Quote:
Originally Posted by 2152hq
... The use of a proof mark consisting of just crossed pennants (no #s or letters was used on bolts bodys & bolt heads of pre WW1 & WW1 Enfield rifles. ...
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That's what I was basing my comments on (in other threads).
If you can locate a copy of Ian Skennerton's
The British Service LEE, look at page 397, under the heading "
Proof Marks". You will see plain crossed pennants, as well as crossed pennants with crowns, royal cyphers, etc.
I did make the assumption that if the crossed pennants were used as proof marks on rifles, then they would have the same meaning on handguns, especially if done at the same facility, at the same time.
Besides this, you often see the crossed pennants on
each chamber of a revolver accepted into British service in the early 1900's. If these are ownership marks, why repeat the marking (unless the Brits wanted to show that they really, really, really owned the gun
). Doesn't it make more sense that they are proof marks and they show that each chamber was proofed?
I too am always willing to learn, and trying to make sense of something the Brits did almost a hundred years ago can be a truly daunting task!
