Robert, If you could give more information about gun would help ie; what else might be written on the water table of the barrels (yes, you got water table right, there might be a stamping of 2 or 3, also what gauge it is. In your serial number I'm guessing it is an ejector gun. Does the part that lefts the shells in two pieces or one? Since there were only two patent dates instead of the early three patent dates this gun would be in the 1894-5 date range. Patent numbers are good for 17 years unless re-applied. More information and some close up pictures would help.