Engraved & Other Exotic Pistols # Custom Engraved Centaures # Factory Engraved Centaures # De Luxe # Super de Luxe # Presentation # FAUL Sampler? # Cut-Away # Centaure Pistol Carbine

Custom Engraved Centaures: “Many more Centaure percussion revolvers were engraved outside the Belgian factory by me and other engravers than there are known and confirmed factory engraved pistols” muses

#2538 engraved in Colt-style. Note rampant Centaure logo & cylinder with Centaure proprietary naval engagement scene…

…possibly done by US engraver Horacio Acevedo Sr. Note rare & 2^nd MADE IN BELGIUM on barrel lug forward left of wedge screw.

long-time German master engraver J. Hensel of Rothenburger Waffeneck www.rothenburger-waffeneck.de. Adds Mitch Shore Sigmund Shore’s son who together with William B. Edwards started the US Centaure hype

#ENG No 2: Civilian Model in partitioned case, Ormsby type cylinder engraving, gold inlays, original powder flask stamped DIXON & SONS, Italian bullet mold

back in 1960: “During the early 1960s my dad and Bill (Edwards) had a number of Centaures engraved by famous US restorer and noted gunsmith Tommy Haas for their personal collection…” see exquisitely engraved

Note gold inlaid barrel marking & DIXON&SONS stamp on flask…

…and MADE IN BELGIUM on toe

specimens with display cases of English fit, namely a Civilian (above: green interior) and Cavalry Model (below: red interior) from this collection. The powder flask in the case of the Civilian with the gold inlaid barrel marking

#F946 Cavalry Model in English fit display case with accessories. Bullet mold is steel variety provided by FAUL, flask is Italian

Centennial is from famous Dixon & Sons in England whereas the bullet mould in the case of the Cavalry is the regular blued steel version from Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège….

Barrel marking “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“ CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK CHICAGO U.S.A.

Unusual case hardened cylinder!

Tom Haas pushed it even further and demonstrated his art by “colterizing” a couple of Centaures for Edwards and Shore: FAUL factory barrel marking, serial numbers and the acceptance stamps of the Liège Proof house

“Colterized“ and custom engraved RNMA #17562

were removed, screws nicely domed like you find on Sam Colt’s presentation Colt Armies.

The barrel marking of these pistols was changed to the Colt New-York U.S. America address. It now which reads – ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA –

RNMA #17562 with NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA barrel address

Font of S/Ns of RNMA #17568 is “colterized” as well

These “colterized” Haas Centaures were stylishly engraved and had their trigger-guards and back-straps silver plated like above pair #17562 and #17568. For their serial numbers dies in Colt font were used. They were stamped in the same positions where Colt placed them back then.

RNMA #7295 engraved by master engraver Josef Widemann from Ferlach/Austria

Most European engravers maintained the factory applied barrel marking and centaur logo on the forward left side of frame, and integrated them into this Colt style custom engraving of above RNMA #7295.

#8654 custom engraved, found at a German gun show 2007

Close up of the hammer area of #8654

In line with the restrictive European gun legislation and in contrast to what seems to be the rule in the USA custom engraved Centaures have to keep their proof marks. Like barrel marking and the logo mentioned above these marks are integrated elements of the engraving art. The same applies to the mark MADE IN BELGIUM on the butt, of course.

#13096 custom engraved Marshal with gold inlays, initials & carved grips, sold at Egun 2007

Factory Engraved Centaures: Confides Lesley Field, formerly Mars Equipment, the company of Shore Galleries of Lakewood, IL, USA, which imported the Centaures from Belgium: “FAUL hired the same engravers for their factory engraved Centaures who also worked for well-known Fabrique Nationale d’Armes (FN) of Herstal…”

In German dealer catalogs of the period 1972 to 73 Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège and their dealers offered the Regular New Model Army with the plain rebated cylinder factory engraved in de Luxe, Super de Luxe and Presentation style. In addition, the factory was prepared to have pistols engraved in the style requested by the individual customer.

Factory engraved pistols produced before 1972 have yet to be discovered.

Close-upf of #11851

Another view of #11851

Factory engraved RNMAs de Luxe style (above and below) came in high gloss “in the white” finish with Colt-style floral hand engraving. Pistols were selected quality but taken from regular production after proof testing. This piece of information implies that barrel markings and the centaur logos were stamped on the regular production guns

De Luxe style engraved & consecutively numbered RNMAs #13140 (top) and 13139 (bottom) found in France…

…their engraving exhibits tiny differences

after proof testing only. Most factory engraved Centaures recorded in the survey are engraved in de Luxe style. Oiled grips were standard with or without inlaid centaur logo medallion. Unusual and rare de Luxe (below) factory engraved RNMA #13432 with one piece ivory grips and centaur medallions inlaid in grips. Guess what your dealer charged for this one back in 1972?

Factory engraved Marshals de Luxe style could also be had in this configuration. They were fitted with the rebated cylinder like their long barrelled brothers, but not with the fluted one of the regular Marshal models of 1^st or 2^nd variation. The first life specimen of this type was only discovered December 26, 2010 at German internet auction house Egun.

At your German gun shop (see page 5 Stanglmeier ad) such a de Luxe style engraved RNMA or Marshal with oiled grips and medallions would set you back DM 658,00 in 1972 and 1973.

Marshal #13527 factory engraved in de Luxe style

Factory engraved RNMAs Super de Luxe style: Contrary to the de Luxe style pistols with their high gloss “white” finish these thought after pistols (below) had a deep blue finish with silver inlaid engraving. They were made at FAULs to order only with specially tuned and polished actions. Your German gun dealer would ask DM 1698,00 for this specimen in 1973.

Until November 19, 2010 all evidence regarding these Super de Luxe style engraved RNMAs was hearsay and pictures in catalogs and from ads…when an elderly German gentleman and shooter by the name of Whitey Piet paid yours truly a visit. Piet had just sold an aftermarket chromium plated de Luxe variant for the widow of his shooting buddy. But there was this blued and engraved RNMA left in his inventory that looked a bit different, see for yourself:

RNMA #13446 factory engraved in Super de Luxe style: the 1st one discovered

Rich and deep floral engraving covered the Centaure, some 20 % more than what you would find on a de Luxe version. There were some silver inlays that would not mind some polishing, like these double bands close to the edge of the cylinder front and the muzzle as well.

RNMA #13446 right side view

Both grip panels are enhanced with a silverfish centaur medallion. Also, please, mind the engraving of the sides of the loading lever. Such a feature has not been found on any of the pistols factory engraved, neither in de Luxe nor in Presentations style variants.

RNMA #13446: close-up of the barrel. Note engraving on side of the loading lever and silver inlays.

The country of origin stamp on the butt is framed. Please, notice the engraving under the trigger guard and on the back-strap. Did you spot the wolf head on both sides of the hammer? You find this feature on most factory engraved Centaures but on many engraved 1^st generation Colts as well!

The Super de Luxe style RNMAs are the rarest of the factory engraved Centaures, rarer than below Presentation Models! Did I say I want one?

Factory engraved RNMAs Presentation style: There is this story that FAUL had every 1000^th NMA enhanced with months and months of work profusely engraved and gold inlaid in a quality even surpassing the Super de Luxe version. These very rare revolvers dubbed Presentation Model are known with ivory grips only!

Presentation Model #14000

They could be purchased directly from the factory in Belgium but in Germany also from dealers like Bärbel Harlos or Stanglmeier in Munich. Price then was DM 2198,00 for such a gem. One such specimen is above and below pictured #14000. #14000 was the first of these Presentation style variants discovered when this Centaure research program was kicked-off.

2 further views of Presentation #14000

As suggested somewhere else on this website be prepared for surprises when you deal with Centaures … no matter if they are of the plain Jane or the engraved kind. In August 25, 2009 2 stylishly engraved Belgians were brought to my attention by a German shooter-collector. #12439 was undoubtedly a RNMA of the more

2 views of Presentation Model #11842

common factory engraved de Luxe variety whereas beauty #11842 (above) justified further detailed inspection. She seemed to exhibit all the characteristics of another Presentation Model. This includes the gold inlaid horses on the cylinder that seem to gallop when the cylinder is spun. There were all indications that this

Presentation style factory engraved RNMA #12442

is another specimen in Presentation style engraved at the factory … Which shows that above nice little story of “every 1000^th pistol being made into a Presentation Model” is just that … another Centaure myth for the campfire that does not hold water, I am afraid!

Factory engraved NMAs	lowest # - year	highest # - year	Total
de Luxe RNMAs	#11189: 1971	#14003: 1973	250
de Luxe Marshals	#12690: 1972	#13654: 1973	40
Super de Luxe RNMAs	#13446: 1972	#13446: 1972	10
Presentation RNMAs	#11842: 1972	#14000: 1973	20
TOTAL			320

Only 4 Presentation style factory engraved RNMAs were known. Pistols in the survey are #11842, # 12421, #12422 and #14000.

Factory engraved RNMAs in de Luxe are reported from Germany and quite a few also from France. Ca. 50 % of the French ones are imports from Germany with the B. HARLOS RIEDEN importer mark on the butt, the others were imported back then directly from Belgium and show no importer mark at all.

All other factory engraved pistols, namely Marshals in de Luxe and RNMAs in Super de Luxe and Presentation style were discovered in Germany.

MYTHBUSTER

# Every 1000^th Centaure was factory engraved as a Presentation Model? MYTH BUSTED!

FAUL Sampler?	FAUL Sampler? In German DWJ magazine from 1973 is a picture of what looks like a 2^nd variation Cavalry Model with rebated cylinder (!) engraved in de Luxe style. Fitting shoulder stock with similarly engraved yoke and butt plate matching the gun, see picture at left. Where is it now, where did this beautiful stocked pistol find a new home?
Only pictured cut-away Centaure known	Cut-Away specimen of the 8” barrel, rebated/plain cylinder, 3-screw frame cut for stock in the regular blue/case colored finish configuration are documented. At this stage we do not know if they were made by FAUL’s.

Is below Centaure pistol carbine a prototype made by FAUL or is it the work of a gunsmith or a talented tinker? I “found” #7057 early 2009 during one of my internet searches. She was offered by a French auction house with some descriptive text but without pictures. I read no French. So I automatically assumed that this was abother typical, run of the mill RNMA 1^st variation, 3^rd sub-variation.

In October 2010 I “rediscovered” her again at another French auction house. At this time with picture (left).

Surprise, surprise, she presented herself as this cute little pistol carbine with the shoulder stock permanently attached to the frame. The trigger-guard is hooked and might be made of steel. The general recommendation when shooting revolving carbines or rifles is keep both hands behind the cylinder … which should be no problem here with that hook! To comment on the initial question and without having the chance for a detailed physical inspection it is my considered opinion that this not a rare prototype from the Belgian factory but some aftermarket work.

WDN/November 10, 2011

© 2007-11 Wolf D. Niederastroth

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