2210

SUPERB QUALITY BELGIAN SIDELOCK EJECTOR HEAVY GAME

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 3,500.00 USD
SUPERB QUALITY BELGIAN SIDELOCK EJECTOR HEAVY GAME
SHOTGUN MOST LIKELY BUILT BY LAMBERT SEVART. Cal. 12 Ga., 2 3/4". S# 1825. Bbl. 28 1/4". The Belgian gun trade is known for producing a wide variety of firearms of varying quality from the barely functional to some of the best ever. This gun rates very close to the top. The 28 1/4" dovetailed steel bbls. are fitted w/ slightly raised matted concave rib. Unmarked matted portion of rib was engraved at a date later than manufacture "Auguste Francotte Liege". Bbl. flats are stamped w/ Belgian nitro proofs for 2 1/2" chambers. There is no date stamp (pre 1922), but there are later French proofs for 2 3/4". Bottom of right bbl. is stamped w/ maker's mark "LS" most likely Lambert Sevart, a well known Belgian "best" quality gun maker of the pre WWI era. Case hardened sidelock action is stocked to the fences & features automatic safety ("S" inlaid in gold), hidden 3rd fastener, bushed strikers & double triggers (front articulated). Action & locks are engraved in traditional rose & scroll, the execution of which is very nicely done. There is no maker's name on locks or action. There is matching rose & scroll on blued trigger guard w/ no S# present. Nicely marbled & lightly fiddle figured European walnut straight grip buttstock measures 14 3/4" over black leather covered pad. Well cut point pattern checkering w/ mullered borders is at grip. Matching splinter ejector forend has Anson release. MEASUREMENTS: BARRELS: Bore diameter: R .725 L .723. Restriction: R .010 (IC) L .015 (MOD). Min. Wall Thickness: R .028 L .029. STOCK: LOP: 14 3/4". DAC: 1 1/2". DAH: 2 5/16". Cast: 5/8" off. WEIGHT: 6 lbs. 15 oz. CONDITION: very fine, mostly original. Bbls. retaining approx. 90% original blue, silvered on sharp edges, most loss due to cleaning & reblue in area of Francotte name on rib. Action & locks retain approx. 85% original case hardening color, silvering on beads & fences, thinning on bottom of action. Top lever retains over 85% original bright blue, trigger guard has most of its blue. Stocks retain nearly all of what appears to be original finish, but may be an old high quality refinish, especially on butt w/ installation of relatively new pad. Checkering w/ light wear does not appear to have been recut. Bores are very fine plus, shiny throughout, very lightly frosted toward breech end of right bbl. Action is tight, bbls. are on face. There are 1/2" stable old cracks behind each lockplate. This is a very well made, good handling gun. (20-2383/MGM39). CURIO. $1,500-3,500.