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Originally Posted by grendelbean
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The London scimitar mark and the crown over NP seemed to have been continuously in use from 1904 through 1925 and through the 40s, so their appearance on the gun seemed right. I must say though, the proof stamps themselves do not appear to be 80 years old and seem by appearance much more recent.
In any event, I stand corrected and am continuing to learn. Again, thanks for that help.
Can you suggest reading/reference sources for British Proof House activities including into WW2? I have read on line what I can find and the Standard Directory of Proof Marks but as you see, I need more education on this subject....
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The best place to start is the chapter on these markings in Charles Pate’s book. It has the advantage to being specifically geared toward the guns we’re interested in here, American-made arms sold or later “lend-leased” to Britain.
As far as the London and Birmingham proofs are concerned, the central fact to keep in mind is that their function is commercial, a requirement for the trade. Military arms, including those manufactured in Britain for the British forces, do not need them and did not get them before entering military service. Instead, they received military and acceptance marks, usually at RSAF Enfield. Your gun didn’t because it went to Canada and received their property stamp instead.
Only when the guns were sold in Britain did the law require commercial proofing as the military marks were not considered a valid legal substitute. That’s why you’ll find the additional post-war London commercial proofs even on British-Gov’t-produced guns like my 1943 Enfield below:
