Hello! One of your members suggested I ask my questions in your forum because of the knowledge base here...so here goes.

My brother in law recently purchased a shotgun and was offered six hundred dollars for it and that has made us curious to the actual quality and value of the gun. I have found a little information on the gun from the internet, but not much very helpful. Here is the information that is on the shotgun, on top of the barrels...

G.Defourny Sevrin
10 gauge Magnum Nitro Proof
Made in Belgium For Continental Arms Corporation New York

It is a side by side and has a double trigger, which I've read makes it a Centaure. It has ornate scroll engraving over all the metal except the barrels, even the screws...and the metal looks more like a dull silver, not 'blued' like the barrels. There is no animal or scene engraved, just the 'swirly lines'.

Can someone tell us the ballpark year of the gun, the quality, and the value? Thank you in advance for your help.

Continental Arms did import Centaures, which were made by Fabriques d'Armes Unies de Liege. I've owned 2 or 3 of them, and as far as I can remember, they were all marked "Centaure". So it's possible Continental imported Belgian doubles that were not Centaures, and what you have may be one of those.

Comparing your gun to a Centaure, the least expensive model sold for $168 back in 1963. That's almost exactly what a Beretta Silver Hawk side by side sold for at the same time, and you won't buy one of those for $600 today. Going by the source I have, the Centaures with full coverage scroll engraving are the higher grade guns, so that may well bump yours up even more. Automatic ejectors would be another indicator of a higher grade gun.

Assuming it's from the same era as the Centaures even if it's not one, that would make it a 60's gun.

I owned one of the Defourny 10 ga. Magnums for several years. It was identical to what you have described with the exception it was not marked Centaure. I sold it at the Big Tulsa show 4-5 years ago for $950.00

I own one, it is a great goose and turkey gun. My Defourny was made in 1948. I have seen a couple of them online in that last 5 years. In my opinion, the quality of these far exceeds other 10 gauge sxs's one comes across(typically Spanish). They have both a crossbolt and a 4th fastener. I also like the checkered triggers.

If the condition is reasonable you should be able to get a little more out of it than $600.

Thank you everyone for all the information. I'm glad you guys were suggested to me.

Ken, the gun he has is not marked a Centaure. I assumed it was from the little information I read on the internet....tho, of course, just 'cause I read it doesn't mean it was true. lol!

Thanks again!

Suzanne

Suzanne ,
every double triggered SxS isn't a Centaure.
The Centaure I had , had the Man/Bulls likeness stamped on the top of each bbl up near the breech.
Can you post any pics, to see how nice the swirly lines are?[mine had very few
There should be a alphabet letter on one of the flat parts where the barrels close with the action...if you let us know , I or another can date it .
Pics would give better guess at value
cheers
Franc

here is a 1950 continental centaure 28 ga, although restocked