Help with valuing

[procol]

Hello,
I came across such a beauty. Is the year of production 1942 correct? On the backstrap I can read "259 (?)-S-HDBG". What could that mean? How would you value this revolver?
Regards,
Procol
YouTube

 

[Muley Gil]

Looks like a British Service Revolver (BSR). We would need the serial number to date your handgun. Still pictures would be much better to determine value. The back strap marking probably refer to post WW II issue to a German or Austrian police department.

 

[procol]

The serial is V670xxx. Unfortunately I have no better pics. The gun resides in Germany.

 

[DWalt]

V670xxx shipment would likely date from the later part of 1944. The markings could indicate that it was a BSR supplied to the German or Austrian civil police after the war. HDBG could indicate Heidelburg. Difficult to value (at least in US $) without more information and some pictures.

 

[procol]

Thanks. $400 would be a fair price?

 

[Absalom]

Germany is a logical location for that gun with those markings.

Those are indeed German police markings from the American occupation zone, on a gun issued in 1946.

The “259” is an inventory number in a larger font. The state and city stamping follows. This appears a bit odd because these are usually stamped the other way round, so you read the number behind the identifier. This particular city police stamping is well-documented.

It is WB - S - HDBG.

WB = Württemberg-Baden, the state in the US zone (nowadays Baden-Württemberg)
S = Schutzpolizei or Stadtpolizei
HDBG = Heidelberg

It also has post-service German proofs on the left frame and barrel.

Thanks. $400 would be a fair price?

Yes, for the all-original condition discernible in the video, plus the markings, I'd pay $400 any day.

 

[procol]

Thank you very much. If I buy it, I will show you better pics.