doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Damon-St. Étienne

Does any one here have any information on Damon gunmakers of St. Étienne?
Company history?
Pictures of the factory/gunworks?

Thanks,

Dustin

Thanks, Gene. Much appreciated. Interesting that Damon was also active in the aerospace industry. That undoubtedly had something to do with the excellent build quality and reputation of high quality in France in regards to their guns. Interesting stuff, thanks again!
I would certainly love to read and learn more about the company.


Dustin

I’ll do some deeper searches once back home and when the Mac is repaired.

Dustin, here is an explanation of the Damon-Petrick superposed action which is sprinkled all over Naturabuy. Neltir, the poster is one of my favorites - he worked for 50 years in the Saint-Etienne gun industry and knew everything. He would be 88 now. I don't know if he's still around. Like many gunsmiths he is somewhat irascible and impatient of ignorance. I've rearranged the comments in the line to make them more apt.

I don't quite understand what a rifle "trunnion" (pivot) system is (as used on an AK-47) or what a closing system "a tuile" entails. "La Manu" is of course Manufrance. Anyway this will give a little more information on Andre Damon.

Looking for definitions:
-- Fermeture a Tuile

https://www.passionlachasse.com/t3797p150-ponce-huile-un-conseil

Neltir ! Pour Petrick, c'est Damon et pas Dumon ! Firme d'ailleurs bien française malgré un patronyme exotique : DAMON-PETRIK, ils exerçaient d'ailleurs à St-Etienne.

Re Damon-Petrick, it's Damon and not Dumon! It’s a very French firm despite an exotic surname: DAMON-PETRIK also wprked out of St-Etienne.

Oh Damon- Pétrick a fait pas mal d'armes en tous genres avant d'être associé a Pétrick , Damon a l'origine Damon André fabriquant de carabines , fusils,pistolets et révolvers a St Etienne était un grand producteur .

Damon made quite a few weapons of all kinds before being associated with Pétrick. Damon was originally Damon André manufacturing rifles, pistols and revolvers in St Etienne. He was a big producer.

Pétrick s'est installé a St Etienne en 1910 et Damon en 1919 au 87 rue des Francs Maçons il dépose sa marque de fabrique en 1919 le 2 décembre ,l'entreprise a fermée définitivement en 1968 elle était alors a la rue Fougerolles depuis 1948 .Damon fils était quand a lui a Bourg en Bresse depuis 1931 et jusqu'en 1952.

Pétrick settled in St Etienne in 1910 and Damon in 1919 at 87 rue des Francs Maçons he registered his trademark in 1919 on December 2, the company closed definitively in 1968. it had been at rue Fougerolles since 1948. Damon Jr. was in Bourg en Bresse from 1931 until 1952.

Oui merci .j'ai fait l'étourderie du jour !!!! En 1920 Pétrick de Paris fit un superposé a tourillons et c'est Damon a St Etienne qui le fabriqua et y apporta des éléments nouveaux . bien que principe du fusil Français a tourillons soit dû a Pidault un arquebusier a Auxerre qui réalisa le premier en 1885 . Damon créa donc le verrouillage et l'armement par la clef sur son fusil " Stepha" , le levier de clef entraine les chiens a l'armé (par analogie avec Darne) et la piéce qui forme la fermeture en coiffant les canons recule par le mouvement de la clef et libère les canons pour le basculage .c'est a partir de là que la Manu a appliquée le systéme a ses créations .

In 1920 Pétrick of Paris made a superimposed trunnion system. Damon in St Etienne manufactured it and added new elements. The first French trunnion rifle was invented in 1885 by Pidault, an arquebusier in Auxerre. Damon subsequently created the locking and cocking system using the key on his "Stepha" rifle. The key lever cocks the hammers (something like a Darne); the part which forms the closure of the barrels, is rotated back by the movement of the key, releasing the barrels and allowing them to tilt. La Manu applied this system to its creations.

Ils sont, il me semble les "inventeurs" de la fermeture dite "en tuile" dont ont bénéficié certains Finn et la deuxième génération de Falcor de la Manu !

They are, it seems to me, the "inventors" of the so-called "en tuile" (stacked tile?) closure system from which certain “Finns?” and the second generation of Falcor of la Manu benefited!. (Falcor is Manufrance O/U model).

La dénomination Damon -Pétrick s'est opérée en 1950 par la réunion des deux firmes avec l'appellation : "Damon et Pétrick fusils superposés a fermeture a Tuile".

The Damon-Pétrick name was established in 1950 by the merger of the two firms. It was called “Damon and Pétrick superimposed rifles with Tile? (Tuile) closure"

D'ailleurs si on regarde bien le fusil idéal qui s'arme par le mouvement de la clef en même temps que le verrouillage est une variante améliorée du système de Damon ou la clef courte faisait effectuer un effort assez grand pour bander les ressorts d'armement et que la Manu dota son Idéal d'une longue clef sous forme d'un levier d'armement qui vient se loger sur le pourtour du pontet et donc donna une grande souplesse a la manoeuvre .

If we look closely at the ideal rifle, which is armed by the movement of the key at the same time the locking mechanism is activated, it is essentially an improved variant of the Damon system. Damon used a short key which required a fairly large effort to bend the cocking springs. Manu equipped its Ideal with a long key in the form of a cocking lever housed on the perimeter of the trigger guard and which, therefore, provided a much easier movement.

https://www.naturabuy.fr/SUPERPOSE-LE-SUPER-FRANCAIS-CALIBRE-12-65-item-9348397.html

https://www.naturabuy.fr/paire-fusil-item-4252286.html

Best,
Ted

Thank you, Gene. Is there a reason the name Petrik is spelled “Petrick” in all of the info you provided? I’ve always seen it spelled “Petrik”. Is it the French way of spelling a Czech name?

I don't know Dustin. It's the way Neltir spelled it. It could be the Frencification of a Slavic name or it could just be Neltir. It is Petrik on Naturabuy.

No worries, I was just curious. Thanks for all the info Gene, much appreciated.

Dustin