Montenegrino Revolver

[LisaWhitaker]

My father recently passed away and I found a revolver he had. I would like some information on the history of the revolver if anyone can help me. Here's a description. The revolver is in a brown leather case with a certificate from the US allowing my father to keep and bring back to the US "the items of captured enemy equipment" My dad was in WWII. The revolver is listed as "Revolver, Montenegrino, SC 1913" There are what looks like 3 crests on the revolver as well as the words vero montenegrino and sc 1913. The revolver does have a hinged plate in the back for loading. It has a pull-out hinged rod that would be used to eject rounds out of the same loading port. On both the side of the frame and the cylinder it is stamped with the number 41. It has a laynard loop located at the bottom of the handle. The front sight is part of the barrell and is shaped like a quarter inch thick shaped triangle. Three of the crests stamped on it are shaped like 2 keys with a crown above it. The other one looks like a lion with a sword and a sun rising up above it's back. On the opposite side of the last crest is a crown above a letter R above a star which is above a letter T. I would appreciate any info you could give me. Please e-mail me at stratus@together.net Thanks.

 

[MarcusZ]

Belgian copy of Gasser revolver

How is this for a delayed response, six years after the original posting? I actually found this forum because I came upon this posting while researching my own SC1913 revolver. Too bad Lisa's e-mail address is no longer any good. I believe I do start out knowing a lot more about this Belgian-made copy of the Gasser M1880 Montenegro pistol than did Lisa, but I still have a fair share of questions. If any current members of this forum are interested I will be happy to post the story as far as I can put it together.
In the meantime, here is a link to a picture of my pistol (obviously lacking the ejector rod).
http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/Montenegrin01.JPG
The biggest mystery for me still is whether there is any significance to the crown over crossed keys mark (see link below), or whether they are merely a decorative motif.
http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/Montenegrin07.JPG
Cheers,
Marcus

 

[James K]

Supposedly, the king of Montenegro once ordered that every man in the kingdom own and carry a large caliber revolver, and revolver makers all over Europe responded. Montenegrin revolvers were made in Austria (though Montenegro was never part of the Habsburg empire), Belgium, Italy and Spain. I can't find that cross keys symbol in any list of proof marks, though I might have missed it. It could be some local or national property mark.

Jim