Guns International #: 103078785

Category - Francotte Shotguns - Shotguns - 16 Gauge

Category
Francotte Shotguns
Shotguns - 16 Gauge

Francotte 16 Gauge - BLNE 30”, SUPERB ENGRAVING, 1927, vintage firearms inc

Description:
General Specs: Francotte, 1927, 16 Gauge, 6lbs. 4oz., Chokes M/F, LOP 14 3/16″, DAH 2 1/4″, DAC 1 9/16″
Serial Number:  40107

Auguste Francotte was a high-quality firearms maker from the gun making center of Leige, Belgium dating back as far as 1805.  Still making fine shotguns into the early 21rst century with price tags starting at $18,000 and topping out at over $100,000, Francotte is a brand recognized and used by heads of state, business tycoons, and in some cases, the fortunate “Average Joe”. Search long and hard, you will not find another Auguste Francotte like this one.  This unique boxlock non-ejector gun doesn’t fall into a grade category that I am familiar with, as the engraving pattern is different than the normal grades.  This gun, sn40107 built in 1927, is a 16-gauge gun with hand engraved bird dogs on the left side, wild boar on the right side, the balance covered in a floral and vine motif deeply cut and beautifully accented with a shadowed background.  The 30” barrels are choked M/F with mirror shiny bores, retain 99% factory blue, tight ribs, and a rib extension that is again unique as it facilitates a Greener cross-bolt AND a “third bite” that has a bolt that engages a slot in the rib extension, all shown in the photos.  The Greener crossbolt and third bite are in addition to a traditional Purdey style double underlug bolting system and sideclips, making this an extremely secure lock system with 6 locking points!  The barrels are tight on the hinge pin and breech face like a new gun, with the top lever right of center.  The action has perfect screws, cocking indicators, crisp double triggers, trigger guard with 80% factory blue, and is mechanically excellent in all ways. This is a VFI CERTIFIED GUN WITH A 90 DAY MECHANICAL WARRANTY, the action and forend iron having been stripped to its smallest parts, Ultrasonic cleaned, each part inspected for integrity and function, properly lubricated and reassembled, ready for another 98 years of service.  This is a $450 service in our gunsmithing department.    PRESENTLY IT IS DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO FIND 2 ½” 16GA. SHELLS TO PURCHASE.  BECAUSE OF THIS, VFI GUNSMITHS HAVE CAREFULLY MEASURED THE BARREL WALL THICKNESS AHEAD OF THE CHAMBERS AND LENGTHENED THE CHAMBERS TO 2 ¾” AND EXTENDED THE FORCING CONES TO 1 ½” TAPERS SO THAT YOU CAN SHOOT MODERN 2 ¾” FIELD LOADS THROUGH OUR GUNS.  This is a $440 service in our shop.   The factory original wood has a gracefully shaped Prince of Wales grip with light figure and an excellent hand rubbed oil finish, checkering clean and sharp all with superb wood-to-metal fit, terminating with a horn buttplate, and no cracks or splits.  There are only a few handling marks anywhere on the wood.  This is a 6 ¼ pound gun that balances nicely between the hands that would be a superb upland gun and with its 30” barrels a great gun for those vintage side x side events that have become popular throughout the country.  The Belgium gun trade produced some of the finest guns you could own, and this gun is one of them.  Priced affordably it will make a great addition to your collection of working guns and serve you well for another 100 years.  See the specifications below, and thanks for looking!

Please note, VFI is limited to 25 images on Guns International, please call or email us for more photographs of this gun or visit the Vintage Firearms Inc .


Barrels
Barrel Length:   30″
Chokes:   .019/.027 M/F
Bores:   mirror
Bore Diameter:   .670/.670
Wall Thickness:   .031/.037
% Blue:   99% factory blue
Chambers:   2 3/4″ with long cone
Ribs:   tight
Sights:  front brass

Action
Action:  tight, right of center
Extractors
Receiver Condition:   factory coin finish with shaded background
Screws:   perfect
Engraving:   superb pointer/setter left hand; 2 boar right hand; floral/vine; clear, sharp
Trigger Type:   double-crisp
Trigger Guard Color:   80% blue; engraved vine/floral

Stock
Type:   1/2 round/splinter; straight grained
LOP:   14 3/16″
LOP To End Of Wood:   13 7/8″
DAH:   2 1/4″
DAC:   1 9/16″
Cast:   3/8″ off
Checkering Condition:   excellent
Butt Treatment:   horn serrated buttplate


INQUIRIES
There is a 30 day mechanical warranty on long guns. If it is a “VFI Certified” gun there is a 90 day mechanical warranty. Call or email us for more details or questions. Thanks! Vintage Firearms Inc

Payment and Shipping
Ways to Pay: Credit Card, Money Order, Certified Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer (Advertised price reflects 3.5% cash discount. Actual price if paid by credit card is 3.5% higher.)
Inspection Period / Return Policy: Three Days from the date the item was received.
Sales Tax Collected: AZ, FL, GA, MI, MO, PA, TX, WI
Shipping & Insurance: Ground $105.00 within continental U.S. Additional fees for HI & AK.
Item Condition: Used
Requires FFL?: Yes. C&R licenses accepted for shipping C&R eligible guns

Other
Terms of Purchase: Check your local and state laws before purchasing. It is the buyer’s responsibility to confirm his/her right to own the firearm or any item before purchasing.
PLEASE SEE OUR OTHER FINE VINTAGE FIREARMS. View all listings and our full inventory of fine sporting and collectible arms will appear. Thanks for looking! We employ full time gunsmiths on premises and can perform alterations to suit your needs within a few weeks of purchase. Common requests are: -stock bending to suit your particular requirements -addition of any specified butt pad to increase length of pull -alteration of chokes to suit your shooting preferences -lengthening of chambers and forcing cones -darkening stock color with penetrating stains -restoring any part of the gun including rust blue, charcoal blue, bone and charcoal case color, wood restoration and checkering recuts. If you like one our guns but it needs “tweaked”, let us know and we can quote you a time and price. Some enthusiasts like the guns “as found” and others want them “just so”. We often list guns as found and let the particular buyer choose how they want their gun to fit or look.

Shotgun Gauge: 16 Gauge

Price: $3,950.00