|
|
Acknowledgements
|
This study was
supported by gun and CAS magazines, CAS websites, auction houses and gun
dealers in Europe and the USA. However, it is you, the pards and pardettes from
both sides of the Atlantic and down-under, namely Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland,
France, Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South
Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA who responded to the call, reported
data of their prized Centaure pistols. This led to some surprising and
fascinating discoveries. Thanks a lot.
Much to my regret,
William B. Edwards, Civil War and firearms historian, International firearms
industry negotiator, consultant and business man with a dream passed away too
early to observe, to be part of the rediscovery of these Belgian Colts by the
International re-enactors, CAS and black powder shooters and collectors community
during the early 21st century. Because these Centaures were his
brain-children. He smelled the market niche for this first ever re-issue of a
Colt 1860 Army during the 1950s. He masterminded their production from 1959 at
the Hanquet’s family business, famous Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège (FAUL)
in Liège, Belgium, and 1960 their introduction into the United States of
America. He was a man of vision and determination. Thank you, Sir, for the
formidable Centaures. We owe you!
Ms. Nadine Hanquet of Liège , the last of the owner family of
Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège (FAUL) kindly added important facts that
helped to bring the Belgian Colt story into historical perspective. They were
amended by supportive technical information from Director Jean-Luc
Stassen of the Liège Proof House but particularly from Alan Trigger
and the Club Littlegun, a Belgian gun collectors and study group (http://www.littlegun.be/). This
research could not be substantiated without their help.
Without W.T., Steel Horse Bailey and Buffalo Chip
this website would be an academic paper with lots of facts for collectors but
too dry to read by any red-blooded cowboy and shooter. But they edited the
wealth of information collected into an easily flowing, digestible language. Chain-Fire
offered fresh thoughts regarding the evolution of Centaure manufacturing at
FAUL’s whereas
Roger Ragland aka Major provided inspiring insight how the film
industry made good use of the Belgian Colts in well-known Civil War and Western
movies. Thanks, pards. I am particularly grateful to Dr.
Jim Davis for his advice regarding the structuring of the
questionnaire, providing original literature and adding specifics of a number
of very rare 1960 NEW MODEL ARMIES from the collection of the Replica Percussion Revolver Collectors Association.
I am indebted to my trusted friend Hartmut “Mullie the Bullie” Wienands
who has a knack for languages. He accepted to communicate for me in French with
Ms. Nadine Hanquet and also translated Flemish texts. Jean-Francois
Pancé made sure that I fully appreciated the history of the Hanquet
family by translating their original French family story. But without the
computer wizard Panhandle Paden and all the energy he
instilled into the research program there would be no http://www.1960nma.org/. Thank
you, my friend.
Technically our knowledge about the strengths but also the shortfalls of the
Belgian Colt would lack solid gunsmith know how and backing without the advice
of one US smith who goes by the alias Rifle. Together with
Austrian master Karl Nedbal they
provided important facts including comparisons of the Centaure to 1st
generation 1860 Colts and Colt clones. And Herr Nedbal did not stop there, see
the chapters in this site for all of his contributions.
WDN/Feb. 1, 2010
© 2007 Wolf D. Niederastroth
Back