Originally Posted by Plumbata

I've been collecting police-marked guns for years, I'm fortunate to be close to a major police supplier that gets in a LOT of trade-ins. I've never verified it, but since the vast majority are Smiths I'm thinking that extra rollmarks were a factory option on police contracts.

It's a dying practice unfortunately.

I have guns that were personally marked with officer's names and agency badge, but that's getting rarer. Nowadays they are not marked at all or have a control number of some sort. For example, my latest purchase is a 4043 from the TABC, the dust cover has the number "14537" rollmarked in it. (why they just do not use the original serial# is beyond me) No mention of agency name though.

My prize is a 4506 marked with a badge, officer #, and "Tulsa PD". I tell friends they went with the 4506 just to have the room on the slide. For that matter, other agencies used to mark guns as well. I have a Mdl 66 marked "Austin Parks and Recreation Dept" on a metal plate glued inside the the grip. (dog catcher I guess)

Don't pass up the long guns too, I have an 870 riot gun marked in no less than 5 places with "Brazoria County Sheriff's Dept #33".

It gets addicting.