[kotkinjs1]

Hi all,
I recently became an owner of an 1878/89 Beaumont-Vitali. Cleaned it all up and now that I can see them, I was wondering if anyone has a source of information of Dutch proof marks? Its covered with little stamps of the crown with a letter below it -- sometimes an X, F or an M or C or S, etc. there's also another stamp on the stock forward of the date/location crown stamp. It looks like some cursive script letter under a crown inside an oval. Its about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long.
Also, I've seen one source that says a charger is to be used to load the magazine. Anyone ever seen one of these?

thanks! - Jeremy

 

[DocAV]

Proofs of Beaumont-Vitali Rifles

The Nederlands had a long history of getting Musketry from Liege ( just up the Maas(Meuse).). In fact, Maastricht, where Stevens ( an English Gunmaker transplanted to the Low Countries) built the Beaumont rifles for the Nederlands Govt. usually sent its products to Liege to be "Proved" by the Liege Proof House. Only in the early 1900s did the Dutch Government prove their own manufacture ( the Steyr proofs were accepted on the early M95 rifles).

Now, the "crown letter" stamps are similar to Liege marks, but stamps on the wood would be Nederlands Acceptance or Property marks (Initial of the reigning monarch, etc).

Photos would be helpful in determining which marks refer to which period ( 1878 and 1889).
I will have to check my own B-V rifle.

Regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics

 

[kotkinjs1]

Thanks Doc! That's more info than I could find anywhere on the web so far. I'll get photos posted after the weekend. All the crown letter marks are X, S, D, F, C (on the bolt and trigger guard only), B, something I think could be a script T, L, and H. The only one that's different is a L (I think) under a star, not a crown, on the rear of the bolt cocking knob. Pix to come soon. )

 

[Tom in Pittsburgh]

Chargers

The chargers for these are clunky contraptions made of a wood block, sheet metal "fingers" and a knotted cord for removal. The 11MM Italian Vetterli Vitalis used similar ones. I had one of the Italian ones once (bought it years ago from SARCO), but sold it with one of my rifles.

I've attached a drawing of one.

Tom

www.vintage-gunlore.com