I already mentioned that the gun was built by Frank Tobin. It would seem you missed that part of the discussion.
Tobin is a pretty un-French name, as it were.
I also already mentioned that the gun didn't really have cones-they were more like steps. Stan Baker had never seen anything like it. He speculated that the gun was intended for a paper hull cartidge with a short roll or glued crimp of some sort, but, he really didn't know why. The gun was produced with the name "Tournament" on it, suggesting it was built for some other retailer. Maybe said retailer loaded different spec ammunition for use in the gun. It would have been produced around 1910 or so. Perhaps a client had his own ideas on what ammunition should be loaded for his guns, and requested the gun be built as it was. Who knows? It was, by all appearances, produced new with those steps. This gun, and the odd forcing steps, have been discussed at length several times here, over the years, and nobody really knew who it was produced for or why it had the odd steps, instead of a proper cone, in the barrels.
The only ammunition I've ever used in it is the afore mentioned Eley VIP 2 1/2 loading, with 5, 6 or English 7 size shot, prior and post modification. The ends were ripped on new ammunition prior to Stan Baker fixing the bores. I am unaware of a shorter load that could be used in a 16 gauge gun from the turn of the last century.
But, that doesn't mean there wasn't one. By the way, it really does throw remarkable patterns, now.
Best,
Ted
