Proof marks

[KEN L]

Saw a Model 67-1 with what was told to me was Austrian proof marks on it. They are pictured below, along with a mark on the frame between the model & serial numbers. 1' ein
One of the same marks & 480 are also stamped on the rear of the cylinder. Can anyone confirm Austria and where it might have been sent?

 

[Kingspoke]

Austrian Proof marks

Interesting as I have what are suppose to be Austrian proof marks as well, on one of my 629-4s. Mine are stamped at the bottom of the ejector shroud and the frame below the yoke.

I have no verification of this other than, this is what I was told by the person who sold me this 629. This gun was from an estate sale, from an Austrian man, who reportedly did a lot of competition shooting. Sorry for the crappy phone pics!

 

[Fips]

Hi Ken L,

interesting topic!
A more detailed photo would be helpful.

Have a look at page 26 of the following link: https://www.dsb.de/media/PDF/Recht/Sprengstoffrecht/Beschusszeichen.pdf
All the austrian proofmarks used after 1945 are listed there.

This information might also be valuable for you: Beschussamt ("Osterreich) – Wikipedia
"Beschussamt" means proof-house. There is one located in Vienna (marked with a "2" in the eagle), the capital of Austria and one in Ferlach (marked with "1" in the eagle, Ferlach - Wikipedia).

Hope this helps.

Best regards
Fips

 

[anonymouscow]

Saw a Model 67-1 with what was told to me was Austrian proof marks on it. They are pictured below, along with a mark on the frame between the model & serial numbers. 1' ein
One of the same marks & 480 are also stamped on the rear of the cylinder. Can anyone confirm Austria and where it might have been sent?

Hello, I know this is an old thread, but does anyone have any insight on what the “ 1 ein “ stands for?

I have a pre-lend lease British Service Revolver (or .38/200 pre-victory, 38 S&W 1905 4th change, however the best way to describe it is), under the barrel it has what looks like “ 1 ein “ and “ V8 - P “ the P might be an A, difficult for me to tell.

I don’t see any other post factory marks.

I know some BSR’s were issued to Austrian police post WWII, not that it’s necessarily an Austrian police mark, but going by the other firearm having Austrian proof marks. Or maybe it’s an import mark?

Any help or a direction to look in would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Absalom]

The Austrian police BSR‘s all (without exception) had the circular “Österreich Polizei” stamp on the left back frame. See attached.

In the absence of that, I would not assume an Austrian connection.

I can’t make any sense of the stamping, but it appears to be underneath the finish, so would have been applied prior to the last refinish.

 

[anonymouscow]

The Austrian police BSR‘s all (without exception) had the circular “Österreich Polizei” stamp on the left back frame. See attached.

In the absence of that, I would not assume an Austrian connection.

I can’t make any sense of the stamping, but it appears to be underneath the finish, so would have been applied prior to the last refinish.

Thanks for the reply!

I was thinking more of the possible Austrian connection because the original poster had a firearm with the “1 ein” mark and Austrian proof marks. Also the Austrian and German police examples I have looked at are not usually covered in proof marks like the British examples.

It’s more me thinking out loud, I don’t have anything else to go on, so it’s just speculation on possibilities.

 

[anonymouscow]

It looks like a mark from a company maybe.

1 Ein, Inc. - The Finest Firearms to the Most Discriminating Collector

 

[anonymouscow]

In regards to the lack of other proof marks -

“Unmarked revolvers (no is property or BPC period British markings) have been noted that were shipped during the transition from BPC contracts to US lend lease contracts” - Pate

I have seen a few others without proof marks in the low to mid 800,000 serial number range. I probably should have just done some more digging before posting.

 

[anonymouscow]

I contacted 1 ein and they told me they imported the firearm I am asking about from Austria.

I know that still doesn’t does tell any of the story of how, why, and when, before it was imported.

This next part doesn’t have to do with the 1 ein marking, and this isn’t a factory letter from the firearm I am asking about. I still found it interesting that it is mentioned in a factory letter that some revolvers were being supplied to Canada and Ankara Turkey and would not have been proof marked.

 

[Absalom]

Aha. Well, an importer mark was about the only remaining explanation.

You didn’t give your gun’s serial, but if it falls into the same time frame as the gun whose letter you posted, it originally shipped in polished blue commercial finish. Your photo looks like it was parkerized over the stamp. So the Austrian police marking may have fallen victim to the refinish. Or this was simply a revolver that remained in Austria after the British withdrew because it was lost, stolen, or disposed of in some other way.

The revolvers that the BPC purchased ended up in Britain and all over the former Empire, in Canada, Australia, India, Africa. Why Roy mentions Turkey of all places, which was a neutral country in 1941 and through most of the war, is a mystery to me.

 

[anonymouscow]

The serial number of the firearm I am looking into is 814608, 5 inch barrel, 38 S&W.

Pate on page 118 lists serial number 817012 shipping on 8/26/1941 and being unmarked.

The letter is for serial number 702070, which I know isn’t close to either of the other ones, but says it shipped 9/21/1941.

Like you said, these travelled all over the place, so I know there will probably be never be a definitive answer to the history. The letter stood out to me more because it was something “in writing”. I have been tryin to note things like that and maybe some day a date, serial number, or location will tie in with something else.