A friend brought in this revolver today. I can't identify it.

On the barrel rib it is stamped with "SMITH & WESSON" What follows is hard to read as it was not stamped very well, and my friend buffed it 50 years ago. I can tell that it DOES NOT say Springfield, MASS. It looks like an "O" followed by "Patsen"

SMITH & WESSON O PATSEN AP ? ?? JUL 5 59 DEC 19 ??

The 5 shot cylinder is British proofed with ELG. There are several British crown markings all over the gun

There is no serial number on the butt. I cannot find a serial number anywhere.

I hope to convince him its not worth fixing, but at was his Grandfathers, and were trying to figure out what it is. I have never seen a S&W with out a serial number.

Attached Images

	ribstamp.jpg (27.7 KB, 47 views)
	revolver.jpg (19.4 KB, 48 views)

First off, it's not a S&W but a Belgian copy. About the only thing it has in common with the real thing is what it shoots....38 S&W.

You are right that it really isn't worth spending much on fixing
The British proofs are interesting, but the gun, non-working, probably wouldn't bring more than $50-60, if that much.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

When I first looked at the gun, I had my doubts that it was a Smith & Wesson. The markings and the look of the gun were not right. The owner insists that they were not making fakes back when this was made.

I looked at some S&W schematics and there were obvious differences.

Thank you Dean

It's not a fake, It's a genuine Belgian made European revolver in caliber .38S&W. The ELG is the Belgian proof mark . Some of these were made elsewhere in Europe and then proofed in Belgium, as the Belgium proof mark was considered to be the epitome of proofing at the time ( late 1800 to 1940 era ) . Ed.

The barrel marking is: "Smith & Wesson Pattern..". And, as Ed and Dean have said; it has Belgian proofs with the added British Crown proofs.

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Mike Maher #283