29.03.2024

Shotgun Sanner & C-ie 12 gauge with block valve and fixed trunks

This very interesting French double barrel 12-gauge with rotating block shutter company Sanner & C-ie (Sonne and the company) from Saint Etienne, made it in 1910-ies.

The length of the cartridge chambers 65 mm are known, so apply common designation: caliber 12/65.

Normally, the block valves of various designs and different time – for example, Henri, Martini, Remington and others have been installed in single-barreled weapon with a fixed barrel. Block and the breech of the French system Sanner designed for the shotgun.

Created rotating block valve Sanner in very fruitful for gunsmiths period – the end of XIX – beginning of XX century, when engineers and artists have developed ways quick reloading breech-loading shotgun with the least expenditure of time and effort.

So there was a rifle with a fixed barrel and modular valves of various designs; it is obvious that with stationary barrel block is successfully combined block shutter. The greatest success was achieved by the arms of Saint-Etienne, French national centre for weapons production.

Call registered for the first time in 1894, a very well known and widely used block valve Darne, acting on the principle of a longitudinal slide.

The design of the shotgun system Sanner patented in 1908, but the gun in labeling the type of patent Brevete S. G. D. G. rooms not specified on which it is possible to determine the date, so rather 1908 until you get it.

Given the small scale of production of the firm Sanner & C-ie and the serial number of this instance, it is possible to conclude that it made not earlier than the 1910-ies, as already noted. Marking the type of patent Brevete S. G. D. G., which stands for “Brevete Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement” (Patented without government support), used in France since the mid-nineteenth century to 1968.

In this rifle Sanner interesting and unusual not only block rotating shutter, but the design of the barrel block and attack mechanisms, so rightly rightly call system Sanner not only the shutter but also the barrel block and the barrel.

With a closed barrel block rifle system Sanner looks like a traditional hunting horizontale released only to their large wide Shoe. Block long trunks didn’t back her, so she’s pretty balanced, despite a solid Shoe.

Made block valve Sanner’s original, large locking part, in fact the shutter is made in the form of the front of the pad with shoulder pads as a separate item.

Inside on the sidewalls of the deep massive pads have fixed axles, which are annular grooves on the side surfaces of the shutter. Thus, by means of ring grooves and rod / stopper is rotated along a circular arc under the action of the lower arm lock.

The outside of the side pads also cutting around the circumference. Quite a large height of the pads due to the need to place a block the shutter with a lever actuator. However, the gun system Sanner looks very proportional, regardless of the form of the neck of the Lodge.

Controlled block valve Sanner lower locking lever mounted under protective bracket. In the abduction forward of the lever locking the shutter leans back through the linkage system and to the rear is lowered flush with the surface of the pads, opening access to the cartridge chamber. While platoons and combat spring percussion mechanisms.

The shutter system Sanner upper locking mechanism, which on state cut trunks has a notched hook, which is a long “doll head” with vertical side grooves. And in the shutter are made, respectively, curly cut with side grooves.

When closing the shutter is coming to the notched hook, and locking is done by two vertical rods, each of which is a space formed by vertical side grooves in the hook and the shutter at the closing.

Special attention deserves the original barrel block system Sanner. Every gun is made for one with his half of the pillow and two under-barrel hooks on it.

Wherein the first hook is located at the front almost on the longitudinal axis of the barrel, and the rear placed by state cut flush with a side edge. A method of manufacturing trunks and hooks confirms the inscription “Crochets Massifs” (Hooks solid).

Thus, the barrel block system is equipped with four grenade Sanner hooks, twice more than a trivial horizontaly. They are the key to a solid and secure connection of the barrel block to block and allow the gun to endure a very significant and prolonged stress.

In front of the two front hooks in the slots for fixation in the Shoe. Two widely spaced rear hook entirely placed inside the pads, resulting in its greater width compared to normal pads of horizontales.

The length of the trunks connected strips, including the bottom connection and the top sighting a sunken and soldered. In breech they are soldered with high temperature solder with the additive of copper. Wide extractor pushes the shells from both barrels.

The barrel block is removed, to do this, fully open the locking block is necessary to press the button located on the bottom of the mask-based front lower arm lock and remove the unit from the pads.

The gun system Sanner caliber 12/65 passed a full testing cycle on all received it applied while marking. The trunks are made of special steel, which mark “Acier d Artillerie” is indicated on the cushions of the block – not surprising, as Saint-Etienne worked as a plant for the production of army weapons.

On the barrel marked with the diameters of the channels of 18.2 mm and chamber length of 65 mm, it is clear that you will need cartridges with a thick-walled liners with a length of 65 mm.

Marked and size of muzzle contractions in the form of brands “Pour Balles Non Chokes” (Not for bullets chalk) on the left barrel and “Demi Chokes” (Polochak) on the right.

Quality of processing of trunks certifies the inscription “Rectifié” (Straightened). Judging by doubled brands, the trunks subjected to so-called “dual” test with increased pressure of 1150 kg/cm2, which is confirmed by the inscription “Épreuve Supérieure” (Reinforced trials).

The gun passed the test and also smokeless powder at a pressure of 850 kg/cm2, respectively, the length of the cartridge chambers 65 mm, as is customary with French technique. And the inscription “Canon De Sûreté” assures that “Guns are safe.” Details of the marks and inscriptions typical for the French hunting weapons and give him a full view.

In the shotgun system caliber 12/65 Sanner organically embodied the concept of the technical design of the first quarter of the twentieth century and the artistic style of “Art Nouveau” (Art Nouveau). Geometrically accurate surface effectively accentuates the intricate engraving, the surface of almost all metal parts are decorated with stylized floral ornaments and bouquets of flowers.

The decor of this gun plays an important role texture is the butt of the walnut wood on the bed.

Currently the gun system Sanner with the swing block gates on the foreign secondary market is still occasionally come across. As a rule, instances of high category, caliber 12/65, equipped with blocks of trunks with a length of 680-690 mm with different combinations of muzzle of the contractions and Lodge with the neck straight or poliestireno form.

They are all well decorated with engraving of a vegetable ornament, as is typical for European hunting weapons category first third of XX century.

They are estimated with a fairly large scatter, but it does not indicate different categories of samples, but only that the gun system Sanner rare and its place in the market is not completely established.

It should be borne in mind that, along with the gun block bolt, firm Sanner & Cie produced and trivial for French-made shotgun.

We have Saint atlanska firm Sanner & Cie is not well known, it is possible that this instance is category the only representative of the Sanner system with block valve.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *