JC, in some ways, your post raises more questions than it answers. For example: How did one acquire an Ideal? Did he have to go to St Etienne to buy it directly from Manufrance? Could they be ordered and delivered through the French postal system, or some other means? And did the practice of not selling Ideals through dealers continue throughout the gun's entire production history?

WildCattle, the French didn't use just one expression for smokeless. I've also seen "poudre vive" and, I believe, "poudre blanche". If you look at enough French barrel flats, you'll find that, outside of the required proofmarks, various manufacturers used a wide variety of proprietary marks and stampings relating to the powder, the steel, the chokes, etc.