When I started collecting guns, I wanted to have Colt replicas, as Colt spells Far West to me, ut I also wanted to have one or two long arms, be it only to hang on the wall over the fire place. In fact, I don't have a fireplace, but I think you get the pciture...
However, I wanted a Winchester. The one Rooster Cogburn spins in True Grit, or Tom Doniphons uses to shoot Liberty Valance. Tough luck : they are not free to have in France. As I don't want to bother asking for a license, I had to start looking for something else. And I found it, a rifle with a different look, only one shot, cap and ball, so no license needed.
They call it a Berdan rifle, although I am sure Colonel Berdan never had anything to do with it. In fact it looks more like a Wesson rifle than what is usually called a Berdan rifle, like that one for example :
Mine was made by BLG (I am a fan of that maker) in 1968, and bears also the stamp "Euromanuarms", which I have yet to see on any other arm, long or short (if you have any info concerning that company, please let me know).
This is what it looked like when I bought it :
and this is how it looks now, after I cleaned it and de-blued the barrel and box in vinegar :
Of course, I had to put it to pieces in order to do it...
I did not like the black look of the box
To my taste, it looks better so
It gave me the opportunity to check the inside of the box
I also prefer the current look of the barrel to its former black
By the way, here is an excerpt from the catalogue where it was advertised at the time :
