Arms, Armor and Militaria

.600 Nitro Express. 27.375" barrel length. SN: 7393. Polished bright metal finish to frame with blued barrel set in walnut semi-pistol grip stock with bordered multipoint checkering to the wrist and forend. Single shot falling block Farquharson action rifle bearing the {Seal of the Counts of Lalaing} to the upper barrel, indicating it was made for one of the ranking members of the famous de Lalaing family, an aristocratic line from Flanders whose history has been traced for approximately 1000 years. Left side of the frame is engraved with the maker marking Jansen fournisseurs/de sa Majeste le Roi/Bruxelles, roughly translating to Jansen Gunmakers of his Majesty the King of Brussels, and indicating the rifle was manufactured by Adolphe Jansen. Frame is engraved overall with floral and Arabesque designs above a beaded ground, along with sunburst engraving to the hinge pin and action screws. Further border scroll surrounds the bright muzzle. Sights consist of triple folding rear notches regulated to 100, 200, and 300 meters paired with a front bead sight. Item mounts front and rear sling loops, and features a tang safety with gold inlaid S safety marking. Rifle mounts an unmarked vented red rubber recoil pad with black and white spacers. Checkering crosses over the border in places, suggesting it was done by hand, and possibly reapplied at some point. Standard Belgian firing proofs to the barrel, frame, and breechblock. The Bright metal finish suggests this rifle was at one possibly polished for engraving but never case colored afterward.

The rifle was most likely originally manufactured by Auguste Francotte for Jansen, and further finished for its intended recipient, a common practice in gunmaking that persists to this day. In the case of this rifle, it was finished by the company of Adolphe Jansen, a Liege gunmaker who was credited as the gunmaker to the King of Brussels. In the case of this rifle, it was produced to the then Count de Lalaing, possibly Jacques III, who served as ambassador to the King of England, and well known for his love of travel, especially in the company of his wife and children. Given its caliber, this Farquharson pattern rifle was meant to serve him on an African safari. Originally introduced by W.J. Jeffery & Co., the enormous .600 Nitro Express cartridge was designed to take down the largest land animals on Earth. Its performance against anything from beyond this planet remains untested. {C&R}