Percussion rifle, shooting prize awarded by the Minister of - Lot 158

Percussion rifle, shooting prize awarded by the Minister of the Navy. Strong blued octagonal barrel with slider frog and adjustable rear sight, marked in thunder, on the upper side: "ECOLE NORMALE DE TIR - ANNEE 1863", on the left side: "1ER PRIX D'INSTRUCTION PRATIQUE" and, on the right side: "DONNE PAR LE MINISTRE DE LA MARINE", the underside bears the Liège proof mark: "E L G" and the caliber: "15.0", length 75.5 cm, caliber 15 mm rifled; breech tail engraved with foliage as well as all screws; front lock entirely engraved with foliage, as well as the hammer, it is signed in gold letters: "BAILLOT & HEBERARD A PARIS"; iron fittings engraved en suite; long-barreled, veined walnut stock, finely checkered grip, it bears, on the right-hand side, near the heel, a silver plate probably intended to mark the recipient's name; iron ramrod; overall length 114 cm. (Slightly more than a quarter of the barrel is blued, the front part has been bleached; the entire length of the barrel is still blued underneath). Second Empire period. Good condition. BAILLOT then BAILLOT & HEBERARD, harquebusier in Paris (1845/1872), hunting weapons factory in Liège and Saint-Étienne; custom work for gunsmiths: barrels, locks, blank fittings, etc... 44, rue Neuve Saint-Eustache - 68, rue d'Aboukir.