doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Proofmark puzzle

Indeed & I think that the mechanic had to submit in writing the prescribed new fangled powder. This was an optional test and not a substitution at all. The proof test was 80% over the Service load and apparently there were tables and tables of this verbiage???? Stamps were in English, German(Both for export) and of course French for inland.

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

It appears that the Belgians took the above rule, copied verbatim chapter & verse, directly from the British Rules of 1896, where the sender(mechanic) could upon written request petition the two Companies to use Schultze, EC or another prescribed propellent, but it had to rise to the occasion to prouduce a stress greater than 80% but less than 100% of the Service Load.

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

According to Greener in 1881, the British Proof Facilities would do a water pressure test of sorts on their tubes. First they would place a lead plug in the muzzle. Then pour boiling water into the breech followed by a lead plug being driven in from breech. Then they searched for leaks.


After the powder test, >>Common Barrels<< were untouched for a period of 24 hours to see if the >>Acid<< from the burnt powder ate its way thru somewhere. I am not sure exactly what they did w/ >>Uncommon Barrels<<??

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

Any idea of why they used boiling water instead of just plain ol' room temperature dihydrogen oxide?

Boiling water would expand the metal, degrease it, and, appear as steam through any cracks or pinholes. A gob of grease in a pinhole or crack could mask a leak with room temperature water.

It’s pretty brilliant, actually.

Best,
Ted

Greener's "Proof of Gun Barrels", 1881
https://books.google.com/books?id=LAsAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA310

Good find Hause. The reason I went down this Rabbit Hole was to note how the Birmingham Proof House Dirketor could have imported barrels or >>In the White<<price-point platforms from Liege & the only mark on them would be the Belgian Rampant Lion in Heraldry and it could be easily scrubbed off by a mechanic. Too, with the British Government petitioning the Belgians to change the inspector's stamp means that they were imported a lot of Belgian wares or components. The result would be what has been termed as >>Fakes<< with similar British Gunsmith's Names, but the harsh reality would be that they were Price-Point Platforms imported by some of the elites of the Business.

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

My guess on the boiling water was that they thought that boiling water contained, as well as compressed, in a steel vessel would rapidly convert from liquid to gas resulting in pressure spikes???? This might reveal any imperfection before being sent on for Proof??


Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

The Belgian 1893 Rules, effective in 1894, abandoned the previous powder to ball equation and made a segway to tables, 19+ to be exact. It was a complicated effort and then for those weapons going to Germany, the Belgians used the German Tables..... Various proofmarks had different meanings depending on the category/class of the weapon. Complicated to say the least....


Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

Ah, I forgot to note that pre-1924 Belgian >>Express<< rifles were subject to proof parallel to the German Rules, but there wasn't a special designated touchmark for the effort. Also, proof of other such rifles exported to Germany just are not mentioned. Possibly non-Express Rifles were not exported to Germany, but that sounds suspect. Information surrounding Express Rifles, and rifles in general, exported to Germany is wanting as well as lacking in the complex era of Belgian Proof Rules.

Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse