doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help with some Belgian proof marks.

The NON POUR BALLE (Not For Ball) date this shotgun to pre-1897 as I recall, but some of these proofs are from a later period, correct?

Not my best pictures, but I think you can click on them for larger versions.

Etoile barreled hammergun.

EDIT: More information

Barrels 75cm (29 5/8")

Rt: .718" w/ .019" Choke
Lt: .718" w/ .029" Choke

The marks are 1910-1924, but there is no lettre annale.
'LH' may be one of the Lochet family; Henri?
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20l/a%20lochet%20famille%20gb.htm
The choke constriction is over the bore - 18.3 mm.

What year did the "NON POUR BALLE" mark go out of use? 1897 is what I found.

It is also marked '12 Over C in a Diamond'
Shouldn't .718" be a 13?

What is the 'Star over H' that appears in at least four locations?

1. It's not uncommon to see "Non Pour Balle" well after 1897.
2. Gauge over C in a Diamond was used until 1924
3. 18.3mm = .720". '13' was used by the British, not the Belgians
4. Star over a capital letter is an inspector's mark, but esp. pre-1924 can not be used to date a gun. Scroll to the bottom here
http://shotguns.se/html/belgium.html

Mike;
The 12/C in the diamond denotes the chamber size. The bore size was denoted separately & marked in mm's. .718 converts to 18.2mm. With my old eyes I cannot read the mm markings on your barrels.

Miller: please check the link. The chamber dimensions would be length in mm over diameter in mm; ie. 70 over 20.6 and was used inconsistently 1892 - 1924.

The 12 over C in a diamond is "On barrels and actions of smoothbore guns with the gauge size" 1898-1924. It was changed to gauge - chamber length in an Omega lying in 1924.

In light of the nice "American Flag" or "Washington" barrels, it likely dates to pre-WWI.

A couple more: Crown over ELG came into use in 1893. And I may be missing it--marks somewhat hard to read--but I don't see nitro proof anywhere. That'd be the rampant lion over PV from 1903 on.

I think the LH is for Lochet Habran.
Usually the mark is LLH for Laurent Lochet Habran.
The company was started in the 1860s. They were barrel makers (only).
WC-

The gun in question has the chamber mark of 12/C in a diamond, not the length & diameter marking. "IF" stamped correctly the mark as 70/20.6 was required to be used on guns undergoing Smokeless Proof "Only". I agree with Larry, I cannot see a smokeless proof mark in these pictures, so the 12/C in diamond would be the correct chamber mark.