as ted has stated, pretty well any french gun in sound condition is well within the bounds of safety - when it is used with appropriate cartridges. even guns with basic single proofing, have been tested at, or above, the pressures used by other nations proofing processes....that fact holds generally true going back 150 years. your gun was chambered for 2.5" shells, which have become more and more difficult to secure in recent years - although the post this morning regarding b & p shells might be worth pursuing. most of us who fancy these older guns are reloaders...for the simple reason it is the only reliable way to access appropriate cartridges.
the other possibility with your gun, is having the chambers properly lengthened to 70mm (2 3/4"), or having the forcing cones conservatively lengthened. stay away from the popular long forcing cone reamers, as they will remove quite a bit of metal from the critical area where pressures are at their greatest. properly done, this will allow a much wider choice of factory shells - but should not be taken as permission to shoot just any cheap(er) shells that happen to be available. your gun could be the pre 1923 re-enforced proof, or the post 1923 double proof - either way it is a well built and quite strong gun.
based on the photos you provided, the gun appears to be in nice condition, and of a pretty standard st. etienne helice gun. the action was widely copied and used by any number of builders, and similar to your gun, they will be seen with many different names....some who actually built a finished gun using available components - and some who simply ordered guns marked with the sellers name. st. etienne was a major gunmaking center, and everything there was for sale. the low serial number (293) could be either a small finisher shop, or retailer - there were so many that they are impossible to account for all.
argo44 can direct you to threads here that have detailed discussions about the helice system...suffice it to say they are quite strong, and can easily be rendered in strong, light, handy field guns, that are very serviceable. they typically are fairly short barreled, and usually choked with 25-30 thou constriction in the right tube, and 40+ thou in the left. they are normally stocked with useful dimensions, and make fine field guns...just keep the ammo properly suited for light weight guns. while not common in this country, they abound in france - while they have no great value, they do offer a lot of gun for a very reasonable price....enjoy it.
best regards,
tom
