OWD:

I've heard about the Belgian connection for years, and remain unconvinced. A great many "London" DRs bear Birmingham proof marks, trade marks of Birmingham firms, signatures of well-known Birmingham barrel filers, etc. However, I've never seen anything on a British DR (other than Manton of Calcutta) that would support a Belgian connection.

All of these British DRs of supposedly Belgian make that I've handled over the years have uniformly borne provisional English proof - which is conducted on the rough blanks before they are joined up into barrel sets. I suppose it's possible that the blanks were sent to England for provisional proof and returned to Belgium, but I'm not sure that I buy that. It would have been a lot of trouble to go to with quite a number of double rifle specialists available in Birmingham. These rifles were also of English definitive proof, and some had British barrel filers' signatures.

The rifle in question was made by a trade maker for Lancaster, as it bears the trade maker's serial number in addition to Lancaster's. My Watson Brothers did as well. I have no idea who it was. I've heard the Lincoln Jeffries reference before, but can't prove or disprove it.
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