French ANXIII Pistol Mystery

[rickystl]

Hello all. Thought maybe you French gun enthusiasts might be able to help? This pistol appears to be a typical French AN-XIII Pistol....with the exception that all the mounts are IRON versus brass??? A magnet will stick to all the mounts. I tried googling for information about the iron mounts with no success. And I don't have the correct reference material in my library to research further. So, here I am begging for help. :haha: Thanks for any help. I'll add additional information on my second Post. Rick. :hatsoff:

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[rickystl]

Here is some additional information:
Barrel: There is a stamp on the top of the barrel breech. There is the letter E or F at the top, with the letters LG just below the F, and a STAR below the LG, all inside a circle. For some reason, I seem to recall this as a Belgium proof mark? But it looks familiar. On the bottom of the barrel is the letter G, and to the lower right of this is a Stamp I can't make out.
Stock: Can't locate any marks.
Lock: I'm sure there is one of the three Armouries that produced these pistols on the lock plate. But the patina is so heavy I would have to remove most of it to view. Also, note there is no hammer screw?? Nor can I detect there ever was one, or even a threaded hole for it?? It' almost as if the hammer and tumbler arm are one piece?? But that just doesn't make sense. I haven't stripped the lock yet, but will do so. Maybe that will answer some more questions :idunno: Anyway, here are some more photos:

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

While the furniture is usually brass, it is not unusual to find iron mounted French military pistols in this era. I am unable to make out the arsenal marking on the lock, is one present? It may be either Charleville, Maubeuge or St-Etienne.

 

[mhb]

Well, the pistol may be of the basic AN XIII pattern, but the proof mark on the barrel is almost certainly Belgian.

Taken with the absence of any markings for one of the French manufactories on the lock, I'd say that this indicates the pistol is a Belgian pistol on the AN XIII pattern, rather than a French-made original.
mhb - Mike

 

[rickystl]

Hi Mike. That is a good point. Never thought of that. :hmm: I hope to get some additional answers here. Meantime I'll try doing some research with Belgium in mind. Thanks again! Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[Fernando Keilty]

Hello:

The punch of a oval with the letters ELG (emprouvé Liege) with an asterisk, is the mark of Liege Testbed

Fernando K

 

[rickystl]

Thanks Fernando!! Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[Wes/Tex]

The above comments are absolutely right. You have to remember that makers across Napoleon's Empire were put to work arming the never ending wars of the era. Congratulations on your find!

 

[rickystl]

Thanks Wes. I'm sure you and others are correct. Now I remember where I saw this Belgium stamp. The same stamp is on the barrel of my other Belgium pistol shown below. :haha: This is the one most of us are familiar with.
As mentioned above, it's not uncommon for one military gun to be patterned from another. This is just the first one of this French style I've ever seen.
I'll report back after I strip the lock down. I'm very curious about that tumbler.
Thanks again for every ones help. I think the basic mystery is solved. Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Liège proof? Yes, it certainly is. But remember that the part of what we now call Belgium (including Liège) was under French annexation from 1794 until 1815 after Napoleon's downfall. It joined the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and did not become Belgium until 1830. The pistol is French in manufacture as well as in pattern even though made in Liège.

 

[pargent]

:applause: and probably from some old French Colony where a lot of this stuff is appearing from .

 

[Parzifal]

Great looking historic flintlock pistol,
I wonder why they never got around to the hammer screw or if there is some other securing method like a pin someplace?

 

[rickystl]

Interesting. This is now making more sense. Thank you for that info. Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[rickystl]

That is really a mystery. I'll strip the lock this weekend and see what I find. There is no evidence there was ever a threaded hole for a hammer screw. Yet it holds very tight, you can't move it. Almost like the hammer and tumbler arm was made as one piece like the earliest doglocks, but you can see where the hammer and arm were two pieces. :idunno: Let's see what I can find out this weekend and report back. Really has me curious. Thanks, Rick.

 

[Zonie]

It is possible the hammer was brazed or soldered onto the square tumbler drive although usually there is some evidence of the brazing metal in the joint.

In your photo of that area I don't see anything that looks like a dissimilar metal.

 

[miqueleter]

Ricky, I see something very familiar on that screw-less hammer. That would be the peening on all four sides of the tumbler shaft to make a tight fit. Probably born that way.

 

[pargent]

More likely a dodgy repair long ago :hmm: unless the froggies secretly worked out how to screw a square hole onto a square shaft and this mechanical marvel has been lost in time

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Ricky, I see something very familiar on that screw-less hammer. That would be the peening on all four sides of the tumbler shaft to make a tight fit. Probably born that way.

You are right, but it wasn't "born that way", it was done after the hammer screw broke off in the tumbler shaft. The fit was tight when fitted and a little peening to the edges of the shaft did the rest of the job. As 1601phill said, a dodgy repair job.

 

[miqueleter]

OOPS, my bad. My brain said "Probably not born that way", however, my fingers didn't follow orders! I even previewed it and still let it go. sheesh

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

OOPS, my bad. My brain said "Probably not born that way", however, my fingers didn't follow orders! I even previewed it and still let it go. sheesh

:rotf: Happens to me all the time.