The Auguste Francotte Project

[Londonshooter]

Some pics of how this gun is coming along. Last spring CJO cleaned up many of the messed up pin and screw slots. Then in June I won a raffle prize of gun checkering generously provided by C.J. Dawe in support of the Upper Canada Double Gun Classic. Chris did a nice repair to the comb, refreshed the checkering, refinished the butt stock, and did some refitting of the steel butt plate.
Still to come there is some more work to do tidying up the locks. I would like to find replacement hammers for the current ones ideally. I want to get the deep acid-etched barrels refinished. And then it is on to sourcing continental tools for the velvet-lined oak case, and finally the restoring of the case and relining with new material to fit the accessories.

 

[brybenn]

Really like the purple lining. Those barrels will be stunners when redone

 

[Londonshooter]

Really like the purple lining. Those barrels will be stunners when redone

The velvet is cotton, I'm told by the ladies at Lens Mills. For the back panel I want new material with a large oval hole so the original maker's lettering shows but the corroded areas are covered. Perhaps I can accent the edges of the oval with leather trim. The compartments are formed with heavy cardboard pinned to wooden blocking. It actually looks not too difficult to do. I found a couple online Francotte cased examples that are contemporary to this one although one is a percussion gun and the other a pinfire.

 

[brybenn]

Once im done these house renos and build my cigar and whiskey room out back im going to focus on trying to build some cases for my vintage guns. I just built a bigger gun room and once all my gear is unpacked and organized ill actually have a working clean work bench. Figure by spring my shrimp will pay for any tooling I dont currently have access to
Im expecting some glorious failures. I was thinking balsa wood dividers and oak cases

I had several rolls of interior auto trim but used it as a pool liner matting. Its the laying the material against each angle I'm not sure about
Prolly easier to just buy a bunch of negrini cases but where's the fun in that

 

[Cow Town Bill]

That's a huge project, John, and it is coming along nicely.
Keep us informed as the project proceeds.

 

[canvasback]

That's agreat project John. Love how you are grabbing it in bits. Not too overwhelming all at once. Also, I agree with Bryon, that purple lining is stunning.......so rich!!!

 

[Londonshooter]

That's agreat project John. Love how you are grabbing it in bits. Not too overwhelming all at once. Also, I agree with Bryon, that purple lining is stunning.......so rich!!!

That's a huge project, John, and it is coming along nicely.
Keep us informed as the project proceeds.

Thanks for the comments. If the case were not so special I would have sent this dog of a gun back after 1st inspection. The bores are... disappointing. That was after being told by sporting goods store manager that they were good. Having not learned my lesson I spoke sternly to them about that then bought another gun with a similar result. So, having decided to keep them I'm trying not to spend too much money but don't mind spending time on these two 16 ga. guns (the Francotte and the German former cape gun).
I think I have enough gun projects on the go to keep me busy through the long winters of my retirement that I can now say, 'no new guns!', and mean it this time. No new guns. Really, really, mean it.

 

[canvasback]

Thanks for the comments. If the case were not so special I would have sent this dog of a gun back after 1st inspection. The bores are... disappointing. That was after being told by sporting goods store manager that they were good. Having not learned my lesson I spoke sternly to them about that then bought another gun with a similar result. So, having decided to keep them I'm trying not to spend too much money but don't mind spending time on these two 16 ga. guns (the Francotte and the German former cape gun).
I think I have enough gun projects on the go to keep me busy through the long winters of my retirement that I can now say, 'no new guns!', and mean it this time. No new guns. Really, really, mean it.

Yeah, I say that all the time. "No new guns!" And I really mean it as well. Until I don't. Hahahaha!

 

[Londonshooter]

I bought the last one just a short while ago.

 

[Stephen Nash]

I swore No. More. Pin-fires. several pin-fires ago. Rules are important. And they can be broken. Us mere mortals can’t predict the future.

I’m also waiting to be gifted a Woodward over/under, or a Dickson round action. Maybe both. You never know.

Wonderful project, Londonshooter!

 

[Londonshooter]

There you go enabling again, Steve. James isn't much better. Worst of all is the pipemaker.