(edited title) Museum's inventory: J. B. Paillon, Québec

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dauph197

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(edited title) Museum's inventory: J. B. Paillon, Québec

Guys,

This one... I have no clue where to post it! I was hesitating between hunting board and gunsmithing board but because there is a place to fix a bayonet, I decided to stay here. I never seen anyone hunting with a fixed bayonet on his rifle. Wait, wait... I'm not saying it does not exist but... hunting with a bayonet, really?! In the 18th Century, okay I buy it but in 19th Cent?

Anyway, that is a very strange rifle. It is written in its side, "Inventé par J.B. Paillon Québec" which mean "Invented by J.B. Paillon Québec" but you got it right?

Playing with this rifle is very strange. I do not know which caliber, which ammo... I know nothing about it. Not able to find something about who was J.B. Paillon. One thing is sure, he was good as making a rifle. When you have this in your hands, it fits just perfectly. The action is a bit weird though... I would love to know which bayonet was made for this rifle?

Enjoy!





































Maybe gunsmithing would have been a better place?!
 
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Looks like a VERY solid action!

What is the bore diameter? From where I am sitting, it looks as if it could be in calibre .577 Snider, which likely would put it in the 1865 - 1875 period.

I would LOVE to play with this one for an evening or two.

Bayonet likely would be the same as the sword-bayonet for the short Sniders or Martinis.

WISH I could help on this one.
 
That is a very interesting rifle you have there. Perhaps as said - a military prototype. Perhaps someone working professionally in the Quebec/French Canadian historical field, provincial museum or archives could help?
 
Wow, thanks for sharing. Bet you won't see another of those in this century here on CGN. Looks like ALOT of bells/whistles for the time period. Can't wait to find out more about this gun.
 
From the look of the fireing pin slot it could be a rimfire.
The double dove tail bayonet lugs are similar to some European arms of the 1840-70 era.
 
Really interesting setup there. I thought it was similar to the 'monkey tail' (Westley Richards? I can't recall now) rifles at first until the photo with the extractor engaged. I think it may be a blend of that breech loading percussion technology and early cartridge production.
 
What no bipod? Geez, if that had any more levers etc it'd be a Rube-Goldberg device. No dates on it anywhere?
Try a name search in the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Their data base goes back to 1869.
http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/home
Measure the bore. A rough measurement with calipers will do. If you really want to find out what it's chambered for, slug the barrel and do a chamber casting. That's done with Cerrosafe and a bit of steel wool. Half pound runs $24.99US from Brownell's. A half pound is more than enough and it's reusable stuff.
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...rosafe-reg-chamber-casting-alloy-prod384.aspx
Like smellie says, it's likely an issue bayonet of the time.
 
That's a really neet rifle, Martin, and as pointed before, surely a prototype of the late XIX century... That's the kind of firearms that NEEDS to be well documented for it's history and for posterity.
Remember that Québec (and Lévis) were the Dominion of Canada's military HQ center in the days. A lot of things happened both in Québec and Lévis, as the engineering division and small arms development / shooting range was located in Lévis up to WWII - around where Desjardins head office are today! - it was part of fort No. 2, if I remember correctly.
The very first .280 Ross were shot there, 'ya know!
 
Like smellie says, it's likely an issue bayonet of the time.[/QUOTE]

Not a British or Cdn issue bayonet.
No mention of Paillon in "Canadian Gunsmiths 1608-1900".
 
Paillon is definately a French - from France - name, so it's far from being common in Quebec.

Census of 1871, Canada East
Nom: Jean Bap Paillon
###e: Male
Âge: 62
Année de naissance: 1809
Lieu de naissance: France
Situation de famille: Married
Religion: None
Origine: French
Province: Quebec
District: Quebec West
Numéro de quartier: 145
Division: 02
Sous-district: St Pierre Ward
Numéro du sous-district: a
Membres de la famille
Nom Âge
Jean Bap Paillon 62
Henriette Paillon 42
Henri Paillon 13
Victor Paillon 11
Edmond Paillon 2
Anna Paillon 6 months

He was here (in St-Hyacinthe, PQ) in 1861, but not in 1852, and he was gone by 1881. No traces of burial or whatever, so he must have left. His son Jean-Edmond-Michel died in Qc city in 1871.

So, this gun was made between 1860 and 1880....
 
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