DRB,
Thanks for the direct quote from Roy's letter. I stand corrected in re Roy's citing the presence of a lanyard loop in a letter. Either my memory is failing me (a frequent accusation from my wife!) or it's just coincidental that the letters that I have seen have had no mention of the lanyard. (I just assume that any gun in this period has the loop.)
Would it be possible for you to send us the info on your two 6 inchers for the database? Either post it here or, if you'd prefer, e-mail me off-forum at
[email protected] (and remove the "NOSPAM," natch). And, I assume that your mentioned Australian pre-V.M. (#773895) was a 5" .38-200, blued with checkered walnut stocks and a "P" proof at the butt?
Linda,
While the Lend-Lease Act was passed by Congress on 11 March, 1941, it took a while for the wheels to get into motion. My research indicates that the practice of stamping arms with the "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" (later, to be changed to U.S. PROPERTY) marking wasn't enacted until July, 1941. It is my belief that the first Lend-Lease Smiths were shipped no earlier than August/September and more likely not until circa December.
Regradless of the specific date, there was bound to be some cross-over. Smith still had to fulfill the contracts for the B.P.C. guns that had been negotiated in early 1940, long before FDR's first mention of the Lend-Lease program in December, 1940. As far as paying for the B.P.C. guns, remember that the Brits, in 1939, had fronted S&W a cool million for the development of the disastrous 9mm. "Light Rifle." Having already spent the majority of the advanced money, Smith was more than willing to supply the British with revolvers at a reduced price in lieu of the failed design.
Steve