Drew,
I believe that you are correct in identifying the Lettre Annale as indicating 1926. But I just realized that the owner says that the barrels are 26 inches in length. Since the VL&D record book shows clearly that the gun arrived with 30 inch barrels and the catalogs indicate that the Model No. 2 was made with only 28 or 30 inch barrels, I wonder if it is possible that the owner returned the gun to Francotte in the mid-1920's to be re-barreled with shorter barrels? I believe that the mark of the rampant lion over PV as a nitro proof mark began to be used on civilian arms in 1903 and the fraction of a gram in barrel weight was discontinued in 1924. Both would support the mid-1920's manufacture of the barrels. Whichever, it is a nice looking Francotte.
Bob Beach
