doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E.M. Reilly; History; Chronology; Serial Numbers

Royal Armories Museum has sent me four documents from John Blanch's scrapbook which are interesting. I'll post 3 of them here - the 4th, engineering drawings of breech loading revolving cylinder rifles and pistols is not so relevant:

1). This is the receipt for a center break gun bought by William Blanch from Beringer in 1855. This may be the very gun he brought back to England to reverse engineer - this is the dawn of the British center-break gun industry:



2). Ad for E. Dafour center break gun at the 1855 Paris Universelle - highlighting Blanch's interest in the subject. The gist to the advertisement is that this gun can be loaded from the muzzle or from the breech, depending on what munitions are available. (I can translate it in its entirety if someone wishes). (incidentally, I've noticed French advertisements are much more "hyped" that UK ads at the time).



3) A pamphlet written by Joseph Lang in January 1857 extolling the advances of the Breech Loading Gun: - on p,12 he lists his accomplishments including a first place medal in the 1855 Paris Universelle and being voted a member of the Academie National. He mentions he has used breech loaders for 3 years - which would mean he began to shoot them in January 1854....and that he was currently making breech loaders (as of Jan 1857)(p.9). etc.