Identify this rifle...french?

[Fritz423]

Another rifle I recieved from same estate. On the lock plate is "drouin" I believe a name, and "a nogent le ro..." probably "rotrou", as in Nogent le Rotrou. Made in Nogent le Rotrou?

 

[Fritz423]

Also I don't know if these barrel lugs help...

 

[Fritz423]

Is it possible this is a fowler? Muzzle end thinner than I would expect.

 

[Fritz423]

I found a similar styled stock on a french double; would this be a genre of stock or is this the work of a single shop/craftsman?

http://www.icollector.com/French-Hi...cussion-with-fancy-high-relief-hall_i14158260

 

[TFoley]

A rifle has a rifled bore. This is clearly a smoothbore, so it is a shotgun of some kind. A fowler typically has a much longer barrel, as it is used for long range shooting over water. The back action percussion lock suggests around 1840 - 50 time. Nogent-le-Retrou is indeed in France. The proof marks are those of St Etienne between 1856 and 1869.

 

[Fritz423]

Included the image because I'm not sure exactly where to take the measurement

 

[TFoley]

That's a good measurement. It's not long enough to be a fowler, so it is just an ordinary field sport shotgun. The over-the-top wood carving is typically French of the time - not that they were alone. German and Austria loved guns with stocks carved with nymphs and shepherds, fruit of all kinds, and sometimes even hunting-related themes.

 

[Fritz423]

As I sort through these I have to wonder whether these are valuable enough to require special storage, should I be taking special precautions etc...should they be insured? I do not own them but may be asked to find them new homes.

I have a large gun safe with modern weapons. Good enough?

 

[TFoley]

It depends what else you might 'acquire'. 'snot a question anybody can rightly answer with only two guns to use as a measure. Certainly the Lorenz has some value as a representative of a diminishing genre - guns what were probably used in the WoNA. So it has a degree of value that depends entirely on how much somebody was willing to pay for it. With real documented family connection as provenance, it might go as high as three or four thousand dollars, but even without it you are still looking a north of a thousand dollars [sorry, my Japanese keyboard does not have dollar symbols]. The other gun you have just shown us is not in particularly good condition, and is French - two strikes already. I can't speak for my American co-posters, but over here in UK it would have a very small audience.

 

[Fritz423]

It depends what else you might 'acquire'. 'snot a question anybody can rightly answer with only two guns to use as a measure. Certainly the Lorenz has some value as a representative of a diminishing genre - guns what were probably used in the WoNA. So it has a degree of value that depends entirely on how much somebody was willing to pay for it. With real documented family connection as provenance, it might go as high as three or four thousand dollars, but even without it you are still looking a north of a thousand dollars [sorry, my Japanese keyboard does not have dollar symbols]. The other gun you have just shown us is not in particularly good condition, and is French - two strikes already. I can't speak for my American co-posters, but over here in UK it would have a very small audience.

I intend to post pictures of what I believe is a Jenks mule-ear navy carbine in the appropriate forum next, and have a few bayonets to ID but the rest is pretty pedestrian. If I haven't emphasized it enough your knowledge and this website have been invaluable. So if you are ever in Texas and need a rural shooting range to use let me know.

 

[TFoley]

I intend to post pictures of what I believe is a Jenks mule-ear navy carbine in the appropriate forum next, and have a few bayonets to ID but the rest is pretty pedestrian. If I haven't emphasized it enough your knowledge and this website have been invaluable. So if you are ever in Texas and need a rural shooting range to use let me know.

What I know about Jenks and his mule-ear rifles could be written in large letters on the eyelash of an angel, so I'll take a rain-check on that one. Can I just say that for those of us on this forum, nothing is too pedestrian, particularly where older firearms are concerned. And as for my knowledge, such as it is, I've had some great teachers on this forum. It really is the best place, y'know.

I have a few friends in East Texas, but it's a long way from home up in Canada and Oregon, even when one is used to all the travelling, but I really do appreciate your kind offer. Quien sabe? As they say these days...

 

[laufer]

Typical style of Belgian monkey-gun for Africa and South America?

 

[robinghewitt]

There is a Drovin (Drauvin) listed in Angers, Maine-et-Loire But he's a bit early for percussion and this is no comversion.