Pre 17 British proofed
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Not a pre-17. It appears to be modified from another model. Do you have other pictures? Does it chamber .22 LR? There is no frame mounted firing pin like on other S&W .22's and the sights are not factory, IMO. Could be a BSR that was converted.
Adding to Guy's comments, I think this would have started life as a 1939-1941 era British Service Revolver in .38 S&W (not .38 Special). It would not have had adjustable sights. Many of the BSRs and British Victory Models were released to the commercial market after WWII, and some British manufacturers (Parker-Hale, for example) converted some to .22 target revolvers. They sleeved the cylinder chambers and bore to accomplish this. For reasons which I do not understand, the replacement front sight was mounted further from the muzzle than the original service sight had been placed. Most by far of the BSR/Victory revolvers had five-inch barrels, but a few had them an inch longer, and this could be one of those.
Better photos and further information about actual caliber and serial number would be helpful, but I gather you may not be able to provide them.
As Guy pointed out, if S&W had manufactured this as a .22 the firing pin would have been mounted in the frame, not as a swiveling nose on the hammer. Though not good, the photos show the evidence that this was built as a center-fire revolver.
If built as a .22, it would have been marketed by S&W as a K-22 Outdoorsman's Revolver (or Outdoorsman). Collectors would not consider this a Pre-17 either because they do not use the "pre" terminology at all, or because they restrict its application to the postwar short-action revolvers to which the numerical model IDs became attached seven-10 years after the short action models were introduced.
The stocks do not appear to me to be original. They could have been replaced at the time the target sights were added and the chambering changed, or on some other occasion.
EDITED TO ADD: Your additional photos appeared while I was composing this. The format of the caliber marking is consistent with my suggestion about a postwar conversion by a British firearms company.
EDITED AGAIN: I may be wrong about the stocks. I know that some early BSRs had checking on the stocks, but I think they also would have had diamond reliefs around the screw escutcheon. My eyes can't see those in the photos.
Better photos and further information about actual caliber and serial number would be helpful, but I gather you may not be able to provide them.
As Guy pointed out, if S&W had manufactured this as a .22 the firing pin would have been mounted in the frame, not as a swiveling nose on the hammer. Though not good, the photos show the evidence that this was built as a center-fire revolver.
If built as a .22, it would have been marketed by S&W as a K-22 Outdoorsman's Revolver (or Outdoorsman). Collectors would not consider this a Pre-17 either because they do not use the "pre" terminology at all, or because they restrict its application to the postwar short-action revolvers to which the numerical model IDs became attached seven-10 years after the short action models were introduced.
The stocks do not appear to me to be original. They could have been replaced at the time the target sights were added and the chambering changed, or on some other occasion.
EDITED TO ADD: Your additional photos appeared while I was composing this. The format of the caliber marking is consistent with my suggestion about a postwar conversion by a British firearms company.
EDITED AGAIN: I may be wrong about the stocks. I know that some early BSRs had checking on the stocks, but I think they also would have had diamond reliefs around the screw escutcheon. My eyes can't see those in the photos.
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handejector
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The Brits also made some barrels.
The grips are either British made or smooth Vic grips that they checkered and added their own medallions to.
I have seen some Parker - Hale modifications that use a non-sleeved 22 caliber barrel made in Belgium.
OP
55 210
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How common are these and where on the desirability scale?
Looks to have the BNP proof on left side of frame also.
Try to get this for 500 or a reparked rack grade garand with a lot of pitting 5 min away for 700 or both or neither… haha
Looks to have the BNP proof on left side of frame also.
Try to get this for 500 or a reparked rack grade garand with a lot of pitting 5 min away for 700 or both or neither… haha
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They won't be commonly found, but scarcity doesn't automatically translate to buyer interest or increased value.
A dedicated collector of a specific model and its variants might find it very desirable, but I suspect most people in the market for a .22 target revolver might not rate this as highly as they would a prewar or early postwar K-22 in similar condition.
You might want to search the forum archive for "Parker-Hale" and see what people have said about their modified revolvers in the past. Other British manufacturers' names are likely to turn up in context.
I can't help you with the "which, both or neither" question, but I will volunteer my opinion that $500 for that revolver is at the top end of its value range. Others may think differently.
A dedicated collector of a specific model and its variants might find it very desirable, but I suspect most people in the market for a .22 target revolver might not rate this as highly as they would a prewar or early postwar K-22 in similar condition.
You might want to search the forum archive for "Parker-Hale" and see what people have said about their modified revolvers in the past. Other British manufacturers' names are likely to turn up in context.
I can't help you with the "which, both or neither" question, but I will volunteer my opinion that $500 for that revolver is at the top end of its value range. Others may think differently.
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In the 11 years I have been a member here, I've seen maybe a dozen .22's made from BSR's. However, I've seen hundreds if not thousands of BSR's both original or modified for .38 Special. So, the .22's are not that common. But, I don't see them bringing much in value. They're just curio shooters and a K-22 is much better, IMO.
The proof marks on the right side of the Bbl are Belgian,,the mfg of the bbl.
Smokeless Proof (Griffin/PV) ,,Crown/R (Rifled Bore) ,,*/S is Insp Mark
Left side of bbl (and the Frame) are post 1954 English. This proofing (Birmingham Proof Hs) needed when the orig revolver
(BSR 38?)was converted to .22rf and before it could be sold on the civilian/commercial market.
No idea of value(s)
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Are these the guns that use to be for sale in Argosy and True magazine back in the 1950? Remember seeing the ads at the news stand.
StrawHat
Member
The geometry of the frame, grip and everything else does not look S&W to me. Perhaps a copy but not S&W.
Kevin
Kevin
