November 3-4, 2017 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/3/2017
Octagonal Damascus steel barrel with patent breech, multi-groove rifling. Breech and tang with a few sprigs of engraving, small front and rear sights. Flat percussion lockplate with rounded tail engraved with leaves, hammer engraved en suite. Center of lockplate inscribed "Chire/a Rouen", meaning made in Rouen by Chire. Chire worked about 70 miles northwest of Paris in the 1840's. He is a very rare gunsmith and is listed in the new "Der Stoeckel" reference book of European makers on page 2110, Volume III. Features an adjustable trigger, engraved steel furniture, triggerguard with finger spur, silver barrel key escutcheons. Plain walnut stock with shaped checkered panels on each side of wrist, carved leaf border around butt, and a schnabel forend. Very good condition, barrel retains much of Damascus finish, lock retains a light grey patina with small piece of hammer spur missing. Stock very good with few scattered marks, small oval wrist escutcheon is absent. This is a great example of a finely made French pistol.
Caliber/Bore
.56 Smoothbore