Pierre François Desmaret
This rifle is not a 1777 but a 1777 C an IX (to be more precise it is about the “CIVIL” version) than he was possible to obtain for the sale abroad at that time Switzerland, Holland, etc.....
But what is sure it is which it is not a question of a military production (this in spite of the bad conservation of the metal parts).
What it should be known it is that the arms manufacturers of ST ETIENNE and other places of manufacture bought in a French state the parts which were not in conformity and rebuilt the “lawful one”.
When to the job numbers I announce that they were founded only at the end of the second EMPIRE in 1866.
It should be noted that the only numbers which one can find on the former weapons has this period are Roman numerals or Arabic proceeded by one or more letters.
At that time (Before 1866) the Roman numerals were allotted to the semi-skilled workers like the “crosiers”, lockers, fitters of precision, who worked out the weapons.
There were two types of rifles, the others were snap hooks:
The “voltigeur” (acrobat): 140cm.
The “Grenadier” (pomegranate): 152cm (about 1cm).
After the reform of the old weapons of 1830 one was held with the model of acrobat, the other snap hooks remained just as it is.
The furbisher of rifle presented is a called DESMAREST harquebusier with ST ETIENNE under the 1st EMPIRE; it was also named president of the commercial court in 1816.
The letters on the weapon are thus DESMAREST Pierre François & P ............... the last letter remains an unknown factor!!
Alain (France)
