THE ARMS TRADE OF BELGIUM. 
155 
following are some of the comparative trade prices of Liege and St. 
Etienne : — 
Li6ge. 
St. Etienne. 
Single Barrel Guns. 
Francs. 
Francs. 
Youths' guns, the commonest . 
5-50 
Not made. 
Men's „ „ 
6-85 
jj 
„ of false ribbon twist . . 
8-40 
12-60 
„ „ Damascus twist . 
11-55 
1410 
Double Barrelled Guns. 
Of the commonest quality . . 
14-51 
Not made. 
„ common quality 
17-50 
22-10 
„ false ribbon twist .... 
21-50 
22-90 
„ false Damascus twist . . . 
26-05 
27-26 
„ iron ribbon barrels .... 
27-95 
35-72 
„ steel ribbon barrels .... 
31-50 
40-52 
„ Damascus barrels .... 
55-56 
60-16 
Lefaucheux gun, with Damascus 
barrels 
71-50 
98-76 
Superior qualities, from . . . 
100 to 400 
100 to 500 
The annual production of guns at Liege is now about ten times as great 
as that of St. Etienne. The number here manufactured has fallen to 
about 30,000 fowling-pieces annually ; therefore not half as many as are 
bought at Liege by the French alone, notwithstanding the duty of 220 francs 
per 100 kilos. The Paris gunsmiths buy three- fourths of their guns at 
Liege, finish them carefully, and sell them as Paris workmanship. The 
superior qualities are about equal at Liege and St. Etienne ; the produce 
of the former being superior in style and appearance, that of the latter 
in real finish. The Belgian talent for imitation is here conspicuous. 
The taste of every market is carefully studied ; the trade marks of other 
nations and makers are, I am sorry to say, counterfeited. Thus Liege 
has supplanted Birmingham to a great extent in the important market 
of North America. A stringent law on trade-marks in Belgium is a 
great desideratum for British industry. 
The best double-barrelled Lefaucheux gun costs at Liege 16Z. sterling. 
To the eye this gun will be quite identical with a 30Z. gun of Paris, or 
a 40Z. gun of London ; but in some parts it will be found inferior to 
either. If selected, however, with care and put into the hands of a 
gunsmith to be examined and " finished," it will do excellent service. 
From the immense scale of manufacture, a gun seldom comes from 
Liege thoroughly finished and regulated. The iron work will require 
to -be case-hardened ; the lock will require the closest scrutiny, and 
perhaps re-tempering Here it is that England defies all competition. 
A pair of Wolverhampton locks will cost 3Z., therefore as much as an 
