Here is an Ishapor Victory Model that I have recently added to the collection. It also has some markings on the hump of the grip. Hopefully someone will know what they stand for. The serial number is V307151. The gun has a 5" barrel and is still in .38 S&W.







Looks like a "W"?



Star on the frame and cylinder,



K.K.D.
9 43
10



F.R.
R.F.I.
1967



I can't make this out. It's located on the bottom of the barrel in front of the ejector rod housing.

The bottom of the barrel seems to be poorly stamped, "ST ALB VT" which would stand for St Albans, Vermont... the location for a large reimporter of Military and other arms back in the '70s and perhaps '80s.

Froggie

F. R.
R. F. I.
1967

Means, IIRC, factory repair, Rifle Factory Ishapoor in 1967.

Guy

__________________
Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

That old piece has had an exotic life.

That is a very interesting specimen. The black stove paint (and no, based on all we know this is NOT Suncorite, although people will try to tell you so) with the white number has generally been attributed to Pakistan, not India, based mostly on Enfields from a 1950s Pakistani contract with that paint-and-number pattern.

However, the Ishapore markings are obvious. BSR’s in the inventory of the British Indian Army of WW II remained behind in both Pakistan and India after the break-up of 1948; given the Indian-Pakistani wars, it is conceivable one gun could have had a career on both sides.

Bottom of the bbl,,under the scratch & dent is 'C.A.I.'
That's 'Century Arms International'

The St. Albans, Vt has been ID'd already,,that's their US headquarters.

Altogether it's the 'import mark' as demanded by the updated Gun Control Act in 1986.


On the backstrap,,
The 'K K' notes that the revolver went through the Kirkee Arsenal in Kirkee India at some time.
I would guess that was in Sept of 1943 by the 9.43 stamping.

What the 'D' stands for after the 'KK'. I do not know. Perhaps a final inspector designation. I've seen a couple different letters after the KK designation on different firearms.
Kirkee Arsenal had been in operation since the very late 1890's. You can find early Lee Enfield rifles with the mark on the metal and even a somewhat fancy stamped 'roundel' in the butt stocks at times with the Kirkee marking and sometimes the full name.

The '10' perhaps a rack or weapon issue # (?) . Again another guess.

I'm surprised it doesn't have gold paper wrapped around the barrel with dingle balls hanging off of it. hehehehehe.

OK, maybe that was too far. Was that too far? I don't know.