1300 fps @ 8K psi.

I talked to RST one day and they said their loadings run around 1185 fps.