Lot n° 246
Estimation :
500 - 1000
EUR
Result with fees
Result
: 528EUR
Liquefied gas precision rifle, Third Republic, 1892-1914 - Lot 246
Liquefied gas precision rifle, Third Republic, 1892-1914
Single-shot bolt-action rifle in forged and blued cast steel.
Round barrel stamped "MANUFACTURE FRANCAISE", gold on top "St ETIENNE", stamped "D'ARMES ET CYCLES DE SAINT-ETIENNE", federal-type adjustable rear sight and dovetail rear sight, 8 mm caliber, stamped "4711", length 62.5 cm.
Tubular liquefied gas cartridge reservoir (interchangeable), screwed under the barrel, closed at one end by a screwed cap with an opening for a shut-off valve. Round ring stamped "33548", then octagonal, engraved on the sides: "POIDS", "PLEIN", "GRmes", "33548", "POIDS", "VIDE", "449 GRmes", balloon mark.
Valve in contact with firing pin. Steel breechblock engraved with foliate scrolls and acanthus leaves, engraved on top with a hot-air balloon. Right-hand cocking lever for top loading. Walnut stock with checkering. Ebonite buttplate.
Total length 106 cm
France
Third Republic (1892-1914)
Very good condition
Liquefied gas precision rifle, 1892-1914.
Bolt-action rifle made of forged and blued cast steel, singleshot.
The barrel is round, stamped with "MANUFACTURE FRANCAISE," and gold-inscribed "St ETIENNE" on top, with the marking "D'ARMES ET CYCLES DE SAINT-ETIENNE."
It features a federal-type adjustable rear sight and a dovetail front sight, caliber 8 mm, serial number "4711," with a length of 24 5/8 in.
The tubular gas reservoir cartridge (interchangeable) is screwed under the barrel, closed at one end by a screwed plug with an opening fitted with a sealing valve. The round ring is marked "33548" and then becomes octagonal, with engraved facets reading "POIDS," "PLEIN," "GRmes," "33548," "POIDS," "VIDE," "449 GRmes," and a balloon mark. The valve is in contact with the firing pin.
The steel bolt is engraved with foliage scrolls and acanthus leaves, and the top is engraved with a hot-air balloon. The cocking lever on the right allows for top-loading. The walnut stock has a checkered grip, and the buttplate is made of ebonite.
Total L. 41 3/4 in.
France.
1892-1914
Very good condition.
89 CH The mark of a hot-air balloon is registered by the Giffard family, almost certainly because Paul's brother, Henri Giffard, is also an inventor, with numerous patents on thermodynamics, gas and compression, a specialist in aerostats and the inventor of the injector that bears his name.
Paul Giffard born in Paris on September 30, 1836, died in Nice on March 23, 1897, was a French inventor and engineer, best known for his work on compressed-air weapons. He invented one of the first models of compressed-air weapon, patented on May 20, 1862 for a salon gun, a major innovation in firearms. He designed an air rifle in 1870, known as the Giffard rifle, which operated on a compressed-air reservoir. This innovation made it possible to fire projectiles without using gunpowder, offering a quieter, less polluting means of propelling projectiles. The Giffard rifle was used in shooting competitions and by the military; despite its technical advantages, commercial success was not forthcoming, and its lack of power, accuracy and cost led to the abandonment of military use of this technology for training or entertainment purposes only. In 1872, a patent was granted for a pistol with a liquefied-gas expulsion mechanism, and the patent was bought back for one million US dollars by Colt's Manufacturing Company. However, Paul Giffard's work paved the way for the use of compressed air in other fields, notably in air pistols and air rifles.
Grand prix d'honneur in 1889, gold medal at the 1891 Saint-Etienne exhibition. The Giffard liquefied-gas precision rifle was listed in the Manufacture d'Armes et Cycles de Saint-Etienne catalog for several years, from 1892 until the First World War, with an 8-meter firing distance and 800-shot capacity.
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