C'est très difficile de rendre une réponse adéquate à ton dernier posting sans une transgression des bornes de politesse et de bienséance... mais parfois, c'est bien nécessaire.
C'est une attaque massive d'Intelligence Artificielle (ou bien, hélas maintes fois aujourd'hui, aussi de stupidité artificielle) déchainée, comme on le lit bien. Ce forum est destiné pour l'échange et et la conversation entre des humains qui soient unis (et parfois, comme cela parvient, divisés) pour une passion partagée commune, celle des fusils à deux cannes, avec une certaine prédilection pour les juxtaposés; mais bien sûr, les armes de combination et les superposés y sont aussi les bienvenus.
L'expression centrale dans cette définition est peut-être: "humains", et j'estime un posting comme ton dernier, comme une assez grave impolitesse et infraction d'un consensus. Donc abstiens-toi d'une telle malfaiseance !
La IA (ou si tu préfères le Vlaams, la Kunstmatige intelligentie of artificiële intelligentie) est très utile pour s'informer rapidement.
Et "se" signifie soi-même.
Ce n'est pas un instrument de torture pour importuner les autres. Et si tu as quelques choses à nous dire (et j'en suis bien sûr), DIS-LE toi-même. Ton robot bavardant ne nous intéresse pas. Veuilles limiter un tel tête-à-tête intime à toi et elle, exclusivement.
***
Now to the ammunition itself.
I am glad for you that you were able to acquire this intriguing (and, as Raimey would say, partially mysterious) O/U Bockbüchsflinte jointly as a "value pack" ;-) together with its last boxes of ammunition (the two of which have been produced some years apart from each other).
Often, we lack the original factory ammo for an older chambering, e.g. Raimey's 6,5x70R, or my own 7x72 R, 6,5x58R and 6,5x52R, which would be so useful and welcome before we start start to load our own. The 9x57R is very easy to create from 8x57 IRS, but factory ammo has not been made for decades. Yet it once was quite popular on the Old Continent, both in its at least two (!) different rimless variants, and in its rimmed sister incarnation.
Your ammo was made for (not by !) FN, and is bearing the (quite common) "Browning" headstamp. Such "Browning'" hunting cartridges were made both by Hirtenberger (Austria), and by Norma (Sweden). These now were done by Norma, as you can clearly read on the primers. The "golden" packaging type of the cardboard boxes is the most common. The older semi-transparent 10-round-plastic boxes are rarer.
They were made in the 1970s or the very early 1980s. Not rare as such, but nowadays difficult to find. Your AI has clearly indicated the main use not only of the gun, but also of the bullet: it was very typically used for the chasse à battue in the French Grand Est, and in Belgium, up to the Western border region of Germany.
This "slow but reliable" cartridge - comparable to the .35 Winchester and .33 Winchester for you American readers - seemed almost tailored for wild boar, Sus scrofa (which back in the time, was a fairly rare and highly esteemed commodity, and not as today an ever-present nuisance) and for red deer, Cervus elaphus. The typical use distance would have been between 20 and 70 metres on the open sights, while the big open hollow point bullet would react and expand reliably already on roe deer, instead of just passing through.
I have absolutely no clue about Gevelot and SFM, and would be curious to learn whether French ammo manufacturers - before the de-industrialization ravaged the land after the Trente Glorieuses, and left it nigh barren - maybe also have produced these loads for a short time?
Avec mes salutations assez sincères,
Carcano
Thank you very much for your detailed and very informative reply.
I really appreciate the information regarding the Browning/Norma cartridges and their typical use in the French Grand Est and Belgium. Your explanation about the primers and the dating of the ammunition was particularly interesting.
I should perhaps mention that my research on this rifle has gradually grown into a much broader historical project. During the past weeks, I have been studying several original Merkel catalogues (1929, 1930, 1932 and 1935), comparing them with the factory record (Gewehrkarte) of my Model 210 and other contemporary documents.
I am currently trying to better understand the evolution of the Merkel product range, the different Model 210 variants, and the company's commercial strategy during the years leading up to World War II. Another aspect that fascinates me is the relationship between Merkel and ATM (Merkel Frères) and the nature of their commercial partnership in France.
Every new document raises new questions, but that is precisely what makes this research so enjoyable. I am learning a great deal, and I sincerely appreciate the knowledge shared by the members of this forum.
Regarding AI, I only use it to help with writing and translation. The research itself—including the factory records, catalogues, photographs, document comparisons and historical research—is entirely my own work.
best regards.
