8-3/8 Inch Reg Mag shipped to England

[handejector]

My friend and one of our moderators, murphydog, located this Reg Mag in Canada last year.
I sent funds to help it escape an eventual death sentence by that oppressive regime. It crossed the border earlier this year after hiding in a safe house for months and has been granted political asylum.

32 Reg Mags are recorded with 8-3/8" barrels, and Roy estimates that only 38 were built (some of the records are missing). It is obviously a rather scarce length.
The gun remains in the original configuration with the original finish. It came to me wearing post-war grips, so the magnas are not the original pair it shipped with.

It was ordered by P. H. Oppenshaw. In searching the net, I found that the name is more often spelled with only one P- Openshaw.
All my search turned up was this fellow-
Percy Hamilton Openshaw
Percy would have been about 50 or 51 when the gun shipped.
See: FamilySearch.org
which says:

When Percy Hamilton Openshaw was born in 1886, in Congleton, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, William Openshaw, was 44 and his mother, Rhoda Annie Stubbs, was 21. He married Elsie Mellor from April 1912 to June 1912. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He lived in Alsager, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom for about 10 years. He died in 1945, in Sandbach, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 59.

Percy had a son that he gave exactly the same name to with no suffix like "Jr." or "II". I guess that is a British thing.
Percy (Jr.) would have been 21 when the gun shipped.
See: FamilySearch.org
which says:

When Percy Hamilton Openshaw was born on 6 December 1915, in Sandbach, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, Percy Hamilton Openshaw, was 29 and his mother, Elsie Mellor, was 29. He died from January 1992 to March 1992, at the age of 76.

Sooooooooo, if you geneaology sleuths can come up with something, I'd be very grateful.

It has commercial British proofs:

THANKFULLY, the cylinder was marked on the rear-

They flubbed the "Not English Make" stamp. It is a double strike-

I asked Kera at the import company to mark it as discreetly as possible. Since I received the gun, I actually thought the importer forgot to mark it, and I had searched for it! I did not see this mark till I photographed the Reg Number!
Guess I'm gettin old.....
It says "BV LYNDEN WA"
That stands for Borderview Importers. I recommend them highly. Firearm Importers in Canada & US | Borderview International

 

[kwill1911]

Fantastic, Lee! Congratulations.

 

[lestert357]

Beautiful Reg Mag Lee. Interesting that the serial number/REG number was already listed in the SWCA database with 8-1/4" barrel, Red Post front sight, 97%, Birmingham proofs, with post war Magna grips. Besides the fact that it looks like a 99% gun in your pictures, except for the Birmingham proofs I would think it was a totally different gun. Anyway, it's now correct in the database. Can you give me the serial number of the grips please?

 

[Rusty parrot]

Congratulations Lee,
Your hard work paid off and that gun obviously lived in a Safe House in England as well considering its condition. Enjoy,
Jake

 

[S42N8]

Congrats on rescuing that lonely waif from the perils of UK captivity! Seriously, that's a beautiful piece of S&W work.

 

[Truckman]

Congrats on rescuing that lonely waif from the perils of UK captivity!

Second the motion!...All in favor?......Ben

 

[robertrwalsh]

Seriously way cool.

 

[mrcvs]

I can't seem to find it now, but isn't the maximum distance between sights at Bisley 10", which is achieved by having an 8 3/8" barrel? I own another one of these 32 revolvers, but not shipped to England on mine, but New Jersey instead.

If I am correct and can find the reference, it seems that 8 3/8" barrels would be more common???

That's one neat revolver, Lee!

 

[RKmesa]

Great revolver Lee!!! Here is another one of the 38 8 3/8" RMs.

 

[SS336]

Beautiful revolver, no doubt about it. Looks brand new.

Can I ask a stupid question? Do they re-blue it after they stamp proof marks all over it? Or does doing that not mar the blue finish when doing the dastardly deed.

 

[handejector]

Proof Marks are struck through the blue. They do not reblue them.

 

[Muley Gil]

I can't seem to find it now, but isn't the maximum distance between sights at Bisley 10", which is achieved by having an 8 3/8" barrel? I own another one of these 32 revolvers, but not shipped to England on mine, but New Jersey instead.

If I am correct and can find the reference, it seems that 8 3/8" barrels would be more common???

That's one neat revolver, Lee!

I believe the 10" maximum sight radius was set by the USRA-the US Revolver Association.

 

[DARE]

In a Roy Jinks article about the .357 Magnum he says U.S.R.A. and N.R.A. 'Any Revolver Match' says 10" for combined barrel and cylinder. This requires a barrel of 8 3/8" on the S&W .357 Magnum Revolver. He adds not many buyers were using long barrel revolvers in matches as only 32 of the 8 3/8" lengths were purchased in the 4 years the registered Magnums were manufactured.

 

[Chuck24]

Love those long barrels. I have an 8 3/4 and an 8 3/8. The 8 3/4 is in the box.

 

[mrcvs]

Since we are posting photographs of those with 8 3/8" barrels, here is mine:

 

[Valmet]

That is one of the coolest Reg Magnums I've ever seen- good on you for acquiring it and saving it from ultimate demise up north.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I think the proof and import markings add a lot ot the gun. As Jerry sang..."what a long strange trip its been...."
Ya gonna shoot her??????

 

[handejector]

Beautiful Reg Mag Lee. Interesting that the serial number/REG number was already listed in the SWCA database with 8-1/4" barrel, Red Post front sight, 97%, Birmingham proofs, with post war Magna grips. Besides the fact that it looks like a 99% gun in your pictures, except for the Birmingham proofs I would think it was a totally different gun. Anyway, it's now correct in the database. Can you give me the serial number of the grips please?

Interesting.
I wonder who added it.
The Canadian seller thought it was 8-1/4".
The front sight was painted red when I got it.
97-98% is about right.
Grips are numbered 49559

 

[handejector]

Since we are posting photographs of those with 8 3/8" barrels, here is mine:

100 yards with Wadcutters.......
I bet that rear sight was jacked way up.

Special magnas to allow for the swivel?????? That doesn't make sense.

 

[mrcvs]

100 yards with Wadcutters.......
I bet that rear sight was jacked way up.

Special magnas to allow for the swivel?????? That doesn't make sense.

I wish I could hit "Like" a dozen times, but it's only allowed once.

It's an enigmatic revolver and probably one of a kind. Ordered a few weeks after the owner's brother ordered a Registered Magnum revolver. A Forum member owns the brother's Registered Magnum revolver.