Brun Latrige 8 MM Self-Loading 'Belly Guns':

This image below really caught my eye .. looking sort of "artistic" and ever-so classy.

The designer - Paul Brun Latrige worked for the Manufrance mail order company that later developed their Gaulois palm squeezer pistol.

Elegant Prototype French Brun Latrige Pistol,

But .. if you view the 'Forgotten Weapons' video below linked - you should, like me, be intrigued by the very simple-clever 'trombone' or 'pump'? action.

Now I've only just 'discovered' these wee repeaters from around 1900 - so am merely introducing the marque to you guys - & I don't pretend to know anything about them - BUT  Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has seen one .. LINK:

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/ria-brun-latrige-model-1900/

One aspect of this interesting "squeeze-pump-action" is the way it strips it's cartridges backwards from it's fixed magazine in the same way that the Bond(Boberg) Bullpup does - and how this permits the whole action to be located further rearwards of the trigger line than usual.

https://flicense.blogspot.co.nz/2018/01/bond-arms-bullpup-9-boberg.html

Engraved Personalized Gun Sold From Paul Brun-Latrige Estate.

There seems to be three main trigger variations .. 'folding', 'ring' and what I'd call 'trombone'.

This Version Makes It Clear That A TWO Finger Trigger Pull Is Needed.

I'm thinking that a modern maker could do something with this elegant design in .22" rimfire or maybe even in .32" ACP? - It is 'neat' in the old-fashioned original meaning of the word. (-  8 mm is .314" .. almost exactly the bullet size for 32 ACP.) - It would need to be as short a cartridge as possible due to the squeeze action length of pull.

Another interesting characteristic of this design is that the barrel is rearward and shrouded at the moment of firing - thereby reducing any muzzle flash.

These antiques were supposedly made in both 5mm and 8MM short calibers - cartridges that today would be thought badly under-powered.

8 MM Cartridge .. Short & Soft.

Gaulois or Mitraillesue Palm squeezer.

Thanks to "Dreamweaver" from The Firing Line for this Image

(- The Rifle Case is a 30:30.)

I've not been able to find anything sensible about the 5 MM cartridge - perhaps because it may have been even less popular & "proprietary".. and maybe other metric size descriptions were used - 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 12mm, 15mm ? - I simply don't know. (or perhaps there's no such thing?)

Marty K.