Greetings all,

I recently traded for this pistol. It's a S&W Model 1902 Hand Ejector with what appears to be a police marking on the right side of the frame. The marking reads "MPAS". It also has a marking on the top strap that appears to be a "7" within a triangle. I could not get a clear picture of that marking, but I will try again tomorrow when I have some natural light to work with. The serial number is 11,9xx Any help identifying these markings would be greatly appreciated!

Attached Images

	007.jpg (112.2 KB, 90 views)
	008.jpg (133.1 KB, 78 views)
	006.JPG (138.1 KB, 99 views)

Any ideas??

If it's a .32-20, then 1902 1st change. There should be shouldered barrel. The picture׳s unclear on my phone. Have no idea what the markings mean.

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Why, I aughta.....

The ".32 Winchester" barrel stamping establishes that it is pre-1914. After that, the barrel stamping would become ".32 W.C.F.", and, later,".32-20." Your 1902 likely dates from 1904-05. You will be fortunate if someone can come up with the correct meaning of "MPAS."

No answers, but a couple of ideas. The initials were individually stamped, not rollmarked; the baseline wobbles, and the spacing and orientation are a little off. Looks like ad hoc marking by an individual putting his initials on the gun or maybe marking it as the property of some company that used it as an office gun or provided it to a representative who needed to travel.

Or it could be an out of country agency gun. Many S&Ws turn up in India, and I wonder if MP might identify the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. I am not sure how reasonable the .32-20 chambering would be in that context. Another possibility involves Canada, where .32-20 might be reasonable. Manitoba had its own Provincial Police separate from the RCMP, but never to my knowledge were they or any unit identified by the acronym MPAS. Manitoba Provincial A-something S-something? Or the M may indicate the name of any city in North America or the British Isles, S&W's primary markets in the years around 1910.

We may not be able to solve this one, though knowing the gun's shipping destination might help. That would take a letter and $50.

I couldn't find any known firearms stamp that sounds like the triangle mark you mentioned. Maybe I have a distorted image in mind. A good image of it could help.

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David Wilson

My first thought regarding the acronym was something-something-air-station. The P may stand for Point (ie. Cherry Point Air Station). I did a quick Google search for MPAS and came up dry but you may want to see if a M____ Point Air Station ever existed somewhere.

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SWHF #448

At the time this one was made, there were no "Air Stations" of any type in existence. The Wright Brothers had just flown at Kitty Hawk. And it is most definitely not a revolver which would have been military issue.

Good point. I suppose it's possible the gun was stamped sometime later but, yes, it's too early.

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SWHF #448

Now that I'm on my computer, I can make out your photos a little better. One thing that strikes me, is that the cylinder notches appear to have the hardened shims installed. Neal & Jinks suggest that shims were only provided on the commercial models, presumably excluding government agency purchases. Mr. Wilson is right. Only a letter from Mr. Jinks may help you identify your revolver.

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Why, I aughta.....

Thank you for the info, guys. I guess a letter is the way to go with this one. Luckily I only have $5 in this one (series of trades), so I can afford to put a little more into it. I have attached a picture of the other marking as well. It's not the best pic, but you get the idea. It appears to be a "7" within a triangle. It's located on the left side of the top strap.

Attached Images

smith.jpg (8.7 KB, 19 views)

I have to assume it is some inspector's or part fitter's mark. Chances are that you may not get too much for the price of a factory letter, but it's possible something interesting might result to make it worthwhile. There is a rule of the forum that factory letters must be posted when received.

Could that be an inverted W or stylized M? It doesn't look as though the base of the triangle is complete, and I am not sure its apex is there (but it could be lost in the highlight).

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David Wilson