For historical purposes, I've looked at a couple of Didier Drevet Eureka Plume barreled Saint-Etienne guns...1902-1912 era...(with the date stamped on the barrel).. All are either stamped for the chamber "6.5" (6.5cm which changed about 1912? to mm...i.e. "65") or in the case of the year 1906 not stamped at all.
The several examples of guns I've looked at for sale over the last few weeks which are in America have usually been advertised having 2 3/4" chambers = 70mm.
This is impossible for an original Eureka since the 2 3/4 shell didn't exist pre-WWI in France. So were these guns all rechambered at some point without being reproofed? Or are the dealers just pulling a fast one? i.e advertising chambering as 2 5/8" (65mm/6.5cm), which they rounded up to 2 3/4" (70mm) or having a gun which a chamber gauge actually measured the chamber as 70mm? If the latter, it's been re-chambered but not re-proofed. (is this correct.???)
If you sell a 100+ year old shotgun which has been rechambered (and not reproofed) but don't advertise this fact..well, it seems borderline dangerous to this novice if not so advertised. (or is this normal?-I'm rapidly becoming skeptical if not cynical)
Last edited by Argo44; 06/24/17 12:29 AM.
