Is this a forgery?

[svt-40]

Came across this gun which is supposedly antique, but the stampings look suspicious to my uneducated guess:

 

[SDC]

Looks legit to me; it should be chambered for 8mm Lebel revolver, and the marking on the barrel shows this company sold it as their "African" model.

 

[mooncoon]

The Blue Book of gun prices says that Manufrance started in 1902 which if correct, would eliminate the age part of antique. Further you would have to check which 8 mm cartridge the gun is chambered for to make sure that it is not one exempted from antique status.
It is possible that Manufrance started at an earlier date but you would have to do some digging to support that plus establish some reason for believing that this particular gun was made before 1898 plus establish that the gun is not chambered for a prohib caliber.
Seems like a tough row to how were you to ask me :>)

cheers mooncoon

 

[Claven2]

It's a legitimate revolver, but not antique by Canadian standards from what I can tell.

 

[dingus]

OK im not 100% certin here cause the pics are not of the compleat gun!

BUT it looks abit like a Pieper Liege and Could very well be Pre 1898.

Also the caliber being 8 mill is OK as theres No Metric Calibers on the NO list.
Ive got a 1874 French 11mil officers Revolver made at the same place its Definetly Antique.

 

[Claven2]

With that font?

 

[david doyle]

how many rounds does that cylinder hold? Is it one of the high cap revolvers?

 

[dingus]

With that font?

Ya a pieper has a diffrent Barrel top front alright.

Well Better more Compleat pics would help

 

[mooncoon]

If it was made in Belgium for Manufrance, it should carry a belgian proof mark. Also you have to establish that Manufrance was in business before 1898.
The belgian proof if present probably should NOT have a crown over the ELG (introduced on export guns in 1893). The 8 mm Lebel was introduced in 1892, which gives you 5 years of wiggle room if the gun is that caliber.

cheers mooncoon

 

[svt-40]

It carries Belgian nitro proof (crowned R) and U under a star.

 

[mooncoon]

The crown over R was used after 1892 for revolvers after a black powder proof plus 30% excess pressure and also for ones with semi smokeless proof and 50% excess pressure.
I believe the star over U is an inspector's mark but unfortunately they were kept secret.

cheers mooncoon.

 

[svt-40]

I get my information from the Standard Directory of Proofmarks and it states that the crowned R is a nitro proof for the rifled pistol barrels. What is your source?

 

[mooncoon]

The 1975 edition of the same book; page 128 item (b) and (d) under the general category of rifled barrels. The proof was also used for other rifled barrels non applicable to your gun.

cheers mooncoon

 

[david doyle]

The 8mm Lebel cartridge was used prior to the introduction of the mdl 1892 lebel revolver (french ordannance revolver)

There was a transisition pistol which used the same cartridge in black powder and cast bullet, post 1892 smokeless and jacketed bullets were used.