Le fusil idéal, Frédéric Vergne (book)

This post is also available in: Français (French)

The ideal rifle, the most perfect and the most beautiful rifle in the world (book) by Frédéric Vergne. Edition La Manu. A 392-page book with more than 300 color illustrations on the history of this emblematic rifle of French armory. This work is based on mostly unpublished archive documents. Format 31 x 24 cm. 2020. New hardback book in blister pack. French language.

Superb, extremely detailed album on the Idéal rifle, from its creation in 1887 to the 1970s: techniques, patents, mechanisms, accessories, range, tests, steels, decorations, punches, safeties, improvements, etc. List of serial numbers and details of markings in appendices. Manufrance (trade name for the Manufacture française d’armes et cycles de Saint-Étienne) is a French company created in 1887, a forerunner of mail order sales located in the industrial city of Saint-Étienne. It is one of the first French mail order companies.

The Idéal rifle is beautiful beyond its aesthetic or technical character. It is beautiful because it is the fruit of passionate work. The passion of its creator and the passion of those who made it for almost a century. This book lets you discover in chronological order the evolution of this legendary weapon in its environment from its creation until the closure of the Manufacture.

This story is based exclusively on original documents that have made it possible to understand the evolutions of the Idéal rifle and the reasons for the choices that were made by the managers of the Manufacture over time. It is aimed at enthusiasts of the Idéal rifle who will seek precise and true information there, as well as lovers of beautiful weapons in general who will discover the history of this emblematic rifle of French armory.

The Idéal rifle will never have been an industrial rifle, much to the despair of Etienne Mimard, its creator. Although manufactured in thousands of copies, it has the unique feature of having remained produced in an artisanal way for almost a hundred years. For this, several hundred workers, true qualified gunsmiths, worked within the largest hunting weapons factory that France has known.

Through their know-how and their passion, they have raised the prestige of French gunmaking very high. Thanks to them, the Idéal rifle still remains today the most perfect and the most beautiful rifle in the world.

Feel free to check out the additional photos at the top left, thank you!

If you prefer to pay in euros, =before= you start ordering, you must click on the word “Français” in orange, under the main photo above, which will redirect you to the same description in French and payment in Euros.