August & Francotti Hammer Side By Side Shotgun

This week for Firearm Friday we are bringing you a piece of gunsmithing artwork you don't see much these days: an August & Francotti side by side shotgun. Our Shotgun was made in 1861 and has an extra interesting feature: it has at one time run over by a wagon which has dented the barrel and it has been repaired.

A side by side also known as a double shotgun, is a break-action shotgun with two parallel barrels, allowing two single shots that can be fired simultaneously or sequentially in quick succession.

Modern double-barreled shotguns, often known as doubles, are almost universally break action, with the barrels hinge down at the rear to expose the breech ends for unloading and reloading. Since there is no reciprocating action needed to eject and reload the shells, doubles are more compact than repeating designs such as pump action, lever action, bolt action, or self-loading shotguns.

A coach gun is a modern term, coined by gun collectors, for a double-barreled shotgun, generally with barrels from 18 to 24 inches in length, placed side-by-side. These weapons were known as "cut-down shotguns" or "messenger's guns" from the use of such shotguns on stagecoaches by shotgun messengers in the American Wild West.

These shotguns featured external hammers and were manufactured primarily by Remington Arms, Ithaca, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Parker, L.C. Smith, and several Belgian makers.

This shotgun was manufactured by Auguste Francotte & Companie, was a privately owned firearms manufacturer based in Liège, Belgium. It was founded between 1805. and 1810, and was still in operation after 1948.

The company was founded in 1805 by August Francotte in Liège, based at Rue de Mont-Saint-Martin 61. The company was especially active from 1860 to 1914 before manufacturing ceased due to the German invasion of Belgium. The company resumed production after World War I.

Throughout the period from the middle of the nineteenth century to 1914, Belgian gunmakers like Auguste Francotte made large quantities of rifles and revolvers of the most diverse construction, calibre and size; most, however, were imitations (produced under licence) of other well-known systems.

During the first decades they manufactured various arms for various nations around Europe, among others 1,500 M1849 kammerladers for Norway. Later they concentrated on high-quality, expensive civilian arms.