doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com French sidelever hammer gun arrived - Questions

Voila a rough translation. It looks like a proof house law was on the books in Paris since 1866 and the Paris proof stamp had be homogulated; but the law was generally ignored and an actual proof house was not created until possibly the 1890's. It seems clear from the last paragraph that as of 1882, a separate Paris proof house run by the government did not exist and that M. Leopold Bernard was the proof house as of 1882. This 1882 circular looks to be one of the first (as FAB said) to really try to force the issue of proofing guns in Paris. (See the complaints of M. Herve Didier-Drevet in his report on the 1878 Paris Exposition on the lack of a proof house in Paris previously posted). So the Paris proof stamp existed, it was irregularly enforced, and the proofing was performed by Bernard "if requested."

Office of the Prefect
1st Bureau
Circular 21

Relative to the proofing of firearm barrels meant to be sold commercially,

Paris, 30 June 1882

Sirs, by a circular dated 14 November 1881, Nr. 51, I have instructed you to remind your management of gun fabricating establishments and of gun merchants of the presecriptions of the law relative to the proofing of firearm barrels intended for trade. I beg you, moreover, to invite these industrial products to be proofed by M. Brun, expert gun seller, living in Paris, rue de Rivoli, 110, proofer named by my Prefecture, of arms which have a magazine and which would not be provided with a proof mark

As a result of various circumstances, the measure as presented has so far not been able to be executed (put into effect).

The Minister of Commererce, by a decision of last 26 April, athorized M. Brun to served as proofer for those who ask for it, of the Proofhouse of M. e Leopold Bernard, owner of the gun store situated on rue de Villejust, in Paris.

M. Brun will have to use, for marking the arms, stamps adopted by a ministerial decision of 1 March, 1866, following of which are the stampings.



I ask you, in consequence, Sirs, to invite your management of gun making and gun selling establishments as well as second-hand shops, to have proofed (stamped) without delay the guns which they make as well as those of Parisian origin in their stores which are not currently provided with the proof mark.

As for unproofed foreign weapons that gun sellers might still have on display, the Minister of Commerce has decided that these arms having been introduced in France in a period where the prescriptions concerning proofing of fire arms was not rigorousely applied, it was necessary to wait before submitting them for testing for the creation of a functioning proof house in Paris in accordance with the prescriptions of the degree of 22 April 1868, for which the Ministry of commerce is responsible.

Kindly let me know upon receipt of this circular the results of your efforts.

Please accept, sirs, an assurance of my utmost consideration,

The Prefect of police.

MAIGRET