i agree that the pin punches were used to obscure the 65 stamping...but i would guess the 6 & 5 were close enough together to have been "65" rather than the earlier "6.5" stamping. that would place the gun as post 1912 (?). i agree with ted, that the shooting stars are an in-house quality stamp - but have never seen them before either. i think that i see PT stampings under both chambers (above the crossed lightening bolts - which signify proof in finished state). we don't have a photo of the water table...it should confirm whether PT or T powder was used for proof....i also think the use of T powder would likely have occurred during the earlier "6.5 cm" era.
this gun was proved in the Saint-Etienne house....noted by the dual stamps on each tube forward of the flats and marked stetienne. from memory, i think the two stamps indicated "superior proof" prior to ww2....a step above "normal proof" - but not "double proof"....if i'm correct, three stamps were indication of "double proof".
the other marks on the tubes are difficult to make out, and might shed a bit more light....MM i've seen before, but i am distant from my reference materials, and working from an old gray headed memory.
best regards,
tom
