That is a fine gun. The plume barrels were very well known, very light and solid. I don't think Didier Drevet built the whole gun but would still like to see the water table. I also don't think you have to worry about the barrels being honed. French barrels are generally heavy duty.

I cannot offer an opinion on the shield without a picture. I've been collecting miscellaneous French stamps over the last few years - have about 30 so far.

Moulard is a French sur-name. It could be the maker.

If it would help someone in the future I'll post an interpretive text I made for my Daughter-in-law's Gerest-Berthon 16 ga. with Didier Drevet barrels.

Barrel Inscriptions:

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

1. Didier Drevet, barrel maker (Canonier St Etienne) and his marks.

2. Grand Prize 1900 (for Paris Universelle exposition)

3-4. Proof mark for Saint Etienne for PT powder.

5. Length of the chamber in centimeters i.e. “7 cm” or 2 3/4”..normally marked 70mm in every other place in Europe but Saint Etienne at the time… Saint Etienne switched from using mm in 1889 to cm then back to mm in 1918-1919. The fact that this gun is chambered for 2 3/4” is unusual. Most French guns of the era until after WWII were chambered for 6.5 or 65mm i.e. 2 1/2” shells. See “Double Express” on both barrel and butt plate.

6. 17.0 = diameter of the bore in mm equal to 16 gauge in America/UK.

7. Crossed palms with “St Etienne” - the Saint Etienne proof house mark. Your gun has two palm marks, meaning it’s been “double proofed” for more powerful powder charges than normal. The old butt plate which I had replaced had “Double Express” stamped on it.

8. “Didier Eureka Canon Plume”: trademark of Didier Drevet. He invented a barrel which did not have a lower rib and thus was a lot lighter. Canon (barrel) plume (feather) is the idea.

9. “Non pour la balle” (not for ball). Barrels are “choked” and could not fire a slug.

10. 7859: Gerest-Berthon serial number of the gun

11. “Canon du Surete Garantie” “Double Express”: Sort of an advertisement meaning “guaranteed good barrels.” The “double express” - probably is why it’s chambered for 7.0 cm length shells.

12 (white). 1906 . 11985: The date the barrel was made by Didier Drevet 1906 and DD’s barrel serial number. Saint Etienne guns are very hard to date. However, the fact that DD dated and serial numbered his barrels enabled us to sort of get a handle on the dating process.

Retailer: (In this case a retailer in Palermo, Sicily)

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch