Pictures of Centaure (1960 NMA) S/N 8900

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Mykeal, it looks like the Centaure recoil shield is cut for a shoulder stock, yet the frame has 3 screws. Did the Centaure use some other design to mount a shoulder stock?
 
Good point Gin - I am very interested to see the answer to that.

Also - is the bottom face of the stock milled out for the stock clamp? Seem to be a few 'cuts' that do not have cut stocks as well.
 
From 1960nma.org:
Shoulder stocks were standard with the 4-screw frame Cavalry Model 1st and 3rd variation. They were numbered to the gun on the butt metal
and the bottom tang. [...] We We do not know if FAUL
ever offered stocks for the 3-screw models since no specimen has surfaced which can be traced back to the Belgian factory.


that makes it clear that the Belgian stocks still required 4 screws, but does make it sound like someone had a three screw with a stock at some point...
 
Clean looking Centaure. Have you had the joy of shooting it yet? The cylinder notches look good, It must have a good fitting bolt. Some have a problem with the bolt fit and have peened notches.
I assume the grip frame is notched for the shoulder stock, some Centaure variations have the recoil shield cut but not the grip frame.

A Uberti shoulder stock is a perfect fit for the three screw Centaure. Here's a shoot of my Centaure with the shoulder stock.

PICT0001-4.jpg
coltstock02.jpg
coltstock01.jpg
 
There were several variations of the Centaure produced. Among other things, provisions for a shoulder stock, consisting of cuts in the recoil shield, frame mounting screws and cutouts on the base of the grip frame, were mixed in without reason. My particular gun has the recoil shield cutouts but no frame mounting screws and no grip frame cutout. Other guns had other combinations.

The serial number appears in 7 places, and 6 of them match on my gun; the anomaly is on the wooden grips, which is pretty common. It may even be that the number on the grip is not a gun serial number at all, but rather an assembly number.

I have not shot the gun yet. I just finished correcting a timing problem in which the bolt failed to fully engage the cylinder stop notches - it would not fully extend past the frame cutout. The problem was excessive friction that the trigger/bolt spring could not overcome. It only became apparent when I cleaned the crud out of the action parts. I corrected it by stoning the sides of the bolt where it contacted the frame. The same polishing was required on the hand/spring assembly.
 
It does not appear that the cylinder notches have any peening at all. Looks like it has not been fired a lot. I think you well like it, i rate mine right with my 2nd gens, and a lot less money.

If you ever decide to mount a shoulder stock it would be a simple machine cut on the grip frame to cut the notch.
 
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