Thanks Joe. . .that is a more technical and imho a better article. With the pictures and diagrams I can understand some of the terms being used. I'll translate it today or tomorrow and then add the photos. It's worth having. (I believe we met at the Southern a couple of years ago.)
FRENCH GUNS AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
It was the sale of a used Damon Petrik gun that led us to study the production of this French firm, previously working out of Saint Etienne, whose operations unfortunately ceased several years ago; we had an opportunity to handle an arm from this establishment, a carbine type “Battailon Scolaire” (School Battalion), in 6mm caliber in the nr. 62 edition of AMI in March 1985.At first look on the rack of the used guns at our usual gunshop (armurier), we noticed a newcomer, of an elegance and finesse, of a quality of fabrication which immediately seduced us. It was like love at first sight which ended by a sale and putting it to bed.
For several years we had not been able to decide on buying an O/U gun because we found them too heavy in the action or the forearm, particularly in 12 bore; and it was without a doubt the originality of the closing method of the Petrik patent which engendered this impression of lightness of the action, yet intended for the most powerful of the three smoothbore barrels use for hunting. This also holds if we are to believe the specialists in the brand on the choice of the trunnion rocker system.
The idea of a gun with O/U barrels is ancient, but they only aroused great interest at the beginning of our century (20th century). And some great gumakers of the epoch such as Beesley, Francotte, Wodward, Petrik etc. contributed to the success, using the French principles of the action's trunnions. That was due to Pidault, gunmaker from Auxerre, who put it in focus (brought it to light) in 1885.
The first patents for the O/U gun that we present today were taken out by Boniface Petrik around 1920 of this era. The gunmaker created two companies to exploit this, but the patents were used then bought by the company Damon & Cie of St, Etienne. Some modificatons were made later to simplify the manufacturing process and to make the mechanism easier to use.
The inventor was fixated on three objectives for the new gun:
- Bring the attachment point as close as possible to the source of the force
- Limit to the maximum the vibrations of the barrel muzzles and the locking mechanisms.
- Reduce the number of internal mechanical parts with the aim of achieving better performancs and better durability.
Advocating for the O/UThe buggest argument used by Damon to vaunt the superiority of the O/U as opposed to the SxS was the better repetition of effort at the beginning of the shot. In effect on a gun with SxS barrels on the same horizontal plain and secured by a lump, the barrels had a tendency to kick up on the action under the effect of the charge of powder and to deform the lump, and this action produced alternatively in two directions following the firing of the shot. In the O/U barrels held by two lateral faces, the effort was applied between two points of suopport, and no deformation occurred.
The other arguments of the firm concerned the very good handling qualities and notably of the weak hand which more easily held the forend, thanks to its finesse, The general equilibrium was better, thanks to the recoil on the center of gravity towards the rear of the arm, due to the weight reduction of the barrels which did not require an intermediate rib. The firing visibility was helped and more natural because there was only one single sight line, as with a carbine (rifle): Finally, the ballistic performance was superior due to the method of fabricaton and the reduction of vibratons.
Technical DescrptionWe obviously sense a certain bials in these arguments but it has to be recognized that the idea of the O/U, helped by the fashion of the day, made headway and that the current development of the hunting gun now uses this path. This is about a gun with trunnions, locked by a rounded upper bolt which covers the barrel and slides backwards on the movement of the key. The trunnion action, which assures a solid seating of the barrels on the flanks of the trunnions, permits this type of locking mechanism to dispense with all others as shown in diagrams from company documents.
The functioning of the gun is also one of the most classic. The barrel, in rockig on its hinge, pushes on a stirrup (etrier) locking mechanism. which rocks up a ballbearing which forces the hammer to lift and turn on its axis and compress its coil spring; the cocking dog enters into its notch and the gun is cocked. The departure is carried out by depressing the end of the trigger which frees the cocking dog, which escapes fro its notch and the hammer falls on the acton of its spring and strikes on of the rods which pushes the firing pin as shown in another diagram from the makers documents.
The barrels of the Damon Petrik guns were generally made by the frim itself, in different qualities of steel, which evolved with time; but it also happens that one can find barrels signed “Jean Breuil,” celebrated barrel maker of great quality. In this case one can perhaps be sure that the barrels were bored and assembled by Jean Breuil and his collaborators; Afterwards, when this company disappeared, Damon bought the name, but did not use it systematically. All things said, the quality of the fabrication and the adjustment of the barrels from two provenances had an impact but certainly the signature of Jean Breuil was a sdded measure of quality. This, unfortunately, did not prevent the Damon company from disappearing several years ago.
The two extremes of the range of Damon-Petrik gunsThe catalog of the firm was rich with a dozen base models for which it was possible to add options to personalize one’s gun. The models that we show you today are situated at the two extremities of this range.
The first of the two, which corresponds to “Fusil Nr 1” of the catalog, has barrels in fine steel signed “Jean Breuil,” blued with extractor and regulated chokes; the action, simple without engaveing is tempered case colored. Tthe other parts were blued. The forend and the half-pistol grip stock are in ordinary quadrilled checkered walnut; the general appearance is fine enough, but the model is stripped down, made with quality materials but not exceptional.
This model presents in fact all the proper characteristics of the Petrick patents, with in addition barrels made by a reknown barrelmaker; if one compares the production of the base models with that of current important companies, it wouldn’t look bad, and on the contrary, because we find today more often beech wood, checkered by machine and covered with a too brilliant varnish, and the materials are not always the type of steel of which a Damon is made! Three improvements were sufficient to bring the gun perfectly up to date: automatic ejectors, chrome plating the bores, and the possibility of using a single trigger.
The second model, denominated “The Super French” can actually be classed in the highest level and corresponds to “Fusil Nr.8” or “Nr.8 bis” of the catalogue: it has absolutely all the perfections of a modern gun, with in addition the quality of materials used, the precision of the adjustments made by hand, and the quality of the decoration of the metallic parts. The barrels “triple proofed,” are chrome plated bores and equipped with automatic ejectors, and have as an option on our example a ventilated rib. The action is equipped with a false reinforcement plate, and decorated with a steel side plate, all tempered/case colored mat-grey and engraved by hand. The English style stock is high-quality walnut very finely checkered by hand like the forend; the wood parts are finished in oil and results in the most beautiful effects.
It is the second example, which puts it in the class of a de lux model, which we have been hunting for for awhile, after having put it to bed (in our house); our first outing to fire this beautiful gun was carried out on a hunting ground (clay pigeon), a discipline with which we are also getting familiar. The first major handicap, coupled with that of using a new gun that we were not familiar with, gave us a mediocre result, 7/25; however, the conditions were not good and the best shooters of the day, habituated to their guns and to the course, only broke a maximum of 12 clays. Our following tries allowed for some good more-holorable results, and we appreciated the natural qualities of our Damon: the balance of the arm which mounted very well to the shoulder; lightness and great power of the ejectors which never failed.
Conclusion:In the sales brocure of 1931-32 the “Fusil Nr.1” sold for 1,500 francs and the :”Fusil nr.8” climbed to 4,500 francs, three times as expensive: Quality costs a lot: but the difference between the two models is very real; for us who had held the two models in hand and minutely examined them side-by-side, the choice was not in doubt. . .
What a pleasure it was to use today a real gun! It’s previous owner, who had bought it new 30 years ago, hunted a lot with it, but it was in perfect condition, to the point the no play could be felt in the mechanism: Everything functioned as on the first day.