description

Louis Brancquaert owned a gunshop in Brussels not far from the shooting glub “Tir du boiz de la Cambre”. Mr. Brancquaert was a pigeon shooter himself and board member of at least three pigeon shooting clubs. It through these connections that he derived his customer base for a live pigeon trap and a line of shotguns all marketed under his own name. His shotguns used to achieve many medals and much price money in European pigeon shooting in the early 1900’s.

Brancquaert was not actually an arms manufacturer but a retailer of firearms, and the guns retailed under the L. Brancquaert name were actually made by another Belgian maker, G. Defourny Sevrin.

The No. 1 was a copy of Beesley’s self-opening hammerless sidelock ejector that was manufactured by James Purdey & Sons.

The No. 2 copied the Holland & Holland hammerless sidelock ejector and that is the model listed here for sale.

The H&H style bar-action hammerless sidelock action has a hidden third fastener in the breech face, clipped fences, intercepting sears, disk-set strikers, two triggers (the front one hinged), an automatic safety, and a water table slightly larger than the action body. A discreet way to strengthen the bar.

The gun has very well cut, near full coverage, Rose & Scroll engraving in a distinct pattern and the metal is a silver finish.

28” chopper lump barrels are of Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel as marked on top of the barrels and by the “sheaves of wheat” Whitworth proof marks on the bottom of the barrels.

The raised matted rib is slightly concaved and has a single brass bead at the muzzle and a third bite that extends between the ejectors.

The barrels have proof marks from both Belgium and England, both sets of proof marks are ca. early twentieth century. Originally proofed as a 13/1 the barrels now measure .727” and have .003” and .008” choke in the right and left barrels. Chambers remains 2 ½” and the bores are shiny, and the barrels have a min. wall thickness of .025”.

The gun is stocked to the fences in a highly figured piece of French walnut with a straight grip and diamond shaped hand, and a 15 3/8” LOP over a checkered butt. The splinter forend has an Anson push-rod release and Automatic ejectors.

Gun is in excellent condition overall. The barrels are tight on face, the ejectors are timed and strong and no evidence of any barrel issues.

A very high quality gun at a reasonable price.

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