Triple Lock WWI British Markings

rhmc24 · May 8, 2014

Showing this is deja vu but the various marking info may be of interest. I would like to know what each one means ----

A study in British revolver markings, my S&W Triple Lock Brit military, now .45 Colt. S/N 13XX, a 90+% gun but for a few dings from mishandling.

Marked right lower frame "Not English Made",
Left frame @ hammer Broad Arrow, Crown, FG, E, one over the other
Left frame at BC area, Crossed flags, Crown over circled V
Left Barrel above ejector, NP, Crown over circled GP, Crown over circled W -- ? not clear due over stamping

Seems to be a lack of consistency in British military revolver markings. I had a 2nd model S&W, with a lot more marks, each cylinder chamber, right barrel caliber & proofed X tons, etc.

Hondo44 · May 8, 2014

The markings vary for several reasons including:
if when imported by proof house it went thru; the armory or civilian government inspection,
if when exported, it went thru govm't channels or around channels,
which commonwealth country it went to,
which military unit it was assigned to,
the date of inspection or decommissioning (stampings varied by time periods),
locations of stampings varied by individual,
etc., etc.

gunfish · May 9, 2014

These are the military inspection and acceptance stamps.

Opposing arrows indicate decommission from service by the military.

Any other stamps are civilian proofhouse stamps. IIRC, "Not English Made" was stamped beginning around 1952. The UK applied these stamps. Not all commonwealth countries followed the Brit rules.

I am guessing that your gun was sold on the civilian market in Britain after 1952. Please do not rely on my guess. If one knows the various codes, a little of the history of the gun is known.

Jack Flash · May 9, 2014

... the various marking info may be of interest. I would like to know what each one means ----

Marked right lower frame "Not English Made",
My comment: Isn't it odd that here in the US the law is that a firearm has to be marked to indicate where it was made. In England, they had to mark where it was not made!)

This was posted by "CptCurl" some time ago, in regard to "NOT ENGLISH MADE"
"That ... stamp brackets the date of commercial proof to the period of 1925 (when that stamp was introduced) through 1954 (when it was discontinued)."

Left frame @ hammer Broad Arrow, Crown, FG, E, one over the other
Broad Arrow - it was accepted into British government service.
Crown - Property of the crown.
FG - the individual employee who inspected it and declared it fit for service.
E - the inspection/acceptance was done at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock.

Crossed pennants - Proof mark
Crown over circled V - View mark (Another inspection?)
NP - Nitro Proofed (ie, fit for use with smokeless powder)
Crown over circled GP - If the GP could be an intertwined CP, that is another proof mark. If it looks like it could be a GR, that denotes "George Rex", (King George V, on the throne at that time).
Crown over circled W -- ? I don't know that one either.

Hondo44 · May 9, 2014

The actual phrase is NOT ENGLISH MAKE, with a K.

Triple Lock WWI British Markings

rhmc24

Absent Comrade

Hondo44

gunfish

Member

Jack Flash

Member

Hondo44

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