Hello from Brittany

[Ringo]

Hello all !
I am a french collector of italian black powder replicas, mostly of Colt revolvers designed between 1848 and 1862, 31 and 36 caliber. To be more specific : the Colt belt pistol, also known as the 1851 revolver of Navy caliber, and its ancestors, offshoots and Confederate clones : the 1848 Baby Dragoon, 1949 Pocket, 1861 Navy, 1862 Pocket and Pocket Police, and the Griswold & Gunnisson, Schneider & Glassick, Dance & Brothers, and Leech & Rigdon. To be true, when I say "collector", I should add that my collection is a very limited one, as I can't afford to grab every specimen I set my eyes upon. Aside the financial reason, my better half does not see my collection in a really positive way. 
I started some 40 years ago, when I tried to buy my first replica, and came back from the store with an alarm gun because the real ones were too expensive for me. I soon sold it, as it really did not feel like the real thing. After a 5 years hiatus, I bought what I thought was a firing replica while holidaying in Spain. It turned out to be a Denix, and ended up as a wall hanger. When the grip got broken during a heated argument between my daughter and one of her friends, I just ditched the thing and thought that was that.
Then 4 years ago, I had to visit an armory,  and while talking with the sales assistant I happened to mention that I had not seen any black powder replica in years and I asked if they still were made and sold. The man did not have any in his store, but gave me a catalogue. I spent some time reading it and daydreaming, then I did some researching on the Internet and found a few french forums which I visited. I received enough advice there to soon find myself the proud and happy owner of an ASM Navy replica. From then, it grew on me and I built my collection of guns and reference books.
Not having any reliable gunstore in my hometown, I rely on internet sites to find and buy new replicas and books. That may be a good thing, when you come to think of it, as I am not tempted as much as I would be if I only had to go into the nearest pawn shop.
One last thing : I try and collect only replicas from the 1960s and early 1970s, and I have a soft spot for the obscure makers as GLB, who I find built fine replicas.

[ssb73q]

Hi Ringo, welcome to the group. You sure have a very nice collection of BP firearms. What are the gun laws as relates to BP firearms in France?

Regards,
Richard

[Mad Dog Stafford]

Well, Welcome Ringo! Great to have ya on here! 

[Ringo]

Thanks, Gentlemen!

Hi Ringo, welcome to the group. You sure have a very nice collection of BP firearms. What are the gun laws as relates to BP firearms in France?

Regards,
Richard

To put it simply, apart from a few exceptions, BP firearms, either originals dating from before 1900 or replicas thereof, are free to have in France, as long as you are a mentally sane grown-up over 18 years of age. You can keep them in your home and use them in a shooting club, but you are not allowed to carry them on the street or in public places. You don't have to report them to any authority, and you're allowed to have as many as you want (or can afford). 

[Captainkirk]

Ringo;
So glad you decided to jump on board here! You have an outstanding collection going there. Hope you will make yourself at home here.

[Ringo]

Ringo;
So glad you decided to jump on board here! You have an outstanding collection going there. Hope you will make yourself at home here.

Thanks, Captainkirk. I must reckon I am quite proud of my collection, even though I know many a collector who's got a larger and more valuable one. The thing is these are mine, I have searched for them and picked them, so I am fond of them.

[mike116]

Hi Ringo,  Welcome from Colorado.   Nice to have you here,  a photo of your collection is a great way to start off here.  It is a very nice collection by the way.

[ehvhram]

welcome to the forum, Great looking collection !

[Ringo]

Thanks, Gentlemen !

[StrawHat]

Welcome to the forum.  It is good of you to join so we can learn about ownership in another country.

Kevin

[DoubleDeuce1]

Welcome. Great name too. It instantly reminded me of the song by Lorne Greene from about 1964 titled "Ringo". It definitely was not the drummer from some rock and roll band.

[mazo kid]

Hi Ringo, glad to meet you. Welcome from Wisconsin! You have a fine collection there, thanks for posting your guns.

[Ringo]

Thanks Gentlemen ! The name Ringo is a throwback to the first western movie I ever saw, back in 1965 : "the return of Ringo" (aka "blood at sundown"), starring Giuliano Gemma (aka Montgomery Wood).

[Fingers McGee]

Howdy and Welcome Ringo.  Nice looking collection you have there.  What is the rifle?  Looks a little like a Peabody; but I don't think it is.

Interesting you like the GLB made replicas.  I have a couple nickel plated GLB 1851 Navies.  What do you know about the company?

[Ringo]

Howdy and Welcome Ringo.  Nice looking collection you have there.  What is the rifle?  Looks a little like a Peabody; but I don't think it is.

Interesting you like the GLB made replicas.  I have a couple nickel plated GLB 1851 Navies.  What do you know about the company?

Thanks for the kind words, Fingers. I have seen pictures of your GLBs on the site, and I think they look great.

The rifle is a Berdan (or at least that's what they call it on the catalogue) :

You will be glad to know that it bears the BLG stamp :

It bears another brand too, Euromanuarms, which is as obscure as BLG :

These pictures were taken when I bought it. I took the links from the french forum on which I am a moderator. Not being home roght now, I cannot take new and better pictures.

On top of this rifle, I also have 2 Schneider & Glassicks made by GLB, one plain and one fully engraved, thefirst one made in 1968 and the second one in 1969.

Regarding BLG, together with Tex Tone and Sebou, whom you both know, we searched up and down the world wide web and found next to nothing. We eventually settled on Luciano Giacosa from Brescia, as we found the name on a list of italian gunsmiths and the intitials and dates match. I must admit I am not 100% convinced, but we could not find anything else, so...
Just the other day, I wrote about it to the Italian Proofhouse in Gardone, and here is their reply :
"  the first marking (GLB) is GIACOSA LUCIANO
-  the second one (PR) is RIVA ESTERINA   
Both have put an end to their business."
As much as I believe PR to be Riva Esterina, I still am not convinced about GLB, as since we put the word out that it might be "Giacosa Luciano of Brescia", the word spread over the internet far and wide, so now it is all you can find when you start a new search.

From what I found, it seems that the only GLB marked weapons were Schneider & Glassicks and Berdan rifles, and were only imported by EIG. When EIG came to an end and was bought by FIE, GLBs were soon replaced by PRs. The quality is several notches below. For one, PR's S&Gs bear the naval battle engraving on their cylinders, whereas this only happened on the very last GLBs. My guess is GLB went out  of business because FIE paid even less than EIG did, hence the decrease in quality on the last GLBs and on the PRs.
One example of this decrease can be seen in the butts of Berdan rifles made by GLB and by PR :



If you know anything about GLB, I'd be very interested if you would share it. I think even Dr Jim Davis did not find anything.