I wonder if it would have been illegal, however, to have sold the rifle as using cordite when it had not been proof tested with cordite, The proof marks on it are black powder proof. Then again, I do not know when nitro proof marks came into use.
Nitro proof did not come in until 1896. Prior to that I don't believe that there would be any legal issue with selling a gun for use with nitro powder (Cordite) as long as it was properly submitted for proof under the rules that existed at the time. Since this gun was proofed under the old rules it could well have been regulated with and sold for use with Cordite.
