Looks more like one of the Pakistan/Afgan border guns. Doesn't show the quality of a European made firearm. The Howdah pistol a hunter would have been carrying would have been of the same quality as their rifles.
Very true that. I had no doubt it was from India or some such.
It is a Belgian gun, it has all the correct proof and inspector marks, it even has the makers trademark. The spangled AS (AS under a star) is a trademark used by SIMONIS Albert, manufacturer of weapons of Liège who was registered with the proofhouse of Liege of 1873 to 1900.
Most of those pistols were made years ago for the tourist trade by a tribesman with a hammer, screwdriver, file, and used his feet as a vise. My assistant Scoutmaster was a gun collector and had a small collection of those pistols. One was a Martini style action pistol chambered for .303 British. Most were made of iron, and a factory round would probably have destroyed it.
The tribesmen copied all the proofs, so they mean nothing as to the safety of the gun.
It is a Belgian gun, it has all the correct proof and inspector marks, it even has the makers trademark. The spangled AS (AS under a star) is a trademark used by SIMONIS Albert, manufacturer of weapons of Liège who was registered with the proofhouse of Liege of 1873 to 1900.
I wouldn't believe any of those marks for a second.
I'm with UNPRO on this one. I'm convinced it's a Belgian made gun. Abuse and neglect over a long period of time can make anything appear to be of lesser quality than it actually is/was. Normally the Kyber Pass markings are off enough to be able to easily differentiate them from the real thing. The style and font of those on the gun match right up with legit Belgian proofs in a Browning Arms book I have and those shown at Damascus-barrels.com/Belgian proofmarks
Last edited by vintage hunter; 02-21-2015 at 02:44 PM.
Reason: trying to get link to work.......
I wouldn't believe any of those marks for a second.
Well let's just say, for the sake of argument, that I know something about Belgian Proof marks. This is a Belgian gun made by Albert Simonis and proofed at the Liege Proof House.
Last edited by UNPROFOR1994; 02-21-2015 at 02:49 PM.
Reason: typo
Counterfeit money has all the right marks on it too, but they just can't get the quality up there. Take a look at the quality of the pistol, and the caliber is too small for a Howdah pistol.
Take a look at some of these. Some are real, some are reproductions, and some are new manufacture. Is there anything there close to the quality of the pistol in question.
I agree, it isn't a Howdah pistol and I've never said it was. Double barreled pistols like this were made by dozens of different and mostly anonymous gun makers in the Liege area. I've seen and held atleast 5 or 6 of these d.b. pistols in my hands and even shot one.
They were the poor man's revolver or pistol, mostly used as a home defense weapon or carried by a game warden to kill a fox that was trapped in a snare.
All the ones I've seen were smooth bore and that's what makes this one different and interesting to me. Can't wait for the results of the chamber casting and barrel slugging!
Last edited by UNPROFOR1994; 02-21-2015 at 03:34 PM.
Is there anything there close to the quality of the pistol in question.
No Johnny there ain't but even Ray Charles could see those have been better cared for that the one being discussed here. But if you look close you can spot at least one other there with Liege proofs very similar the ones on the gun here.
Originally Posted by Johnny Peppers
It is a Belgian gun, it has all the correct proof and inspector marks, it even has the makers trademark. The spangled AS (AS under a star) is a trademark used by SIMONIS Albert, manufacturer of weapons of Liège who was registered with the proofhouse of Liege of 1873 to 1900.
PM
