Fauré Lepage / BERNARD Léopold
Fauré Lepage
This is a hammerless hunting rifle, with central percussion and smooth barrels, double in table, of 20 caliber.
The opening key is of the "top lever" type with a "GALAND" safety with slide placed behind.
The plates are square. The forearm is push-button.
The stock is shaped "à la française" with a sculpture representing the vine and its grapes.
The weapon bears the regulatory hallmarks of the LIEGE proof house, namely:
ELG* in a crowned oval: final acceptance after 1893.
Perron: inspection, in use from 1853 to the present day.
EL in English letters: provisional proof, in use from 1852 to the present day.
P*: countermark of the controller, in use from 1877 to 1968.
PV surmounted by a stylized lion: smokeless powder proof, in use from 1898 to 1968.
Letter "d" in lower case: annual letter of 1925 (year of manufacture).
Choke 15.9: choked barrels: calibrated at 22 cm from the breech. In use from 1924 to 1968.
20-65 in the Greek letter Omega: nominal caliber and length of the case. In use from 1924 to the present day.
1 K121: weight of the barrel capable of firing smokeless powders (smooth weapons).
The weapon also bears the following marks:
MAISON FAURE-LEPAGE PARIS: this is the mark of the French dealer.
The weapon having been manufactured by a craftsman from Liège who has not identified himself! The practice was very common at the time.
The history of FAURE-LEPAGE can be read on our site!
Star letter L surrounded by arabesques: I do not know the meaning of this barely legible mark. Could it be a mark added by FAURE-LEPAGE?
6424: serial number of the weapon.
GG
Fauré Lepage
Each of us thinks we have seen a lot of objects in our life, well, others always
come out and that's good. This will please our successors in the collection and
your works are there to guide them.
Here is a revolver signed "H. FAURE LE PAGE in PARIS" bearing a plate with the
words:
"First prize for the shooting ensemble of the special military school Mr. BELIN
1872-1875"
The originality of the mechanism lies in the fact that the block, barrel and
cylinder, tilts on the left side of the weapon. The locking of the block is
ensured by a spring blade located on the moving part of the closed frame; this
spring comes, firmly, to place itself in a notch on the top of the frame to
ensure the rigidity of the assembly.
The cocking system of the hammer is single and double action. The frames and the
stock are marbled, the barrel and the cylinder are blue. Caliber 10.4 cm, Total
length: 30 cm, No visible number.
Reference; “Who is who of the weapon in France” by J.J. Buigné page 167
A.B.
Fauré Lepage
Photos Littlegun
Fauré Lepage a Paris
Cased pair of presentation dueling pistols, cal. .48 rifled, 10" octagonal barrel inscribed F p. H. Fauré Le Page à Paris
Interesting is the dated lid with the following inscription:
Donne
par le Duc de Montpensier
au Colonel Breisteff
Vincennes 1846
Photos authorized by "HORST HELD"
FAURE-LEPAGE was a arquebusier and furbisher of very great reputation. It was installed in Paris 1st, with the n° 8 of the Street of Richelieu of 1865 to 1913. This trade still existed in the years 1990. With the origin Mr. Fauré had joined to Henri Lepage, arquebusier specialized in the production of weapons rather close to the work of art, of which splendid boxes of guns of duel and very exceptional shotguns intended for very fortunate customers...
This signature, with it only, is a pledge of quality and moreover more been worth.
The weapons carrying the signature of Lepage or Fauré-Lepage are in France the equivalent of Holland and Holland in Great Britain.
Michel Malherbe
With regard to Leopold Bernard, still a great name of the French harquebusier. It had a factory of guns (for rifles) in Paris, in the very beautiful district of Passy between 1840 and 1855. Leopold Bernard obtained a mention of excellence at the time of the World Fair of Paris in 1839. It worked only in subcontracting for very large arms manufacturers and only on weapons of luxury. Still a signature which is worth its heavy Euros...(or Dollars)
Michel Malherbe
Fauré Lepage
The weapon is a traditional rifle of living room or of garden of the type FLOBERT, probably caliber 6 or 9 mm FLOBERT with annular percussion.
The barrel is with eight sides, the trigger guard with volutes and the grip English.
This type of weapon is traditional of all the catalogues arms manufacturers of this time when it was sold a few franks (see page of catalogue MASEREEL in Liege attached)
It carries two punches of the bench of tests of Liege is:
Spangled ELG in an oval: acceptance, of use of 1846 to 1893.
X spangled: countermark of the controller, of use of 1877 to 1968.
These two punches enable us to date manufacture from the weapon, is 1877 to 1893!
It is not possible to be more precise.
It also carries other markings is:
On the barrel: the partially illegible mark should be by deduction FAURé LEPAGE A PARIS. This French company of great reputation is very known and goes up far in the 19th century.
As much of French arms manufacturers (and others) it was practical current at the time coming to buy in Liege, of the weapons cheaply and making there engrave its logo before the setting on sale!
The other marks are more difficult to identify like:
The LF on certain parts (LEPAGE - FAURé??? )
EB crowned in an oval dissimulated on wood in an invisible place once the assembled weapon is unknown, that also arrived for me that our facetious arms manufacturers dissimulated their trademark to allot of it a share of paternity in spite of the prestigious mark of a famous Parisian harquebusier.
Other marks 3 - I or H is markings of workshop.
GG
