Francotte's rolling block 22

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  • Raineman

    On the 3rd box
    Dec 27, 2008
    3,543
    Eldersburg
    Full disclosure: A friend and I are helping a widow with her late husband's collection. Obviously we want to be fair. We have been entrusted with this Francotte, a Bayard side by side (which I will post in another thread), and a model 12 Winchester 12 ga. I missed out on a P38. The Winchester I believe will easily have a new home, but this one and the Bayard we could use some help on. I am very taken with this Francotte for some reason but I have a feeling it might be out of my financial wheelhouse.

    Anyway, any information, advice, or value would be appreciated. Please excuse the photos, I had to take them on my desk at work. The engraving in the metal and screws is fantastic and the stock is also with the exception of some splattered paint. The bluing is very nice. Everything works as it should, set triggers are great. The whole block assembly drops out and has some case hardened parts.

    Let me know if any additional pis or info would help, and I thank you in advance.
     

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    jessebogan

    Active Member
    Feb 25, 2012
    503
    Very cool!! It is a "Martini" of some sort, but looks pretty high end. Wish I had better answers for you.
     

    Cochise

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 5, 2008
    1,383
    Rockville
    I will probably be interested in the Bayard (action type and condition depending) I have several of them and they just fit me.
    The Francotte is a nice higher end 22 Martini action single shot rifle from a high end Belgian maker, you wont find anything in the price guides but it is a really nice classy gun. It isn't a target gun at least not by todays standards but BSA built a serious target gun on the Martini Action that is and was world class.
     

    BuildnBurn

    Professional Pyro
    Oct 25, 2012
    731
    Frederick County
    Patent date of the rifle is 1802.

    The rifle is based on Peabody's patent from the 1860's. Martini made an improvement replacing the external hammer with an internal striker.

    I believe it was Francotte that made a further improvement to the small frame Peabody-Martini by developing a method to remove the moving parts by taking out one screw or pin and the action parts come out as a unit. The patent date for that could well be 1902.
     

    BuildnBurn

    Professional Pyro
    Oct 25, 2012
    731
    Frederick County
    According to Wiki the percussion cap didn't come out until 1820 let alone self contained cartridges.
    The .22 short, the first viable self contained cartridge with gunpowder wasn't released until 1857 released in the S&W #1 revolver.
     

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