Fs. Dumoulin & Co. Liege

[oldgun]

I have an old double barrel shotgun, engraved and in very good condition. It has markings on it, Made in Belguim, Code 81398, 1841/1878. And the maker of the gun is Fs. Dumoulin & Co. Liege. It has been handed down in my family, originally my great grandfathers, but was used in the Anglo Boer War, circa 1904. Any ideas ??

 

[RSVP2RIP]

I only see information on Ernest Dumoulin in Herstal. Not Fs. Dumoulin in Liege. E. Dumoulin guns are handmade to order and depending on condition and engraving can generate close to $20,000. I don't think they are of the same vein though. Here is one on Guns America going for $995.00

http://www.gunsamerica.com/914717240/Guns/Shotguns/Dumoulin-Shotguns/DUMOULIN_12_GAUGE_30_SEVEN_POUND.htm

If it has fluid steel barrels, get it checked out and the chambers verified and if in good condition, no reason not to shoot it with light loads if you want to.

 

[JohnBT]

I have never found much on F. Domoulin. The usual response to questions about them is -

"F. Dumoulin & Co. were gun makers in Belgium c. 1894 to 1930"


From gabelguns.com

"Dumoulin Freres & Cie, Liege, was founded in 1849 by Andre-Auguste Dumoulin, run by his widow after his early death and then by his sons. The Dumoulin Brothers, Albert Simonis and Joseph Janssen were all founding members of les Fabricants d'Armes reunis, 1886 and of Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre in 1889."

 

[John Peddie]

The "Fs" could be an abbreviation of "Freres" (French word for "brothers").

 

[tube_ee]

Assuming a good checkout

by a qualified doublegun smith, (and they're not cheap,) then you'd likely need to investigate either blackpowder loading or the newer, "nitro-for-black" loads. Most (consider that to mean "all", unless you're sure what you're buying... and if you didn't have to special-order it, it ain't the right stuff) commercially-loaded ammo will develop pressures too high to be safe in older European double guns.

That's not to say that they're not safe to shoot, although many are not. It's just that shotshell loads are much higher-pressure than they were a century ago, and the older guns won't take the abuse.

Loading for and shooting older double guns is not a tyro's game. You really, really need to know what you're doing, and the only way to learn is from those who already know.

A trip to Wally World might well cost you a thumb.

You only get two.

--Shannon