Quick question for my knowledgeable fellow enthusiasts: Clearly many Smiths were sent to police forces in other nations and if some came back I'm assuming that's how they get import markings on the barrels. Would it give any of you guys pause to buy such a pistol??? So essentially what I'm asking is: Were exported and then later imported back into the US pistols of any lessor quality???? I would assume not given Smith and Wesson's pride of quality but still thought I'd ask.

Sorry I should have added this was particularly related to a Model 13 I am looking at, lest the post be seen as being in the wrong category.

Were I in the market I would not hesitate on a round trip import unless there was something clearly wrong with it. Some collectors go for police connected weapons. For that matter there might be some that specialize in round trip guns, not that I have any first hand knowledge of any. I would be very much surprised if Smith deliberately shipped second quality stuff overseas.

I have a Model 10-10 that made the round-trip to Victoria, Australia and back. Other than the usual signs of wear, it's no different than any other K-frame in my accumulation. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I’ve almost been inclined to wonder if it’s possible that the exact opposite isn’t the case?
That is, that cherry picked ones were specifically earmarked for export! In particular, I am referring to guns that were likely to be used for serious target competition.
For example, Target sighted K-frames in 38/357 were/are highly regarded in Europe where they have been a mainstay of ISSF International Centerfire competition. That trend began in the post-war years when US International Pistol Team members were bringing their K-38s to events like the Pan-Am Games or World Cup, and winning! Torsten Ullman, a famous Swedish competitor then won a few important events with his K-38, and demand further increased. You may remember Mr. Ullman from a famous S&W ad from the 1950s, when he visited company president Carl Hellstrom at the S&W factory.
Here’s a link to more on that:

K38 & the 1954 UIT World Cup

Import duty and other expenses typically have made these very expensive on the European market. So, they have been priced closely with expensive European semiauto centerfire target pistols like the Walther GSP, Sako Triace, Erma .32, Pardini HP, etc.
Many of these were privately purchased, by people who had to jump through bureaucratic hoops and other challenges just to get approval to own a solitary centerfire handgun. That sole gun would then get decades of steady use, as regular participation in matches is typically a requirement for ongoing permit renewal. Then there are the many other guns that served as “club guns” to be used by club members for training and competition. As such, they often see heavy usage with thousands and thousands of rounds fired through them by many people. Granted, the ammo is usually soft shooting .38 wadcutters. But, that wouldn’t be possible with anything but a high quality arm. Occasionally, I have seen re-imported K-38s or model 14s, replete with European proofmarks and import marks where the grip frame, recoil shield, and entire length of the ejector rod are worn to the bare metal. Yet, the timing will be spot on, and the barrel will be bright and shiney!

That’s what I call “well loved”!

If I was looking for a shooter grade firearm, import markings and/or foreign proof/acceptance markings make no difference to me. For a collector, that's a whole different story.

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For me to some degree, it would depend on the re-importer. Some use markings that meet the requirements, but are very discreet. Others look like an epileptic with an engraving pen did the marking.

Agree. Most of these guns make the return trip well used, and for a working gun, wouldn’t matter. At times, they can be found pretty inexpensively and if you are going to use it as a carry gun, truck gun, hunting/ field gun, where wear and tear are expected a cheaper price for something a little rough around the edges suits me just fine. I figure I am just going to put wear on it anyway. While some of these guns suffer due to neglect of maintenance, they very typically are carried a lot shot a little types

In the past I've found RHKP marked S&W's at bargain prices, and subsequently found no problem rehoming them to willing caretakers......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Here is my disclaimer: the company that is probably currently the biggest importer in the US is a major supplier of mine, and I buy a lot of firearms from them as part of my business.

Aside from the import marks on the imported guns, I have not seen any difference in fit and finish between guns that have been shipped out of the county and reimported, and those that haven't left the US.

It can effect collector value, but, for a shooter grade gun doesn't make much difference.

The export- import adds a little extra, most of the time.
I have been seen some English returns which had a inordinate amount of Proof Marks.

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There have been several upscale models originally sold in Europe, especially in the German market, that are not available here. I would have been all over some of them, but they are out of reach. Once in a while, one will somehow make it's way to America, but not many. It has always kind of irked me that S&W sends their best stuff overseas and doesn't let us have a chance at it.

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Thank YOU, C. A. I.

And that is exactly who I was thinking of....

I researched a Colt 1911-A1 that suspiciously looked like it was assembled from spare parts, i.e. Commercial frame, together with a slide roll marked “Policia De La Capital” aka Buenos Aires police with a four digit number stamped on the slide but not on the barrel. Obviously parkerized and no “battle scars” made me suspicious of it. Gun was in the collection of a deceased collector so there was the first brick wall.

And to add to this, books on the Colt discuss a 1933 contract buy from the government of Argentina of 10k guns, this one’s S/N was just outside of the commonly accepted range of those shipped, was after the last known S/N by around 1k.

Very tiny importer stamp by the trigger guard made me look into it a bit further and get a Colt letter. That and some other research led me to find out that the 10k contract guns (part of the deal to license the 1927 models produced from Colt tooling in Argentina) all went to the military and federal government while the local police sales went through guns imported through two distributors, that quantity unknown at this time.

A Colt letter sealed it. The S/N was confirmed as being sold to one of the two distributors, the roll mark four digit number was assigned at Hartford to the frame’s S/N and it was shipped to the distributor in Buenos Aires. The letter did not state if the “Policia” markings were applied at Hartford or in Argentina, I suspect the latter. Apparently at some time it was rebuilt/serviced, barrel was replaced and the parkerizing was applied after the import stamping. So what initially was thought to be a hodgepodge of parts was legitimate, one case where an importer stamping helped clear up a mystery.

Import marks don't carry the stigma that they used to. I have a couple of colt 1911s that were used by the Israelis and imported. I just think it is just some of the history of the firearm. Import marks really effected the value of military forearms when they first arrived. Later as the particular firearm availability dried up they became less important. Example is M1 Carbines, when the "Blue Sky" rifles showed up they were way cheaper than an unmarked rifle. They still are a little shunned because of the way they were marked.
SWCA 892

Those "Policia" markings may have been done by S&W like a Peruvian contract 10-7 2" snub I've got. Mine has the Peruvian crest on the sideplate for their version of the FBI. Mine had to be done by the factory because the contract was cancelled before any were shipped to Peru and they never left the US. Smith made them available to US dealers which is probably why most I've seen are in excellent condition.

Even worse....In fact, THE worst of all import marks came on repatriated US M1 carbines from this company:

Attached Images

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