pomofo,
OK the photos show it is not one with rifle hammer on triggerplate. it is still an interesting drilling however. Is there a crown R on the rifle barrel? If so, it could have been rebored and new number added( bore, not groove or bullet diameter). My impression is that if an old number was polished off, it may have been bore diameter expressed in gauge. It looks like a drilling proofed during the transition to the improvements to the 1891 proof law, in 1911-12. This is largely because it has bore diameter in mm, but no case length. We see this pretty often during the transition period. I would date it to 1911-12. The right hand tumbler has a small pin that the left one doesn't have, there is likely a small "fly" on the right side that prevents the half cock notch from stopping the hammer when it is fired by the set trigger ( ie trigger not held back). It is interesting that the Tell rifle is chambered for 9.3x57R/360. This is the metric designation for the British 360 2 1/4" cartridge. I have been looking for a rifle in this caliber. I you need to sell it to help pay for the drilling, I'm interested and would give Dave his normal "cut".
Mike
There's no crown R on the rifle barrel. Just the eagle, crown U, 8.7mm, and that partially erased mark to the right of the eagle. Looks like the left half of a G or O or C, or maybe the stamp slipped.
Both the rifle barrel and the action have two different serial numbers stamped, one that I would call an "older" more stylized serif-type font, and the other a "newer" cleaner font. There are remnants of proof marks under the ribs that join the rifle barrel to the shotgun barrel, leading me to believe that maybe the shotgun barrels were proofed before assembly, then maybe reproofed after assembly?
There are no crown N marks anywhere, just the eagle next to Nitro on the exterior of the shotgun barrels near the breech. There's also "Fluss-Stahl Krupp-Essen" going around the breech end of the shotgun barrels, partially covered by the rear claw mount base, so "Fluss-Stahl Krupp-Essen" is restamped on the outside of each of the shotgun barrels in a different font. Very peculiar.
Thanks for pointing out that pin on the tumbler, I hadn't noticed that before.
The Tell rifle is marked 108,49 on the outside of the action, and on top of the chamber is inscribed "Tell V. 360/57" which leads me to believe that it's 9.3x57R/360. I can only fit a .302" pin gage into the muzzle end, though, which is odd. The lands are very high, however, so I'll have to try to take a closer look and try to measure across the grooves.
