doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com sxs identification

I am new to this forum and vintage doubles. I am purchasing this gun, but am not sure if it is French or Belgian. Any insight is appreciated.
It is marked Acier de Surete 16 ga. I am trying to upload pictures.
Thanks

Hello Huntarius
Welcome on your first posting

I feel it is French.

Take a look at these proof marks

http://www.shotguns.se/html/france.html

To load pictures you have to have a hoster like.

www.jpgbox.com

Mike

Thanks.
Here are the pics
pic 1

pic 2

pic 3

pic 4

Typical St. �tienne A&D Body Action double.

65mm chambers

Choke Rectifi�

Port�e Garantie

Acier de S�ret�(sometimes seen as Canon de S�ret�)

Interesting encircled FN


Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Could it be a sourced Belgian gun for a Spanish retailer?

Maybe Belgian sourced tubes for a St. Etienne retailer but I am skeptical. There is a stamp of FN(intertwined) 55 on the underside of the right tube that too is interesting.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Any trademark on the buttplate?

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Thanks. I'll check on the buttplate. I have not picked up the gun yet. Ideas on what these are worth?
I am mainly looking for a vintage shooter, of the quality of days gone by and the value that makes us appreciate these old guns.
Is the gun serviceable and are parts available in case that something breaks? Also without sparking a debate on chamber issues am I making a mistake by modifying the gun to shoot 2 and 3/4 inch shells?

Thanks all who have replied!

That action was used by hundreds of makers in Belgium and France, and, perhaps Eastern European makers for most of 100 years. They are not rare, not truly valuable unless finished to an exceptional standard, but, are very useful bird guns. I would expect to find good wall thickness, as it was proofed in St. Etienne, tight chokes, and light weight.
The 2 3/4� chamber modification needs to be done in a thoughtful manner, with a double gunsmith measuring the bores, noting bore condition, and utilizing precision equipment and professional expertise. I would recommend Dean at Skeets for that work, but there are others. When I started in this game 2 1/2� ammunition was challenging to come by, but, that has changed. I usually leave the chambers alone, at this time.
Good luck. I hope it works out well for you. Mine have.

Best,
Ted

I agree with Ted's recommendation to use Dean Harris for choke and chamber work. One great thing about him is that he is so accessible by phone. He will take as long as is necessary to answer your questions and listen to your needs and concerns. He lengthened the chambers on a 20 ga. Sterlingworth Ejector gun for me, opened the chokes to my requirements, and tested the gun for regulation. In the process he determined exactly what load the gun was regulated for, and called and explained all that to me.

I hope he's around a long, long time.

SRH