Since the period when firearms appeared, they were, once complete, tested with a powder load that was, in principal, greater than what they would normally withstand, in order to test their strength. However, this practice was the subject of numerous deviations and significant abuse. That is why several sovereigns, in this case, the Bishop of Liège, Maximilian-Henri of Bavaria, tried to make the test obligatory and apply it according to certain standards. In reality, the implementation of this kind of decree left much to be desired before the 19th century. That is why, before this date, a weapon bearing a test stamp is uncommon. This is one of the rare Liège examples conserved for the Old Regime. The test stamp represents the “perron”. It is stamped on the barrel, which was undoubtedly forged in Liège. This weapon was produced in Nancy around 1672, the date of the first decree regarding mandatory testing.
