Does the name Wittig ring a bell?

[JimSupica]

I'm looking at a 3rd Model Russian. Although it has a brown patina now, my guess would be that this revolver has never had a final polish or finish applied. There is no barrel address, and no serial numbers in the usual places. The only markings I see on the metal are the arrow on the toothed gear extractor piece mounted in the hinge area, and a small "Z" and tiny "1" on the left side of the grip frame.

Very neatly stamped on the outside of the left grip panel is "Wittig" in serifed letters (Upper case W, other letters lower case).

Owner's notes indicate he believed this to be a "Ludwig Loewe pilot model".

Does that name mean anything to anyone?
- Jim

 

[Pistol Toter]

Jim is this the guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Loewe

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_12_50/ai_n6275755

I google this up and it may figure.

A fellow Wittig lived about the same time but he was chemist.

 

[Art Doc]

See if a guy named Wittig worked at S&W at that time and carried a lunch pail to work.

 

[JimSupica]

Thanks PT & SP.

PT, I'm sure that LL firm is the same that made S&W Russian pattern revolvers for the Russian Gov't (and commercial sale, and sale to Argentina's military, altho I'm not sure their agreement w/ S&W, if any, extend to that production).

Without any markings on the frame, I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to determine whether it was S&W or LL (or Tula) manufacture.

I tried Google translate of "Wittig" as a word (thinking maybe "model" or "prototype" or "pilot"), but it doesn't translate, so I'm guessing it's a name. It does seem to be German, which could support the LL attribution. -- Jim

 

[cgt4570]

Jim,
While I'm nowhere near as knowlegdeable as you, (after all, you wrote the books

) there has got to be a few definitive differences inside each of the 3 manufacturers. S&W had a whole lot more experience making this particular model. Tula and LL made licensed copies. Some internal parts must have been slightly different. (my other love is classic Mustangs, and of the 3 plants that made them, a quick glance at certain subtle differences in fit will tell you which plant it came from) I'm sure you have access to a couple actual S&Ws you could compare it to. Directions of internal machining marks are probably different on the copies.
Chris