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Collectors' Illness - Francotte SxS shotgun/Illinois Piccadilly Wrist Watch

rugger

rugger

TheOrginalMiataGuy
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
139
Messages
544
Loc
Roanoke, VA
I have a problem. I fancy myself to be an amateur collector with the intention of reselling items that I find. I'm bad at it. I end up liking the unique things that I find and keep them. :laughing:

Currently, these are two things that I'm working with. The Illinois needs some work for restoration but should be a nice specimen when done. The shotgun is in good condition. It is a pre-WWII Francotte that was likely liberated when troops returned. It is probably also a custom factory gun. It is a side lever break and is chambered in .410 and .22. I've been looking for value for it. The chambering seems to be unique enough that I cannot find another like it.

Anybody have experience with Francotte shotguns?

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Nice! My problem is I use my mythical restoration money to buy more treasures! Found a winner hidden in a junk lot last night. The early asymmetric Accutron is a collector!

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"francotte firearms are made in Belgium and are nothing short of spectacular" says the fudd.

I really like side lever release break actions, being a folder is just that much cooler.
 
That shotgun might qualify to be called a "Drilling" so look to use that as a search term. Not sure where the name comes from but it generally means multiple barrels in both shot and rifled chamberings.

Watch is cool too but I got nuttin on that one!
 
Johann said:
That shotgun might qualify to be called a "Drilling" so look to use that as a search term. Not sure where the name comes from but it generally means multiple barrels in both shot and rifled chamberings.

Watch is cool too but I got nuttin on that one!
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Drilling is German for triplet, and iirc traditional drilling rifles are a side by side shotgun with a rifle barrel underneath.
 
here's some old valuation of these guns. it seems like this one might be a plain sidelock as it lacks the extensive scrolling.
Francotte.JPG
 
OllieNZ said:
Drilling is German for triplet, and iirc traditional drilling rifles are a side by side shotgun with a rifle barrel underneath.
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Note I said "MIGHT" :flipoff2:

Thanks for the clarification. I wondered if it covered single Shot barrel over single rifled. "Drei" is three in German. Why isn't it Dreilling?
 
Johann said:
Note I said "MIGHT" :flipoff2:

Thanks for the clarification. I wondered if it covered single Shot barrel over single rifled. "Drei" is three in German. Why isn't it Dreilling?
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The word "drilling" is actually a corruption of the German word "dreiling", which means "triplet" ("drei" means "three" in German). Several of the early guns of this class were made in German-speaking areas of Europe, for hunting purposes.
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http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/...ling-guns.html
 
Johann said:
"Drei" is three in German. Why isn't it Dreilling?
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mebbe to get away from the Jewish wording dreidel which means 4 sides..?? Your guess is good as mine-


Edit- proper assembled forum right above*
 
rugger said:
I have a problem. I fancy myself to be an amateur collector with the intention of reselling items that I find. I'm bad at it. I end up liking the unique things that I find and keep them. :laughing:
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Thats your problem, you need to find something to flip that OTHER people collect. Buying things you like is self-defeating if the intention is to flip since you'll end up adding it to your own collection.
 
GM Guy said:
Thats your problem, you need to find something to flip that OTHER people collect. Buying things you like is self-defeating if the intention is to flip since you'll end up adding it to your own collection.
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The shotgun is no problem. That watch may be more rare and coveted. I'll let CaryW chime in on that one. He knows the illinois watches better than me. I'm definitely going to restore it.
 
Yeah when the #1 historian and collector of Illinois watches wants Ruggers contact info to buy the watch, it is a pretty desirable model!
 
CaryW said:
Yeah when the #1 historian and collector of Illinois watches wants Ruggers contact info to buy the watch, it is a pretty desirable model!
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Crazy that it was found "in the wild" and was the only watch in the estate auction. The collectors completely missed it I believe due to lack of quantity of watches. They just didn't see it and nobody in the auction valued it. The "historian and collector" is such a super nice guy, too. He has been very helpful.
 
You think you have a problem? Stay away from gold coins, and pre-war brownings and such
 
rugger said:
Crazy that it was found "in the wild" and was the only watch in the estate auction. The collectors completely missed it I believe due to lack of quantity of watches. They just didn't see it and nobody in the auction valued it. The "historian and collector" is such a super nice guy, too. He has been very helpful.
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That's pretty rad, so what the ball park of what its worth?
 
1966 Accutron Aysmetric. Will get a new crystal and a gentle buffing. I would love to make it a spaceview but I won’t corrupt an original this clean

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