How old is my Spanish TAC revolver?

[MalteseFalcn]

Howdy all... long-time lurker, first time posting here.

I picked up a rea$onable TAC revolver and was wondering if anyone had a clue to its age? I google'd around and couldn't find anything solid. I know there were a million Spanish arms companies in the early 1900's making S&W copies, although TAC seems prolific enough that I figured someone would have an idea as to age?

The serial number on the bottom of the grip handle is 180519, there's another number stamped under the barrel that's just 875. The barrel reads "For 38 Special and US Service Ctg".

I'll try to attach some photos.

Thanks!!

 

[James K]

Trocaola, Aranzabal y Cia. dates from sometime before WWI up to the Spanish Civil War. Some companies went out of business due to the war, and then Franco, in an effort to improve the image of Spanish guns in the world market, ordered many others to close down. Which was the case with TAC, I don't know, but that revolver would not have been made later than about 1936-1938.

TAC was one of the better brands of S&W clones made in Spain from about 1920-1936 and imported into the U.S. in such large quantities that they almost put S&W out of business. While the guns have the outward appearance of an S&W, they are more like the Colt lockwork internally, and it may be noted that TAC also made copies of the Colt. Still, they are not of the quality of real S&W's and I recommend either not firing those guns at all, or doing so very carefully with light loads.

FWIW, S&W itself dropped the marking "U.S. Service Ctgs" after 1909 when the .38 Long Colt was no longer the official U.S. service cartridge, but TAC and some other Spanish companies apparently kept it longer.

Jim