Marcas Registradas?

Can anybody explain why the current S&W copyright notice stamped on guns says "Marcas Registradas" ... in plain Spanish?

I would have expected "Trademarks" in its place ...

It's Latin, basically translates to Registered Trademark.

At the time marcus registradis started showing up on S&W's there were a lot of Spanish copies out there and this has something to do with that. Someone will come along and explain it better than I did.

It is Spanish as you say, but it is not a copyright. It refers to the trademark.
If you look at the logo on that same gun, you will see it says 'Trade' above and 'Mark' below, and the very bottom line says "Reg. U.S. Pat Off". The 'Marcas Registradas' merely restaes in Spanish that the trademark (logo) is registered.
S&W always had a strong market in Latin America. The Marcas was added in 1948 because of sales in that market.

!Hola!, TeruTeru! Welcome to the board.

The problem was that Spanish copiers were sometimes trying to infer that their guns were genuine S&W's, with marks like "por Smith & Wesson' cartridges', etc.

The company wanted to let buyers know when they had the real thing, not a foreign copy. They sued at least one Spanish company for infringements.

What are Uruguayan gun laws like? Do you have reasonable freedom to buy or carry what you like?

Hi Texas Star.
We have some limitations ... and some inconguencies.

Limitations, if I'm not wrong (not an expert ... yet), for civil "standard" use, limits are: 9x19 Luger for semi-auto, .38 SPL & .357 for revolvers and 7 mm cal for hunting rifles. Shotguns don't have a limit. No "war arms" allowed (autos, asault rifles, etc.)

Guns made before 1890 are not considered arms, so they are free ... but no modern replicas, should be the real thing.

If you gain the "collector" category (inspection of your guns every year, special place to keep them, etc.etc.) those limitations are taken away.

If you are soldier/police, while on duty, only your reglamentary weapon; at home like any civilian.

No carry allowed by default; you must prove any risky activity to be allowed to carry a civilian weapon (owner of a business going every day to bank, bodyguard, etc.etc.), and renew the permision (and re-prove your activity) every year.

Right now there's a project for a law to make things worse for us, guns and/or shooting lovers.

Thieves, as usual, will not be concerned by the approval of this law cause they never use a registered weapon ... so they don't care.

It is suposed there are about 1 gun for every 2 inhabitants, 60% of them not registered or controlled.

We even have some cases of bad memory policemen, that have "lost" his reglamentary weapon 5 or 6 times.

As inconguency, all civil calibers should be FMJ, considering leaded bullets more harmful ... just the opposite as almost all other countries arms regulations (even neighbour countries). When we (and them) recharge 9x19, .380, .38, .32 with leaded wadcutters for shooting practice they look to another place.

I forgot to mention that to be able to own any gun, you need a special permision from the police. To get it, additionally to other things, you need to prove where you live and how much you earn a year ... and lastly, you have to pass a filter in the form of not being in a police "black list". Obviously if you've been in jail you are in that list. I suspect that there are also some "political ways" to enter that list.

Apart from all that ... air is still free to breathe.

Many thanks to the patience shown by who answered my original question ... I've just stumbled upon a thread answering that same question. My bad!

Teruteru-

Thanks for the answers. I read that Venezuelans lost the freedom to own guns recently, under their communist dictator Hugo Chavez, an admirer of Castro.

Argentines seem to enjoy relative firearms freedom, and a Brazilian member told us how a collector permit helps a lot to own what you want there, but costs a lot. Brazilians rejected an attempted ban on guns a few years ago, but still can't carry easily.

In fact, even hunting there has been largely banned, except in the southern states like Rio Grande do Sul, if my memory is correct.

Good luck with the new law coming. Maybe it won't be too bad.

Sorry to ammend you Texas Star, but formally Hugo Chavez is not a dictator.

He attempted a coup d'etat on 1992 but failed.
Was pardoned on 1994, and won presidential election on 1998.

Don't take me wrong, I don't like it, is just to put things as they really are.

" ... every country has the deserved government ..." even mine

I did a little searching and found this:

What does Marcas Registradas mean on a Smith Wesson 22 mag Model 53?

In: Smith and Wesson [Edit categories]
Answer:
Spanish for "registered trademarks". I was looking for the same answer.
Spanish for "registered trademarks". I was looking for the same answer.

Close but no cigar! It is latin not spanish and it translates to registered trademark. I know this because I live in Phoenixico Arizona and I know my spanish. Additionally, I don't think that the Smith and Wesson Company that was formed in 1852 in Norwich Connecticut and has had their plant located in Springfield Massachusettes since 1920 would have any reason to put a spanish roll mark on their guns.
Smith & Wesson wasn't that narrow minded.

In May, 1948, Smith & Wesson changed their simple "Made In USA" rollmark to a more complex four line bilingual version. This was to combat the many Spanish counterfeit revolvers being produced.

For collectors, the 4 line rollmark indicates a definite post war gun.

The "Made In USA" mark appeared in May, 1922. Prior to that date, there were no markings placed on that area of the frame by the factory.


Well, I did not write this, but after a bit of searching it seems to be correct.

Chief38