British Proofs ?

[anticus]

Here are some interesting proofs on my 2nd Model .44 Special HE. Serial number is in the 36xxx range. I've was told it left the factory in 1931.
I'm pretty sure the proofs are British.

 

[Iggy]

Never saw anybody as stamp happy as those Brits.

 

[2152hq]

British Birmingham Proof House.
The Date Code Stamp (crossed swords w/ M, B, I ) is the type used betw 1950 and 1974.
The M (If it is in fact an M and I'm not reading it wrong, signifys the yr proofed. In this case 1962 (if I count on my fingers correctly and I could be wrong!).
1950/A, 1951/B ect all the way to 1974.
The letter 'I' was not used in this 1950/74 version marking to avoid confusion.

(In the earlier 1922/1950 style, letters 'I' and 'Q' were omitted and the placement positions were different.)

The B simply stands for Birmingham Proof House. The number at the bottom of the crossed swords mark is the individual proof inspectors #.

To make things more confusing, the date code seems to have been used on a rather 'if I feel like marking it' basis over the years. Many arms will not have it dispite having the full compliment of proper firing proof markings demanded by law.

The date code marking has changed a couple of more times since '74. Being in a small circle first with division marks. Now simply a circle with the 3 ID code numbers/letters inside.

 

[anticus]

Was/is it a common practice to proof every weapon imported to the UK ? I'd love to know more about my HE's history now !

 

[deadin]

Any firearm that is sold commercially must be proofed. This is why you see some surplus guns (Victories and pre-Victories, .455's, etc) that are proofed and some that aren't. If the gun was purchased by an officer from "stores" it wouldn't be proofed. If at a later date he sold it to a commercial shop, they would have to have it proofed before they could sell it. If it was sold privately or was a "bring-back" there was no proof requirements.

 

[2152hq]

Firearms sold to the Brit Military (including any imported like the S&W's and Colts) received a Military proof and mark,,the familiar crossed pennants marking in one form or another.

If the arm was eventually sold as surplus and before it could go on the Brit commercial market, it needed again to be proofed. This time marked w/commercial proofs

If imported directly for their commercial market, it needs to be proofed & marked first.
Certain gunsmithing operations require a gun to undergo re-proofing also before return to the customer or resale on the commercial market.

Proofing can be done at either the London or the Birmingham Proof Houses. They both follow the same Gov't rules, but have their own distinct markings in most cases.
Rules have changed as have the markings at specific times in England and it can be a useful way of dating,,at least generally, a firearm. There are always exceptions seen to those rules especially during war time.

 

[LLOYD17]

Bringing up an old thread to add shipping info. 44 2nd Model with serial 36591 is in the database as shipping on September 26, 1941 to J. L. Galef & Co with a 6.5” barrel and picked up British proofs at some point. 36608 (6.5") also shipped in September 1941. My 44 3rd shipped with a 6.5” barrel in the same shipment as 36591, currently carries British proofs, and was the singular blue 3rd Model in this shipment which also had 13 nickel 1926’s and 27 nickel 2nd Models (I think). The one in the database and the one above are both blued, but I wonder if they sent what they had in hand to fill the order. Doc44 notes a letter from Feb 1941 where S&W lists the limited inventory they had remaining since production had move to 38/200’s.