A VERY FINE FRENCH 15-BORE D.B. BREECH-LOADING SHOTGUN OF EXHIBITION QUALITY

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A VERY FINE FRENCH 15-BORE D.B. BREECH-LOADING SHOTGUN OF EXHIBITION QUALITY

BY BERINGER, PARIS, NO. 10923, DATED 1858

With browned twist dated barrels each encrusted with gold vine-leaves and tendrils at the muzzle and breech, those on the breech inhabited by birds, the rib signed in encrusted gold letters between gold lines and further gold-encrusted vine leaves and tendrils, and chiselled en suite in low relief at the breech between the two spring-loaded strikers, the underside of the breeches stamped with the marks of the barrelsmith Léopold Bernard of Paris (Neue Støckel 1233-4) and the right barrel with his signature as well, case-hardened matt-grey back-strap chiselled in low relief on a punched ground with running vines and a woodcock in flight, case-hardened matt-grey back-action locks each signed on a ribbon and finely chiselled in high relief on a punched ground with differing designs of further vines inhabited by a stag on the right lock, and a dog and a rabbit on the left, the hammers each with a differing design en suite, each involving hanging game (a partridge and a pheasant respectively), signed case-hardened action en suite, the chiselled decoration on the underside involving an eagle taking a rabbit, case-hardened trigger-guard chiselled with further vines, the head of Diana wearing a stag's antlers, a central circular cartouche charged with a gold-encrusted monogram within a border of gold-encrusted dots, a seated greyhound, and on the scrolled tang a serpent, finely figured French polished walnut stock (butt and fore-end bruised), case-hardened trigger-plate chiselled en suite in low relief and signed by Louis Penel, the decorator, border engraved case-hardened butt-plate with hinged cover for the butt-trap, the tang with high relief chiselling involving two squirrels, short bar-in-wood fore-end mounted in chiselled iron with a wolf in high relief on the tip, the bolt with chiselled head, sling mounts each held in the mounth of an animal-head chiselled in the round, and most of its original finish
32in. barrels

Lot Essay

Beatus Béringer of Paris and St. Etienne is recorded between 1835 and 1869. At the time this gun was made his address in Paris was 26, rue de la Monnaie. He exhibited at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851

This gun fires cartridges with annular ignition, probably of his own invention. He patented a combined system of percussion and pin-fire in 1839, an example of which is preserved in the Musée de la Chasse in Paris

Louis Penel, sculptor, was born in Saint-Etienne (Loire) in 1829 and was a pupil of the better-known François Rude, sculptor and engraver (1784-1855), who contributed to Paris expositions from 1827. Penel exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1857 to 1870

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