Mystery Gun...to me anyway.

P

python70

Inactive
Help me ID this Revolver for a friend please...

I am sure the considerable resources of revolver knowledge here will know rather quickly, but I have several books on Smiths and Colts and there is nothing that I can find that matches up EXACTLY...

It looks like a Smith to me, but I have not been able to ID it yet and the barrel throws me off--Colt Police .38 Special? I will work on getting more pictures to try to get numbers from behind the crane or on the bottom of the butt, however, from what you see, what is it???

I could only upload 3 files here, but the lst picture shows a trademark of a capital GH inside of a C right below the cylinder release...

Thanks guys (and gals)

Posted on S&W Forum as well--we'll see who is quicker...:)

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...4506-mystery-gun-me-anyway.html#post137085726
 

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Well, that is what I initially thought...someone on the S&W Forum said it is a foreign copy of a Smith but not sure of the brand...
 
IMO, it looks like a Smolt - a S&W with a Colt bbl.
Click to expand...

Well if you didn't look at the photo, maybe you would be on to something! However, in the photo we can plainly see that the gun does not have a S&W cylinder release (could be changed), and has a hammer that is not S&W manufacture. The trigger guard is also not a S&W shape. But what was the big clue that it was not a S&W? The V mainspring - which was Colt's DA spring. AFAIK, for all of S&W DA revolvers, they used a flat mainspring.

Now of course, this would only matter if the gun did not have any Spanish markings, which it does. So in other words, we knew it was most likely foreign manufacture without needing the markings as a clue.

The barrel *could be* Colt manufacture as they had a left side barrel roll mark like that one before WWII.
 
Many of the Spanish revolvers were externally copies of the S&W M&P but had a version of the simpler Colt lockwork. Some of those revolvers were better than others, but none were of anywhere near the quality of an S&W or a Colt, and the worst were complete junk. Almost alll were made of cast iron "pot metal" (the iron cook pots were made from) and many have blown up with normal factory loads in .38 Special or .32-20.

Value? Nothing, and probably dangeroous to boot. I strongly suggest your friend grind off the firing pin and keep the gun for a paper weight.

Jim
 
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many have blown up with normal factory loads in .32 Special or .32-20.
Click to expand...

People shoved 32 special in these guns? AKA 32 Winchester Special? Wow. People are crazier than I think. I just checked, a 32 WS measures 2.56 in long. Talk about a death wish! I guess the gun would need modified as well to accept that cartridge. Or maybe you meant 38 special ;)
 
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