[ryanham]

hello guys...first i wanna say thanks for any info in advance..i will greatly appreciate any info or advice on this gun..here's the scoop..i met up with a guy on craigslist to buy some car parts for my 69 camaro and when i saw his awesome man cave (garage) i was blown away with all the cool stuff he had..he then told me everything has a price in here..lol..i proceded to riffle through some stuff and after buying some of his great neon sighns he had this gun cought my eye..it was hanging high on the wall behind the garage door...the only thing i noticed right away was it was a .22 rifle and it has an octagon barrel...after hagling with him i purchased it as well as some other cool stuff...so here's the scoop..

it is a .22 caliber..it has an octagon barrel...it has a marking of a B with a crown over it in an oval on top of the barrel...there is also a ELG and a * under the ELG in an oval and right above that it has what looks like 2 stamps almost that look like 2 stars almost on top of eachother and on the top of the barrel it says BELGIUM..the butt stock has some cool carvings of a few deer and woods and is white and seems almost brittle like bone or something....the wood on the gun is in great condition and looks great and is dark wood and smooth other than where the grips are...

i have to apoligize..i am not a big gun collector and dont know very much about fire arms..i just saw this rifle and thought it was cool and had to have..i got it at a great price i think and would just like some info on it and what it may be worth..any info will be greatly appreciated..if u aneed any other photos or info i would be glad to give u to help me find out what this is...thanks guys...please get back to me

 

[ryanham]

also there are alot of nice carvings on the trigger guard and all the screws are flat head screws..i dont know if that helps but just adding as much as i can

 

[Alpo]

Made prior to 1893. After that, the "ELG* in an oval" was only used on muzzle loaders.

That B with a crown is an inspector's mark. 1853 to 1877. After '77 the crown became a star.

That looks to me like an actual Flobert action.

http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/ss/H-Pieper-Flobert-Warnant-32-Rimfire-Rifle-Review-Profile_7.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flobert_Rifle.JPG

With it being "22", I'm thinking 6mm Flobert.

 

[BillM]

Yup. Flobert--looks like the "Springfield" action?

What no one has said yet is: DO NOT fire regular 22 ammo in it! It was made
for a cartridge that's basically primer powered. If it is indeed a 22 and not a
6mm, then BB caps or MAYBE Aguila Colibri are possibilities. Firing it with off
the shelf 22 LR Hi Velocity ammo will probably provide instant dis-assembly.

eta: Hmmm. A little research turns up some conflicting information. Some say
6mm Flobert is just 22 CB--others say the Flobert round is shorter, and the 6mm
is larger than 22 bore. Still--don't fire it with 22 LR!

 

[Alpo]

Yeah, I've heard that 6mm is the same as 22 CB Cap, and that it's not. Quein sabe. RWS makes 6mm Flobert, or they did up to a couple of years ago.

I don't think a long rifle round would fit in the chamber. Hell, I don't think a short would fit in the chamber.

 

[ryanham]

Just so u guys kno..i only thought it was a .22..cause of how small the round looked..can anyone say if this is a good barn find or even what it may be worth??..i really appreciate all the info..thanks guys

 

[Old Grump]

Also called a parlor gun because you could shoot it in the house and not worry to much about breaking anything. I bet if you check the rifling it will be very shallow or non existent. They were made in quantity and sold cheap but you better look close at the camber. Some were for the short primer powered cartridge with a lead ball for a projectile but some were also made for 22 LR and 6MM. Not really a collectors item because there were so many of them but still a neat piece of history, Great Grandpa could have bought one for $3.00 at the turn of the century.

 

[ryanham]

Cool guys...thanks for all the info..now if i wanted to sell it where can list it 4 sale and what could i ask for it or what can i get..again..any info is greatly appreciated..thanks

 

[Diamondback]

Guys, I had a Flobert several years ago. It not only chambered a .22lr it shot it with amazing accuracy. Iwaas told that the action was and the chamber was too weak but the hammer holds the action closed and the chamber is cut into a 1" square piece of steel. I put severaal hundred rounds through mine before I sold it. Everybody has to make their own decisions as to what chances they are willing to take, but I find the tendency of being a super nanny when it comes to the advice on many of the firearms to be over the top. Many of these older firearms are much better built then we tend to give them credit for. Caution is always necessary for safety but over caution is the death of exploration.

 

[Alpo]

>chamber is cut into a 1" square piece of steel.<

By the proof marks, this gun was made in the middle 1800s. It's not "STEEL". The reason they started making guns out of steel was that the pressures of smokeless powder was blowing up the guns made out of iron.

 

[ryanham]

Hey guys..thanks for all the info..can anyone tell me where i can list this 4 sale and what its value would be??.. thanks..i appreciate all your help and info

 

[carver]

Hey guys..thanks for all the info..can anyone tell me where i can list this 4 sale and what its value would be??.. thanks..i appreciate all your help and info

These rifles were cheap back when they were made. If you just have to sell it start asking $150. You might get it, you might not.

 

[RJay]

The Flobert action uses the weight of the hammer to act as a breech block, and is adequate for the very low power of the CBee type cartridge it was designed for. To use regular power .22 ammo in a Flobert designed firearm transforms it into a '"self ejecting" action. The Warnant action is a little stronger, it uses a swinging breech block to control the force of the cartridge. Even these will crack at the pivot after much use. While I think (JMO ) both actions are unsuitable for modern .22 cartridges at least the Warnant adds a little strength. The Flobert action is a eye accident ( as in removal of an eye ) waiting to happen.

 

[22WRF]

From my ammo collection, the 2nd one from the left is a 6mm Flobert