BELGIAN PROOF MARKS - - Hunting.be

COPYRIGHT WWW.DAMASCUS-BARRELS.COM, ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDBELGIAN PROOF MARKSMark NumberDescriptionDates Used1The Perron, sole proof mark until dropped in1810, Since 1853 used to indicate inspectionor proof of breeching system. Not used onrevolvers. Can be either of these.1672 – 1810,1853 - present2Replace #1 in 1810. Sole proof mark until1853, when it became the mark for definitiveproof. Since 1893, used on muzzle loadersonly. Can be any of these 3 marks.1810 - present3Double proof as prescribed by the Frenchlaw of 18104Bore diameter in millimeters. Until 1894,stamped in .02mm graduations, then in0.1mm stepsMark1810 – 18531810 - present18.05Initials of M. Champiomont, used todesignate provisional proof for barrels priorto permanent breeching.1847- 1852F-J C6Replace #5 for provisional proof of barrels.Since 1924 reserved for smooth bores1852 – present7Mark applied to barrels which failed proofand returned to makers for reworking.1846 – 18898Indicated barrels had not been weakenedafter proof by breeching, Used on muzzleloaders1852 – 1853Introduced for handguns, 1846 to 1924.R

9applied to barrels exported in rough state.Since 1925 reserved for muzzle loadingpistols1846 – present10Example of an Inspector's mark which couldbe any letter of the alphabet1853 – 187711Example of an Inspector's mark which couldbe any letter of the alphabet1877 – present12“Not for Ball” indicates choked barrel13Introduced to designate arms proved inconformity of German Proof Law of 1891. Innow represents definitive black powder proofexcept for muzzle loaders1893 – present14Designates guns with rifled chokes.1893 – 19241930 – present15Designates 4th or nitro proof; the markcontains the name of the powder inabbreviated form ( Schultze, E.C.)1891 – present16Barrel weight in grams of nitro proofedshotguns. After 1924 fractions of grams wereno longer used1892 – present17Chamber dimensions in millimeters shotgunsundergoing smokeless proof. Length ofchamber over diameter of chamber1892 – 192418Maximum service load for shotguns havingundergone smokeless proof. Always found inconjunction with #15, which would indicatetype of powder1897 – 19031878 – 1897NON POUR BALLECH B RAYE1K355.5

19Smokeless powder proof of military riflesuntil 1903, thereafter indicates nitro proof forall types of arms.1898 – present20Designates rifled barrel. Introduced forhandguns in 1894, rifles over 8mm in 1897.Since 1924 used on all rifled arms1894 – present21“Not Rifled” used on smooth bore revolvers,multi-barreled pistols and Flobert arms1894 – 1924NON RAYE22Variation of #21 used for a few months in18941894 – 1924NON RAYE 9423Mark applied to smooth bore express rifles1894 – 1898EXPRESS NON RAYE24Nominal gauge designation applied toshotguns given black powder proof1898 – 192425Mark for optional superior provisional proof.The mark was seldom requested1898 – 192426Briefly replaced #12 as choke designation1898 – 1924CHOKE27Replace #12 as choke designation1897 – 1898CHOKE 17. 16.328Replaced #271910 – 192429Replaced #28. Diameter of choked portion ofbore is no longer indicated1924 – present30Optional provisional proof of barrels in theform of rough tubes.1924 – presentCHOKE 17.0

31Optional double provisional proof of smoothbore barrels completed except forchambering. May be used in place of #61924 – present32Optional triple proof1924 – present33Gauge and chamber length in millimeters1924 – present34Replaced #1435Mark indicating proof of foreign arms1924 – present36Mark applied to unproved Belgian barrelsexported directly to a foreign proof house1924 – present37Superior smokeless proof for shotguns at17,600 psi for 16 gauge and larger. 20,000psi for smaller gauges1959 – present1924 – 1930CH RAYEBELGIAN DATE CODESa1922α alpha1948m1974b1923β beta1949n1975c1924γ gamma1950o1976d1925δ delta1951p1977ef19261927z (bold)θ theta19521953qr19781979g1928λ lambda1954s1980h1929µ mu1955t1981ij19301931ξ xiπ pi19561957uv19821983k1932ρ rho1958w1984l1933σ sigma1959x1985

mn19341935o1936pτ tauφ AN DATE CODES CURSIVE

Controller of Proof CodesLetter with a * above itAName of the Controller of ProofWoit Nicolas CominotoLouid Croux FrancoisFromTo1911195119401954

1974PresentBRoland CharlesSoubras Jean-MarieDegrijse Pierre192719761977195919761978CBrenu LouisFrancard Dieudonné1924195919481968DMarchal RenéMarchal RenéJawze Daniel19511974197919681982PresentEJamart AugusteHanssens Fabrice192419951959PresentFAlexandre LambertScholtissen Joseph192719741953PresentGCharlier Josef19281959HWoit Christophe19381968INever UsedJNeuprez Pierre19301968KDelsaux Walthere19291968LSalmon Antoine19371968MCouchant LouisScorpion MauriceScorpion Maurice192319591974195219681990NCouchant LouisScorpion MauriceScorpion Maurice192319591974195219681990OWatrin Charles19281965PDelcommune Adolphe19521960QDewilde GaspardDewilde GaspardDosogne Alain19521974199119681984PresentRWagemans Sylvain19511965SDaenen CharlesDaenen Charles1952197419681980

Laenen ClementVostes GustaveCrommen Hubert19521974199419861988PresentUCharlier HubertFuchs Jacques1923196019531968VMaçon Isidor19291953WWolfs Nicolas19521968XReignier Alfred19371964YChesnoy LéonChesnoy LéonDelsaux Francois192719591974195519681996ZDegobert ThéodoreLuyten MartinLuyten MartinRivas Francois1924195219741990194919681989PresentT COPYRIGHT WWW.DAMASCUS-BARRELS.COM, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

or proof of breeching system. Not used on revolvers. Can be either of these. 1672 – 1810, 1853 - present 2 Replace #1 in 1810. Sole proof mark until 1853, when it became the mark for definitive proof. Since 1893, used on muzzle loaders only. Can be any of these 3 marks. 1810 - present 3 Double proof as prescribed by the French law of 1810 .