French Shotgun?

[Gondorf]

I have acquired an older French side by side 12 gauge shotgun. It is heavily engraved, double trigger. The manufacturer (I think) is Thivillier Freres (brothers). I can find nothing about them in my internet research. The name M. Merley is stamped on the bottom of the left barrel. The words 'acier comprime surlamine' are also found on the bottom of the left barrel, along with the numbers 65 and 18.2. There is also a stamped crown over the letters PT.
Does anyone know anything about the manufacturer? Or Merley? Or whether or not this shotgun might be safe to shoot using modern ammunition?
Thanks.

[Mike Irwin]

65 is the chamber length, in this case 2.5 inches, NOT the standard 2 3/4 inches.

DO NOT SHOOT MODERN AMMO THROUGH IT.

You can purchase 2.5 inch shells from a number of sources.

Acier is steel

Comprime is compressed

Sur lamine is, I THINK, lamination. I can't find a 100% match for it, but I think it's close.

I'd bet that the barrels are made from Damascus, or hammer-welded, strips of steel.

I would advise against shooting the gun at all because of that fact.

[johnbt]

Do I know anything? Nope. Here's an M. Merley up for bids with a starting price of $2000.

www.gunbroker.biz/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=72923596

John

[gunzrfunz]

Homers' new boss: Hey Homer, what country do you hate more, Italy or France?
Homer: France(disgustingly)
Homers' new boss: heh..no one ever says Italy.

[johnbt]

And yet, looking at the word surlamine, sur means on and lamine translates as roll, so it could be rolled steel. High school and college French was a long time ago.

John

[stephen426]

Is that like a French WWII rifle? Dropped once... never fired? :eek::p:D

[Gondorf]

Mike/John:
Thanks much. A very good start.

[Mike Irwin]

Interesting thought, John, and entirely possible.

Of first concern, though, is that the chambers are 2.5", and as I indicated, do NOT shoot it with 2 3/4 or longer ammunition.

[Dave McC]

First, like any older shotgun, a smith should go over this one before firing.

Polywad and Gamebore both market 2.5" shells.

French shotguns are a real can of worms. While some makers are known, others seem to have become known only through a handful of shotguns of excellent workmanship and design that just turn up. Oft there was a duffle bag shipment from Europe around 1946 in their pasts.

A vast number of French and Belgian shotguns were made that just cannot be traced at all, just enjoyed. Quite a few have short chambers, and many of these do not have enough metal to have them lengthened.

Lots of them are 16 gauges, very popular on the Continent back then.

I had one, a Didierfusil, with both French and Belgian proof marks. It was a boxlock SxS, made like a game gun, and had all the right things on it. These included articulated front trigger, ergonomic checkered butt, cast off, acorn and oak leaf deep engraving,swamped rib,and was pretty as a speckled pup. A freind has it now.

Nobody has ever heard of the maker. Searching for the maker gave me some idea of what French guns were about,and I've shared it here.

HTH....