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Conflicting Issues, Trademarks and a Couple of
Odd Ends
# Centaure – the True 2nd
Generation Colt Army?
# Centaure 1960 = 2nd
Generation Colt Army 1860?
# The Puzzle of the “Name” of
the Belgians
# Range Reports
# Odd Centaures
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Centaure – the True 2nd Generation
Colt Army? A considered personal comment is probably in order here: “Are the Centaures
Armies re-issues or replicas?”
There is no doubt about this licensing agreement from 1853 between Sam Colt and the Liège Trade Consortium of
which the Hanquets were a valued member. At the same
time there exists no indication that Colt’s or the Belgians ever terminated or
cancelled this contract. But it is a historical fact that no 1860 Army-type
C&B revolver was ever produced outside the Hartford factory…until 1959 at
Rue Treppé Nr. 22, Liège, Belgium. Years before Uberti turned out their replica 1963 and before Colt began marketing their 2nd generations
between 1978 and 1982.
Some Centaure enthusiasts are
pushing this even further by presenting convincing arguments that the Belgians
are the real 2nd generation Colt Armies with more DNA of the 1st
generation than the ones finished under the Blue Dome in Hartford but with firm
roots of production in Gardone, Italy.
However, as the guru says the
market is always right, consider this: prices for Centennial Armies at auctions
on both sides of the Atlantic have increased significantly since early 2008.
Even run down specimens of the more common 1st or 3rd
variation RNMAs or 1st variation Marshals demand premium prices today
nobody even thought possible during the 1990s and the early 21st
century. They are now achieving prices comparable to 2nd gen. Colt
Armies and we are not talking about rare Civilians, stocked Cavalry Models or
small scale production variations of the RNMA here…Pards
& pardettes, the conclusions are all yours.
Centaure
1960 = 2nd generation Colt Army 1860?
With some regularity we are stumbling over threads in gun forums suggesting
that Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège manufactured and/or Centaure pistols
actually are the 2nd and even the 3rd generation Colt
Armies.
Fact is that William B. Edwards and Sigmund Shore had
noted gunsmith and restoration expert Thomas Haas “colterized”
a few Regular New Model Armies, Civilian and Cavalry Models during the early
1960s into Civil War period Armies with proper markings, some even with period
engraving, see MOTHERLOAD page for details. These Centaures
were for their private collection only, however. Therefore, to make a long
story short: Colt commenced “making” their 2nd generation Armies from
1977 into the early 1990s (whereas production of the 3rd generation
Armies aka Signature Series lasted from 1994 to 2002). But as we know FAUL had
discontinued their Centaure production already 1973...and never tooled up again
thereafter!
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MYTHBUSTER #1 The Centaure 1960s are truer 2nd
generation 1860 Armies? PLAUSIBLE BUT
CAN BE ARGUED BOTH WAYS! #2 FAUL produced the 2nd generation
1860 Armies for Colt? WISHFUL
THINKING! |
The Puzzle of the
“Name” of the Belgians in Europe and the USA: the generally used name for the pistol was
and still is Centennial Army in the
USA but Centaure in Europe. Why the
different terms used? What might have been the rational or emotional rather for
this development?
No matter in which geographical area these
pistols were sold, all Belgians (except Marshals and factory engraved pistols) had
the top of their barrels roll engraved with the line
“1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” (1960NMA). Pistols marked
“1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” CENTENNIAL
TRADE
MARK CHIGAGO U.S.A (1960NAM CTM CU) on top of the barrel found in the
USA and New Zealand are known from 1963 only. Later during that same year the
first pistols marked
CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” (CTM
1960NMA) were reported.
Only from 1965 the barrel marking
“1960 NEW
MODEL ARMY” CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK (1960NMA CTM) has been confirmed. FAUL marked the barrels 1960NMA, CTM
1960NMA and 1960NMA CTM alternately until the end of production in
1973. For details check the survey.
# Facts regarding the Centaure pistols sold in the USA: during the 1960s Centennial Arms Corporation, Chicago (CACC) was the
main dealer for these Belgian Armies in the USA while their import was handled
by sister company Mars Equipment Corp., Chicago. Both were subsidiaries
of Shore Galleries, Inc with their HQ in Lincolnwood, IL, USA. Until 1963 all Centaures had the barrel marking “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY”.
CACC ran intense advertising campaigns for the
Centaures
which was the only 1860 Army type game in town until 1963. Once CACC
felt the Centaure was firmly established in the US market as THE New Model Army
they shifted their marketing focus some and had FAUL add the marking CENTENNIAL
TRADE
MARK before or after the “1960 NEW
MODEL ARMY”
on top of the barrel from 1963 as explained above. Their objective now was to create customer awareness
for Centennial Arms Corp. as the premier replica dealer … which
was accomplished a little later. CACC never highlighted the involvement of Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège in their communication platform.
Later during the 1960s and 1970s Italian made C&B replica revolvers
like Navies, Pockets and Dragoons were sold through Centennial Arms Corp as
well. Many of these Italians were marked CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK or CENTENNIAL ARMS,
CHICAGO ILL. on the top or the side of their barrels.
After discussions with a number of first and current owners of Belgians
in the USA here are my conclusions: most US shooters perceived CACC as the
manufacturer of the Centaures and still do so today.
They linked Centennial and (Belgian made) Army and the name
stuck! In addition, the Centaures were launched in
the US market 1960, intentionally 100 years AFTER the introduction of the Colt
M 1860 Army. Again CACC used that fact in their promotions…which is another
rationalization for (the) Centennial (of the) Army (model)! On
the other hand the name Centennial Army has nothing to do with the
Centennial of the Civil War 1961-1965. Replica C&B revolvers other than the
Centaure were manufactured by FAUL but never made it beyond prototype stage.
# The European Theatre: first sketchy Centaure sales in Europe are
reported from 1963 only, i. e. 4 years after the USA.
CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK “1960 NEW
MODEL ARMY” was the barrel marking of pistols from
that period. In the various European countries FAUL had to deal with many
different importers and dealers. Contrary to the situation in the USA in Europe
FAUL themselves got actively involved in the promotions of their guns by
providing advertising support like catalogs and flyers
to their business partners. This promotion literature was
customized by their respective dealers by adding their individual
address. Interestingly the European shooters did not care how the factory or
the dealers termed the pistols or different models. Once the market took note
of these Belgian Armies, shooters and gun journals referred to them as Centaures
because of the corporate centaur logo on the left side of the frame. That name
stuck on the Eastern side of the big pond until today.
Range
Reports:
I would like to see more range reports comparing performance and handling characteristics of
the Centaures to their Italian repro cousins or 2nd
and 3rd generation Colt brothers. A suitable platform for such reports is
our forum.
Odd Centaures: #1 During
Summer 2008 I had a conversation with a German Colt collector, CAS shooter and
proud owner of 2 Centaures. He told me about his
visit to Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège in the late 1960s. He remembered handling
there a newly made C&B revolver in .36
cal. with creeping loading lever. It
looked like a Colt M 1861 Navy.
Could FAUL have been working on
such a pistol to extend the line of percussion revolvers? Is the prototype of a
Centaure Navy re-issue out there
somewhere? From a production point of view it is not a far step from the Army
to the Navy. Being prepared for the unexpected I will not be surprised if a “1961 NEW MODEL NAVY” surfaces at an auction,
in the classified section of one of the cowboy forums or gun journals one of
these days.
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FAUL prototype of Leech & Rigdon CS Navy |
BELGIUM on butt |
#2 I was privileged to
inspect and photograph Centaures and FAUL memorabilia
of the magnificent Shore Collection in Lincolnwood during February 2010. Above
pistol stuck out from the rest because it did not look like a New Model Army: this
is a FAUL made, neither serial numbered nor proof tested or otherwise marked
prototype of a round barrel Leech & Rigdon CS Navy marked BELGIUM on the butt. It further
featured an Ormsby type naval engagement scene
roll-engraved on the cylinder (not PC), 2 grip panels (not PC either).
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#3 “read and learn” says the wise man. I like to thumb through old catalogs and check the pictures. Early September 2009 RPRCA
let my have right Centennial Arms Corp. ad from Guns Magazine 1962. The pistol
with the detachable shoulder stock on the left is an early fluted Cavalry Model no question
about it. Then there are 5 Centaures in a row plus a
single shoulder stock:
1. Civilian Model,
2. RNMA 1st variation: with the
rebated, plain cylinder,
3.…and then what: 7,5”
barrel, 4 screw frame like the early Cavalry
Model but rebated cylinder with navy
scene? Subtitle says: Another version of the Regular NMA .44,
this is like a transitional Colt 1860, few found with 7 1/2” barrel and round
cylinder navy scene. Never heard about this one before!
4. Cavalry Model 1st variation sans stock
(ha, they could be had without…), finally the very rare but
5. infamous
Pocket Army easy identified by the
short 4” barrel sans loading lever assembly.
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The Belgian shoulder stock
(left close-up of above ad) could be fixed to your Cavalry pistol or the RNMA.
A couple of aspects are worth mentioning here: # Centennial Arms Corp. calls the
Cavalry pistol their “1st
Model Centennial” in this 1962 ad. This confirms our findings that the
Cavalry Model was first launched 1961 in the USA, during the year of the
centennial of the Civil war. |
But which Centaure variant is their
“2nd Model Centennial”?
# you
could buy these early Cavalry Models with and without stock.
# this
stock would work for the RNMA (with some fitting?) as well, no 4th
or guiding screws needed?! That is new information directly from the horses mouth.
# In February 2010 I had the
opportunity for a close inspection and disassembly of one of these extra
shoulder stocks in Lincolnwood. It was stamped MADE IN BELGIUM on the left side of the yoke but
no serial number was present, not on the yoke nor on
the top of the butt plate!
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The more important issue here, of
course, is above pistol #3 marked red (left close-up). Is
this an unknown variation of the early Cavalry model with rebated cylinder? I
hope to be privileged one day to study a life specimen. |
Until this ad was brought to my
attention I was led to believe that early Cavalry models were only available
with fluted cylinders AND they were the only 7,5” barrel C&B revolvers ever issued by Fabriques
d’Armes Unies de Liège.
And this is not yet the end of the
story: did some double checking of old information in the data bank Sept. 15,
2009…and rediscovered an inquiry regarding Cavalry
Model #F620 with rebated cylinder
from earlier that year. Check over at the Models & variations on the 2nd
or Cavalry Model.
And now you know the rest of the story … or don’t you?
WDN/November 10, 2011
© 2007-11 Wolf D. Niederastroth