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Old January 29, 2002, 11:26 AM   #1
Atlan T. Rex
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"Mademoiselle" hand gun?

I’m not a gun expert, so sorry if I did not use the “right” terms.

I’m looking for informations about a gun called “mademoiselle” (probable name). It’s a hand gun, but the place where you hold it (the "handle"?) looks like a miniature of a rifle, but surely it is not intended to put against the shoulder, but hold it in the hand.

It looks like a flint pistol, like the ones used by the British sea service on starting of 1800, but the handle (?) and the barrel reminds me a riffle used in old western movies, but much smaller.

I don’t have any pictures of it… Does anyone knows something that could be associated to this gun? Or maybe a place where can I find a strange guns picture gallery?



Thanks a lot,

Atlan
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Old January 30, 2002, 11:13 AM   #2
Johnny Guest
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Need a bit more information - -

- - to try to help.

Have you actually seen/held this firearm yourself? Do you have access to it? Any way you culd photograph it, prefereably with a digital camera, for ease in posting the photo(s?)

Is this a cartridge arm? If not, is it percussion or flintlock?

There's a wealth of talent on this board, and I'll bet someone will be able to help you.

Best,
Johnny
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Old January 30, 2002, 03:40 PM   #3
Atlan T. Rex
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Hi Johnny.
Sorry if I don't know the right terms, my native language is portuguese; but as long as I could understand the terms, it's a percurssion gun.

I hold it just for some moments, after a cheerfull lady had pointed it to my face. After I calmed her down, I returned the gun. The gun still fires, although it appears to be an old-fashioned piece.
I think it was not a large-scale produce gun; the handle had some engravings (branches and leaves), everything very well done (didn't appear to be home-made).
This lady called the gun "mademoiselle", that's why I told it was a probable name.
I don't have access neither to the lady nor to the gun, so I can get an image. I'm looking for information just for the sake of curiosity.
Thanks for the attention of all you, and any clues would be welcome!
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Old January 30, 2002, 09:04 PM   #4
Johnny Guest
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Very Interesting!

{b]Senhor Rex,[/b] I can see how you would like to know more about the particular gun.

I'm sorry, but I have been unable to locate any references to such a title or brand name for a firearm. Maybe it is a personal name, a term of affection, for the item.

I'll keep looking for information.

Best regards,
Johnny
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Old January 31, 2002, 07:21 AM   #5
Atlan T. Rex
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Thanks Johnny!

Then again, maybe someone knows where to find a picture gallery for strange guns on the net, or maybe a printed catalog?

[]s
Atlan
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Old January 31, 2002, 10:17 AM   #6
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A really large printed catalog is the Standard Catalog of Firearms put out by Krause publishing. It has thousands of pictures of guns, but plan on spending a day looking for a specific picture! I also don't see any gun with a trade name or model name of Mademoiselle in any of my books.
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Old January 31, 2002, 11:03 AM   #7
Johnny Guest
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Atlan, FYI---

Member johnwill is a very active participant on this forum, with a very interesting collection of unusual handguns, mostly of the smaller type. If you do a SEARCH by his name in this forum, you'll find an extensive list of beautiful firearm photographs he has posted. It was almost a daily practice for a time. I wish he would post some more. Hint, HINT.

Best regards,
Johnny

PS--Now that I've suggested the Search, I discover that the Search function is down for repairs. I trust it will be reinstated soon.
JPG
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Old January 31, 2002, 11:40 AM   #8
Harley Nolden
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Madam

Alan Rex:
There are two photos, one attached here and another in another post directly next to this one. Do they look similar to what you are seeking?

Sorry don't have much information on them.

HJN
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Old January 31, 2002, 11:42 AM   #9
Harley Nolden
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Snaphance

2nd photo madam gun

HJN
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Old January 31, 2002, 12:14 PM   #10
Atlan T. Rex
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Thanks a lot!
The first picture do reminds me of the gun, but the barrel is not like that. I tried to create a "frankestein" using pictures from 3 guns to give you at least one clue about it.
The victorian leaves below the image is to give an idea about how the engravings on the handle look like, although they are more sophisticated, with more leaves.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg mademoiselle.jpg (13.7 KB, 100 views)
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Old January 31, 2002, 01:22 PM   #11
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This picture is for Johnny Guest, maybe he'll find what he's looking for in here. This is a group picture that has about 90% of my collection in it. It's posted as a link, since some folks won't want to download a picture of this size.

Collection Group Photo
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Old February 1, 2002, 12:34 PM   #12
James K
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If the name was not actually on the gun, I suspect the woman was just using a pet name for her "pistola", somewhat as people used to call a gun "Old Betsy". Maybe she considered the gun as something of a chaperon.

Jim
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Old February 1, 2002, 02:49 PM   #13
Atlan T. Rex
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Yes, I'm almost sure of this now, since no one had never heard about a gun with this name.
And, let's be clear, it's kind of strange a name for a gun... I just consider the hipothesys because the gun was strange itself...
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Old February 1, 2002, 03:20 PM   #14
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Your description of something that looks like a stock, but is too small to be used like a stock has me thinking that maybe this is some sort of "palm" or "squeezer" pistol. Something like this
( http://www.antiquefirearms.com/215.htm ), maybe?
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Old February 1, 2002, 08:42 PM   #15
C.R.Sam
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Quote:
It looks like a flint pistol, like the ones used by the British sea service on starting of 1800, but the handle (?) and the barrel reminds me a riffle used in old western movies, but much smaller.
Can't put a picture up but maby someone else has this book....Antique Guns, Hank Bowman, 1953....pg 57.

Captioned picture but no descriptive text in the book other than caption. Gun is flint, rifle like stock except short, barrel bout 7-8" with belled muzzle.

Caption....
Plainly marked "HARPERS FERRY 1814" This weapon presents a mystery to students of antique guns. Discovered in a Venezuelan collection. It is 20 3/4 inches long and was probably carried with the butt in the crook of a man's arm. No records exist on this gun.

Sam
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Old February 2, 2002, 06:11 PM   #16
Atlan T. Rex
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Oh my...

Does anyone has this book? It'll be very difficult to me to find it here in Brasil (we write it with "S" here), but I think that's the gun. Most problably, a newer reproduction of it, since it didn't appear to be very old.

Thanks a lot for everyone!
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Old February 2, 2002, 08:43 PM   #17
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C.R.Sam,

You need a scanner.
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Old February 3, 2002, 02:07 PM   #18
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johnwill - - -

Don't we ALL need a scanner, especially in this forum, where so many unusual guns are discussed?
Johnny
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Old February 3, 2002, 02:19 PM   #19
johnwill
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I actually don't use my scanner much since I've gone to digital cameras, though it's still useful for those facts from books...
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Old February 5, 2002, 02:36 AM   #20
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John, I got it scanned but can't get the load down low enough to post. Will send to you, maby you can trim off the excess fat.

Sam
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Old February 5, 2002, 05:23 AM   #21
Atlan T. Rex
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Hi Sam!

Please send it to me, too, at [email protected].

Thanks!
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Old February 5, 2002, 10:09 AM   #22
C.R.Sam
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Atlan......definately, when I get it workin.

Sam
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Old February 5, 2002, 10:18 AM   #23
johnwill
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Quote:
I got it scanned but can't get the load down low enough to post. Will send to you, maby you can trim off the excess fat.
You need a program like Paint Shop Pro that will change resolutions of scans. You can also change the scan resolution when doing the scan, which is the preferred method. Another trick is to reduce the color depth, or even scan it gray-scale. When I scan text, I normally do it at 300DPI, plenty to read it. If you can email the picture, I can hack it down to size and post it here.
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Old February 10, 2002, 07:25 PM   #24
Atlan T. Rex
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Gun

A new question for everyone:

Since the gun seems to be an old model, but created not so long ago... Where can I find names and contacts for people who builds working guns? Not big factorys, but individuals or little groups that may create personalized guns?
I can expect to find dozens, hundreds or thousands of such guys, in America?

Any clue would be very appreciated!!!


Thanks a lot!

Atlan
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Old February 10, 2002, 11:24 PM   #25
James K
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There are many gunsmiths in the US, but most customize guns rather than actually building them. If the gun to be built is a modern cartridge gun, and the receiver is to be made, the smith will need a manufacturer's license, which few do, and of course the gun has to comply with US laws.

If the gun to be built is percussion or flintlock, the license will not be needed; there are a number of smiths who do that work.

Try a web search on "Gunsmiths" and you will turn up quite a few names (some 15000, I think) and you can try their sites.

If you could provide more detail as to what you want to have made, we can narrow it down a bit.

Jim
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