Thanks Gents for the help. I have emailed ellenbr with a few more PIC's of markings. That's all the ones I can find. Is there a easy way to find out what the chokes are? Am I correct in assuming it is not safe to shoot this old lady? The tubes are steel not damascus. 2-3/4" shells fit with no problem. I also figured how to get the lever off and was able to get it back so now there is only about 1/16" gap. Thanks. Ed
Damascus or steel makes little difference in terms of the original intended use. Both steel and damascus passed proof for Black Powder and Nitro. The Lefaucheux actions were strong enough to pass the early Nitro proof loads. However, we are looking at an older gun. It would need to be sent to a knowledgeable gunsmith to have the barrel walls measured, the stock checked for hidden cracking, etc. The markings on the barrel flats should tell the story.
Pete
