I need help indentifing a revolver that looks very much like a Mod 10. It has 5 screws and the serial number is 7164XX. There is a hole in the bottom of the butt which I assume at one time held a lanyard ring???. It is in 38 sp. It has proof marks on the barrel just in front of the frame. There is a little crown with BNP just below the crown. Also says 3 1/2 tons.
Thanks
Phil

This would be a pre-Victory - from late 1940 to early 1941. I'm not an
expert on proof markings - this sounds like it went to England, maybe
as part of the lend/lease program. They were usually in 38 S&W, but
.38 Special is possible. A letter would tell you when it was shipped,
and where.

Later, Mike Priwer

I'm suprised it got back home most of the lend lease guns were destroyed when Britan made it "safer" with their gun ban.

Mike
I found a picture of the pre-Victory on the web after you told me what to look for. That is exactly what it is.
Thanks
Phil

Many thousands of .38/200 Victories and pre-Victories were reimported for commercial sale in the USA during the 50s and 60s, long before anyone talked about banning anything. The UK military switched to 9mm semi-autos during this time period, and it seems that they decided they'd rather make a few bucks selling their surplus revolvers rather than letting them languish in a warehouse.

Since this was prior to the 1968 GCA, importers could still sell guns via mail-order to the general public, and many were sold by neighborhood retailers such as gas stations and hardware stores. They often sold for very low prices by modern standards, even adjusted for inflation. I can't seem to find it now, but I had a copy of an advertisement from the back of a sportsman's magazine from 1958 advertising "Genuine Smith & Wessons!" that were obviously surplus .38/200s; IIRC the "Basic" version with untouched military finish, original stocks, and a lanyard loop was $12, and the "Premium" version with nickel finish, plastic faux-stag stocks, and a plugged lanyard loop hole was $16.50.