Does anyone know if it was common (or not so common) practice for armorers to mark the frame and cylinder of guns with matching numbers. Thoughts appreciated...

That is a new one on me.

Your question can only be answered with more questions! Whose "armorers" are you asking about? US. Foreign, or? Is the gun a Smith & Wesson, if so what model ( Revolver, auto pistol, long arm, or?) Serial number? Can you post pictures - that's the best way to get corrrect feedback. Good Luck, Ed.

Hi Ed. It's a pre 27 from a local pawn shop (knoxville tn) serial number puts it around 55-56.

I've attended the S&W armorers school several times. At the conclusion of the class, we stamped the three revolvers that we worked on with a triangle on the left side of the grip frame. In all of the classes I went to, we built model 64's. I've never seen a 64 marked this way outside of the school. I think that they may have been shipped out of the country. I'm curious to see if anyone here has run across one.

I don't have any personal experience with marking our agencies guns, but I would bet that there are all kinds of individual department markings out there. It seems that most police departments love to engrave, paint, write on just about all of their equipment so I wouldn't be surprised that some have done it to their guns.

(pic removed until I can get a better one)