Strickly by the tables there was a 15 gauge and Greener mentions 15 gauge wads from time to time when addressing muzzle loader conversion to breechloader. 2piper is absolutely correct on the "nominal" bores but I think using nominal bore dimensions at this time would be compressing time. Sir Joseph Whitworth's measuring device, which measured to dimensions less that a thousandth, probably wasn't strongly peddled until the after the mid 19th century. There wasn't any standardization of cartridges and many guns were supplied w/ loading equipment as accoutrements. The markers used a plug gauge and if it went the whole length and the bore was either rounded up or rounded down(if not fully bored) to the plug gauge pushers discretion.

In German, true proof marks appear mid 19th century but many cities had a city mark which went hand in hand w/ the maker's mark and possibly a firearms merchant mark. When states were created, that mark is also a possiblity. Suhl in the 17th century had a "SVL" and then a "SUL" mark as they had retained a barrel shooter who pulled off a few rounds and used his eye a quality control. In 1634, Croats burned almost everything and proofing in Suhl really didn't occur until the Prussian law/rule/decree of 1891, public in 1892, effective on April 1st, 1893. Essen may have been the source of the barrel shooter/inspector because as early as mid 1500's it had a city ordinance which put a stamp on every firearm made there. 1n 1676, tubes were supposed to be marked with a number which was a value of the number of lead spheres to a pound of lead, which "pound", I don't know. In the early 1800s, the French were managing Essen and the mark of "Manufacture d'Essen" is seen of firearms. And circa 1840, manufactures moved to Saar. They were other cities, but the most interesting one to me is the proof house at Solingen which began in 1867 and had some sort of Imperial/stylized Prussian eagle(which is common mark among Schutzen stuff and in just is sometimes a buzzard) w/ "SP" below it, all in an oval. Mauser, Simson, Schillling all made edged weapons but I haven't seen a Solingen mark on any of their weapons just yet.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Last edited by ellenbr; 05/23/08 08:38 AM.