The display of artistically constructed guns by the French makers in their Great Exposition of 1855, was very great, and by certain classes of sportsmen would be considered superb. My notes, made at the time of inspection, will show better than a description can do, in what state of transition their manufacture is, and how they vacillate between their old and our present style:—
Parisian gunmakers presented 36; Rheims, 1; St. Etienne, 14.
Leopold Bernard, barrel-maker.—Very good work; barrels made of two spirals, inner and outer, with the twist running the reverse way; fine figure; mixture of steel and iron.
Monsieur Gauvain.—Very good sound work; all highly artistic; the cock formed so as to resemble a tree with a snake coiled round it, the head of the snake striking on the nipple. Several other guns of the latest English patterns.
Monsieur Beringer.—Guns ornamented arabesque; a medium show of work; principally breech-loaders.
Monsieur Caron.—Showy, ornamental, very middling.
Lepage and Moutier.—Work good, ornamented, principally arabesque. Game and English scroll pattern, engraving, cocks, &c., but inferior to the English patterns of Gauvain.
Houllier Blanchard.—Good work; designs English; a very novel pattern of figure in the barrels.
Monsieur Le Perrin.—All his guns artistic; raised, embossed, artistic, ornamental, heavy cocks to imitate my shape; one good English pattern soft gun.
Monsieur Lainê.—Good sound work; English pattern of twenty years ago.