Help Identifying Antique Shotgun

G

gonnafail

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Woodstock, Ontario
Hello all,
I was recently asked by a member of my wife's family to help identify a shotgun that has been passed down through the generations and to look about having some restoration work done on it. There is no intention of this ever being shot again but just to repair some of the damage that has occured over the years.

So What is it? There are two marks on the bolt, one of which I believe I have identified as a "Perron" mark meaning it is Belgian made? The other looks like a UA with a star above it. It is a 12 gauge bolt action and looks to me similar to a French Chassepot rifle. I am hoping someone here has seen something similar and can tell me something about it. So what are everyone's thoughts on this thing?

Thanks for the help.

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What you have is a French Gras service rifle converted into a shotgun. It was quite common to take obsolete rifles and rework them into shotguns to be sold at economical prices. Its value is as a family piece.
 
Can't help with that mark. The gun was originally 1870s, the shotgun conversion was likely ca 1900.
 
Yes that is a Perron mark. The UA with star is likely an inspectors mark. I'll see if I can find which inspector for you but these can get pretty obscure.

Post 1877 Belgian inspectors marks were designated by a star above the inspector lettering, other than known proofs that included a star. So unless this is a known proof of other meaning it's likely narrowed down to inspectors mark.
 
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