I have this strange revolver, and I need help identifying it.
It looks very much like a five screw M&P S&W. My best guess is it was made in South America.
What I have is a six shot revolver with a 4.25" barrel, caliber ".38 Long" (.38 Special fits in the cylinder). Overall condition is good, it has some slight pitting. Bore, and action are excellent. Functions, and locks up excellent! It appears to be very well built.
On top of the barrel it is marked "American best cartridges are those that fit best the Alfa revolvers".

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Somehow when I looked at the grips, I thought German.

Alfa is a Czech product. Wiki

Probably a fine and well made revolver. The Czech firearms
I have seen are very well made.

Google and you will find some informative sites.

Are you going to chop it?

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In my research for a friend, I found that these are Spanish made but distributed by a German, A.L. Frank Co. I hope this helps.

Alfa is listed as a Czech company. They show a line of revolvers under that name currently. None in .38 long.

Upon further checking, another source shows Alfa as a German
distributor that branded Spanish revolvers with the Alfa name.
These revolvers were considered low quality knock offs.

Does your revolver have markings showing location of maker?
If Spain fits with story # two, if Czech, story # one.

In any case,appears to be well made from the pictures.

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Gunbroker info FWIW

Google Image Result for http://www.collectiblefirearms.com/Pictures/mlp_0276.JPG

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SOS USA

That seems a very ......optimistic....price.

I'm almost sure that these are Spanish, and among the brands that S&W sued. This led to the Marcas Registradas marking being placed on S&W frames.

I don't think the Czech guns are from this firm.

Don't shoot it. May be dangerous.

T-Star

The logo on the frame and the grips belongs to
Armero Especialistas Reunidas of Eibar, Spain.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

Could it be .38 COLT caliber?.

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SOS USA

Yes. Very common on Spanish revolvers of this type.
(Also known as the .38 Long Colt or "U.S. Service Ctg.")

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I have a basically identical revolver to yours with the exceptions that it is a round-butt and .32-20. There are no medallions or any identification whatsoever on it except an import roll-mark behind the trigger guard of "Spain". No doubt it was sold/imported after the S&W lawsuit was settled.

Mine has the same barrel marking as yours except for the O.V. "American best cartridges are those that fit best the O.V.

Thanks to deadin for the lead to the manufacturer. I have been able to find nothing about this revolver based on its markings (lack of). I will let you know how that pans out.

It seems, contrary to the comment by "Texas Star" of "Don't shoot it. May be dangerous.", that it is of much better quality than the more commonly seen Spanish revolvers such as Orbea, etc, and a far better copy of a S&W cosmetically than any other I have ever seen. I wouldn't hot-rod loads for it, and mine runs about 100 f.p.s. slower with the same loads than my 6" and 6 1/2" S&W .32-20s, but part of this is the difference in barrel length. I need to compare it to my 4" 1909 Smith.

Your revolver is definitely Spanish, and the .38 Long is .38 Long Colt as deadin said.

Alk,

The total lack of markings is curious, even on Spanish revolvers. Does it look as if the grips have been changed out? Sometimes the only manufactures mark is on the grip panels. The barrel marking ending in "O.V." might be a clue that could point to "Ojanguren y Vidosa", another Eibar Spain maker.

As to the quality of Spanish revolvers, they seem to run the whole gambit from **** to pretty nice. The main problem with a good number of them is that the quality of steel they used was not up to standard. It can be somewhat soft and the guns will "shoot loose" fairly rapidly. Just take it easy on the loads and if they start getting sloppy, hang them in a display....

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

The ALFA revolver seems to be of good quality. There is a lot of attention to detail. Fit, and finish appear to be excellent. All parts match, including the grips.
The only markings on the revolver is the side "trade mark", and the inscription on top of the barrel.
Would a .38 Special cartridge be safe to shoot in this revolver?
Thanks for all the reply's.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

[QUOTE=deadin;135536244]The logo on the frame and the grips belongs to
Armero Especialistas Reunidas of Eibar, Spain.[/QUOTE

I have a similar Alfa and agree with "deadin" on the owner of the logo.





My Alfa is clearly marked "Made in Spain" on the grip frame just behind the trigger guard.



Similar barrel top marking




The lockwork, however, is clearly unique



I also agree that this Spanish copy of a 1920's S&W is of relatively good quality compared to many.

Russ

ALK, part of the reason you Spanish revolver may shoot slower than you S&W made ones is the bore. Many are actually 8mm rather than proper bore size for 32-20. The Spanish gun makers learned early that a revolver chambered and bored for 8mm Lebel Revolver could not only be marketed in France and Spain, but stamped 32 Winchester and sold in the US.

A quick check to see if your revolver is 32 caliber or 8mm is to insert a loaded 32-20 ctg into the muzzle bullet first. 8mm Lebel uses a .330 projectile so if the bullet of the loaded ctg goes into the bore very far,the bore is probably 8mm rather than 32. .

I did a double take on the OP revolver pics. It looks identicle to one offered to me at a small show a couple of weeks ago. That was pending another buyers first right of refusal,,and he took it for the asking price of.... $75. Gotta buy it for that.

The lock up was as tight as any S&W or Colt I've handled. Perfect timeing both SA and DA and the polish and fitting up of the gun was excellent.
The pics of lindes revolver show their typical lockwork,,a mix of Colt and S&W.
The pics of the OP gun here show nice sharp polishing lines and flat surfaces. Not all Spanish guns met that goal but there are a few that do and this is one.

I like the early Spanish semi autos but rarely look at the revolvers they made. But that one piece that was trolled in front of me and the one posted here are definate examples of the quality that they can be found in.

I did a few seconds of 'Google' research. Check this website- I couldn't tell if it was just historical information, or if they are actually still in production!

Revolvers | Revolvers, Pistols, Flobert, Gas pistols, Air guns, Handcuffs

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LEO since 1981.

The lockwork is very similar to the Model 1892 French Ordnance Revolver, except that it is a mirror image (the French revolver opened to the right while most revolvers open to the left). The most striking similarity is the combination of rebound lever and V-mainspring. The biggest difference is that the Spanish revolver has a single cylinder bolting system, whereas the French revolver used two locking bolts.

I found another reference (Zhuk) that suggests the revolvers were made by Orueta Hermanos (Eibar) for Armero Especialistas Reunidas, suggesting that AER were more a marketing firm than a maunfacturing firm.


Buck

a friend of mine has one these and the barrel is loose can it be fixed

tks

See my earlier response about the quality of steel used in some of the Spanish revolvers. Sounds like this one has already been stressed. Even if you tightened it up, it would probably just shoot loose again.
Sounds like a candidate for a display piece.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A SCHEMATIC OF THE ALFA REVOLVER. CAN ANYONE HELP?

I have an alfa revolver much like yours in 32.20 (well not as good condition). Which S&W frame is this a copy of. I want to install a Crimson trace grip on it for a night stand weapon for my wife since I travel alot?

Also some are marked .38 Largo (long) The real problem is some arn't marked at all, adding to the problem is that .38 SPL will fit into the cyl.. This is what most likely has loosened up a lot of them. .357 mag also fits just fine in my "Orbea". (which is scarey)

i have a alfa revolver i inherited from my grandfather. on mine the top of the barrell reads " use US standered ammunition" and on the side of the barrell it reads 32 20 cig. it that a possible change from the dates it was made?

The logo on the frame and grips looks similar to the logo on the old Rossie (Sp) revolvers I've seen in the past. In the 60's and 70' they generally were a decent quality budget revolver.

I hate posting on a 6 year old thread, but some may appreciate it.

I have been trying to identify a Spanish revolver that I own. Periodically I have searched the "net" and finally got a hit on Armslist. Looks like deadin was right that my gun was made by "Ojanguran y Vidosa" in Eibar, Espana. The description is correct right down to the "American Best Cartridges are those that fit best the O.V." on the barrel! The photos with the listing do not seem to have any identifying marks whatsoever, except the "O.V." in the barrel legend.

Thank you, deadin!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

I have nothing to offer regarding your revolver, but that red font makes my brain hurt. Difficult for these old eyes to read.

agree with Inusuit .... that red color & the funny blue one some use are too hard for me to read...I was able to convince one old retired officer to change his colors here to the standard colors... his posts are now very easy to read now.

Now if we can only get some folks to use paragraphs in a full page of text.........

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