72 cm Demibloc barrels, ejectors, concave rib, third tumbler, choke 1/4 &. 3/4, bright breech with remnants of hardening colors inside, sidelocks with springs present, sear, blued screws, gas release slots at butt plate, engraved rim engraving and sparse mid-arch arabesques, signed "Capece" in trigger guard, non-automatic sliding tang safety with gold inlaid "S", double trigger with blued tangs, escapement tangs, striking grained stock with drops, straight diamond shaped grip, fine checkering, lightened and with Scottish checkering cut stock end, 35,5 cm, fore-end with Anson push-rod, inset golden medallion with model name "The Standard Pigeon Gun" and an engraved dove, golden stock monogram plate engraved with initials "MJ", 3 kg, in manufacturer's canvas covered case with trade label, manufacturer's certificate, technically perfect, stock with light scratches and corrosion marks on left lock plate, thus condition 3.
In 1939, Charles, Count of Flanders and Prince of Belgium (1903 - 1983), the brother of Belgium's King Leopold III, commissioned the Liège arms manufacturer Auguste Lebeau-Courally, who had achieved fame as a purveyor to the Russian Tsar's court, to manufacture two weapons intended as gifts. Only a few months later, Belgium was under attack by German troops, who used this neutral country to bypass the direct and very strongly secured border with France and to successfully launch the attack on this country, which had declared war on Germany, from a new unsuspected direction. Belgium thus remained under German forced rule, and the flourishing Belgian arms industry in and around Liège had to devote itself to other tasks than the manufacture of luxury weapons. The German troops thus got the opportunity to experience the first-class quality of Belgian products, but the gift of the royal Belgian had to wait. He himself, unlike his brother, joined the resistance and spent the war undetected on a farm in Spa. A few hard years later, Belgium experienced the last offensive of the German Empire, originally considered invincible, in the Ardennes. Now, after neighboring France, the Western Allies were able to dispose of Belgium as well. Charles was installed as Prince Regent in 1945 by the provisional government in place of his brother who had gone into exile, and his gift was also finally completed after such a long time: a pair of fine sidelock double barreled shotguns for the French General Charles de Gaulle (1890 - 1970). However, the latter would hardly have found the opportunity to appreciate his gift much earlier, as he had commanded the resistance against the Germans from his exile in London as head of Free France. Now it was time to return home from exile and thank his Belgian brother in spirit Charles for the generous gift: a masterpiece of craftsmanship, born of blood, sweat and tears, which took an entire world war to finally fulfill its peaceful purpose: To allow the great statesman, whose striking bust deserves to stand in the French Valhalla right next to Napoleon, to stalk the feathered and furred inhabitants of his liberated homeland in his meager spare time. Kindly, the manufacturer confirmed to us from his records that the present rifle is serial number 43041, number 2 of this pair. Not a rifle, but a piece of history.

Category: Shotguns