I recently bought a C. Masquelier 12ga side by side. My plan is to use it for squirrel hunting for which I exclusively use high brass #6 shot. The shotgun is choked full and modified. I've had a long time locally respected gunsmith take a look at it and he gave his opinion that it was safe to use. I am still researching. From online forums, here and elsewhere I've done my best to be sure. This one has the Lion/P.V. proof stamp. Made in Liege Belgium. It has a Capital letter "B" stamped on it. It is not a Damascus. Am I correct the manufacture year would be 1949? It's a box lock and the based on the weight stamps, the barrels are unaltered from original weight. The Box lock mechanism locks up tight with no slack at the breach. The stock shows a very slight tang crack that I realize might grow with usage. I asked the gunsmith about it and he said to hunt with it but monitor if any issues start to develop around the grip area. Sorry I didn't see how to directly attach a photo with the post. Simply, I'm asking if I'm missing any steps in my research. Thanks for any responses.
