frontier with japanese proofs added photos!

[Onomea]

Ran into my retired admiral pal. He says definitely a police gun with that "kei" marking. Also says just read it left to right all the way around: Meiji 29 [1895] Police 1043. Says the arabic zero was common enough at the time. As for the other marking, he thinks "two two" in kanji followed by arabic 23. No explanation for the extra marks that make it look like something other than two, and no guesses as to the meaning. I guess some sort of inspection marking.

Do post back when you get the letter. Very cool to have a late Meiji period police gun, I think.

 

[horsemarine]

Thank you, all. for the help. I will scan and post the letter when it comes.
Thanks again,

Roy

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha

Kinda off topic, but....

In the book, "Social History of the Machine Gun".

It mentions that the IJN(Imperial Japanese Navy) bought a dozen Colt made Gatling guns in 1895.

When I was in Japan during the 1980s, I got to visit Adm Togo's Flagship, the Mikasa, which is encased in concrete at Yokohama. Next to it on the dock are several of it's guns. One is a Colt Gatling. The Mikasa was in Both battles that resulted in the defeat of 2 Russian Battle Fleets in 1905. This raised Japan to major world power status.

I don't think anyone else has noticed the Colt.
Or that it is a Colt Gatling.

Thought I'd mention it since we're on the subject of American guns in Japan.