A collection of French pocket pistols

[urbanspaceman]

Thank-you. I don't speak French so here is what Google makes of the less obvious or previously established bits.
Inventor of a new way of placing the plate of a rifle which makes it capable of being removed and put back in place in an instant. Approved by the academy 1772 and 1774.
He demonstrates that short rifles carry an equal load, further than long ones and is obliged to collect the lead from those which are separated by an operation simple which is particular to it.
Anyone make any sense of it?

[urbanspaceman]

Danke Corrado.
Ich spreche auch nicht viel Deutsch.
Schade, denn ich mag sowohl Deutsche als auch Franzosen sehr.

[corrado26]

My five cents:

Inventor of a new method of attaching the lock to a rifle so that it can be removed and reinserted in an instant.
He shows that short rifles carry farther with the same load than long rifles, and undertakes to collect the lead of those that deviate by a simple operation peculiar to himself.

[urbanspaceman]

I know we are deviating from the initial theme of this thread but does anyone conversant with ballistics comprehend his declaration and agree or disagree with it?
I assume this concerns long guns rather than pistols, which seems appropriate given his connection to hunting - but I may be wrong.
The original owner described the pistol as Venerie Louvetier which is apparently wolf-hunting on horseback, run by the Grand Veneur ie Master of the Hunt and Royal Game Warden.

[Peter Hudson]

From Wike...The Wolfcatcher Royal (French: louvetier royal), a position also known historically as the Grand Wolfcatcher (French: grand louvetier) which is now known as lieutenant de louveterie, was established as a prestigious office in the House of the King during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration of France, tracing its inception to the luparii of Charlemagne. The office had been a fixture of the French Crown as early as the reign of Louis XI, when the first recorded holder of the title Pierre Hannequeau reached prominence in 1467, although it had apparently existed in some form since 1308. Wolfcatchers Royal served under the Grand Huntsman and alongside the Grand Falconer and Captain of the Boar-hunt as members of the king's hunting service. They were responsible for organizing all aspects of the wolf-hunt and presided over the royal pack of wolfhounds and their handlers. A number of lieutenants, huntsmen, houndsmen, and valets assisted the Wolfcatcher Royal. By the 18th century Wolfcatchers, who rotated through office in alternate sessions, received stipends worth roughly between 1200 and 1400 livres.

On 9 August 1787 the office was dissolved due to financing issues but was reinstated in 1797. The office was further modified in 1971 and now serves an administrative function regulating vermin and maintaining healthy wildlife populations. Lieutenants often serve as moderators in disputes between the general public, hunters, and the government, keep the police informed of changes or nuances in hunting laws, and promote the use of ethics in hunting. A major focus of the position is the regulation of deer numbers. Wolfcatchers Royal are still required (in theory) to maintain a pack of at least four hounds capable of hunting boar or fox. There are twelve female lieutenants de louveterie in France. So now we know!!
Peter Hudson.

[Peter Hudson]

Regarding the Photographic examples shown on this thread are by far the finest I have seen on Forum to date...or on the rest of the web ....Can this technique be boiled down and reproduced...so that others can try to achieve such excellent results...Peter Hudson.

[urbanspaceman]

Hi Peter. Regarding the quality photography: I’ve spent this last few years photographing objects to produce projections for my girlfriend’s lectures: anything from a Russian gas-mask to a Victorian baby’s feeding bottle.
However: first it has to be understood that grabbing a shot with your camera phone is simply not going to cut it, although the first image - of my Colt SAA – is perhaps a bit of a contradiction as I did use my phone.
So, the first pre-requisite is a good quality, high definition camera, as these French pistol images are pin sharp and highly detailed, and that also means the camera should be tripod mounted.
Second, the light source needs to be large and highly diffused. A bright, cloudy day through white vertical blinds is what I used for the Colt, but a white sheet over the window is the equivalent. I have not superimposed the image of the Colt onto a separate background; to do that we need:
thirdly, a unblemished pure white background. An A1 artist’s board is cheap and readily available, but if you are photographing a sword then it’s not big enough, so use a pure white, smooth sheet stretched (and pinned) on the floor in front of your window. You will need to have your camera elevated and steps to stand on to avoid shadows and in order to present the image without perspective aberation.
Remember, any image can be lit and photographed from any direction if you plan to cut and remove the background using Photoshop; just make sure it is totally illuminated and don’t cast any shadows or produce unlit areas. Look at these French pistols and you will see there are no shadows or excessive dark areas. Again, Photoshop can illuminate any shadows while retaining the average contrast.
In order to present the image (as these pistols have been) variously angled, you need to prop them accordingly. A bright white bean-bag is ideal, although variations on this theme are legion, such as props placed under the background sheet.
Finally, let Photoshop ‘cut and separate’ the item if you want to present it on an alternative background or re-position it.
You did ask!