Spanish S&W Hand Ejector Copies

[Goony]

[FONT=&quot]In times past, these were fairly common, but nowadays you don't see so many. I attribute this to continuing attrition, for given their historically low selling prices, once one gets out of working order, both the cost and practicability of repair (replacement parts being virtually unobtainable) tends to result in their simply being discarded.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Here's an excellent article on the topic of these Spanish imposters: GUNS Magazine Spanish Copies of S&W Revolvers - GUNS Magazine
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I've attached photos of my particular example of this genre, chambered in .38 Special, branded under the name N (for Norberto) Arizmendi y Cia located in Eibar. While in overall appearance and function it's analogous to S&W's Military & Police model, its design differs in one significant respect, in that it lacks a removeable sideplate. Access to the lockwork entails drifting out two pins to remove the trigger guard, necessitating that any servicing be done within the cramped confines of the solid frame. On the other hand, the external machining and finish are decent. In double action it's smooth enough, and the single action trigger pull is crisp, although both require rather too much effort.[/FONT]

 

[DWalt]

My very first CF revolver was a new Spanish Llama .38 Special snubby, back in the mid-1960s. It was a near-identical copy in every way of a S&W Model 10 snubby, aside from having its firing pin in the frame instead of having the firing pin in the hammer, which, strangely, was nickel plated. As I remember, it set me back about $60. It was my house gun for a long time, but I eventually sold it. I can’t complain about its performance, but I doubt that I put more than a few hundred rounds through it. It was well-made and did what I bought it to do.

Odd that you linked to an article in Guns magazine. The very first issue of Guns, Volume 1, Number 1 from 1955 also contained an article about Spanish revolvers.

 

[loc n load]

S&W copy

To the best of my knowledge ( which is limited on foreign copies) I believe this To be a Spanish Trocaola. There is a really good article about these on “Forgotten Weapons” ( Eibar Spanish model 92). An article by Mike Burns details the history of this revolver, and has excellent photographs. This revolver is actually well made inside & out.
I believe it is chambered for the 8mm lebel.
According to the afore mentioned article, these revolvers were supplied to the French during WWI
It came to me with the Pach’s, and it has obviously been carried.
OP, if you have further insight into this revolver, any information would be appreciated.

 

[DWalt]

To the best of my knowledge ( which is limited on foreign copies) I believe this To be a Spanish Trocaola. There is a really good article about these on “Forgotten Weapons” ( Eibar Spanish model 92). An article by Mike Burns details the history of this revolver, and has excellent photographs. This revolver is actually well made inside & out.
It came to me with the Pach’s, and it has obviously been carried.
OP, if you have further insight into this revolver, any information would be appreciated.

You might look at this. [ame]https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Handguns-History-Pistols-Revolvers/dp/0883172232[/ame]

 

[loc n load]

Thanks Dwalt.

 

[Goony]

Here's one very similar to mine that sold at auction earlier this month: Attention Required! | Cloudflare

 

[Goony]

Odd that you linked to an article in Guns magazine. The very first issue of Guns, Volume 1, Number 1 from 1955 also contained an article about Spanish revolvers.

That issue can be viewed on line via the following link, with the article you reference starting on page 16: https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/G0155.pdf

 

[Goony]

A Spanish Triple Lock clone: Trocaola 44 Hand Ejector Revolver 44 | Rock Island Auction

John Taffin has written about these: GUNS Magazine Modelo De Tres Candado - GUNS Magazine

 

[Goony]

Here's one that was auctioned several years back, an Orbea Hermanos, which of all the Spanish brands is one of the more highly regarded. Even taking into account the round butt, this looks to be an especially close copy of the S&W product. In this instance, the cylinder release latch was not functioning, and so, as you can see, it received exactly one bid at $25 (+ a 25% buyer's premium): iGavel Auctions: Orbea Hermanos Model 712 Revolver; W1FMB

 

[Goony]

Another treatise on this topic: http://www.catalogacionarmas.com/public/parte2cap18.pdf

 

[Goony]

Another article: Astra Cadix: Not Quite A Smith & Wesson | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

 

[rockquarry]

My mother's dad who died around 1940 or so had one of these in a .32 caliber chambering, .32 Long, maybe .32-20. I think the gun remains in the family but I haven't seen it since the mid-'60s. It appeared to be a Smith & Wesson until closer examination. It was in like-new condition and may have been unfired.

Regardless, I doubt I would ever shoot one of these.

 

[Tom K]

[FONT=&quot]In times past, these were fairly common, but nowadays you don't see so many. I attribute this to continuing attrition, for given their historically low selling prices, once one gets out of working order, both the cost and practicability of repair (replacement parts being virtually unobtainable) tends to result in their simply being discarded.[/FONT]
....

This thread appears to be a repeat of your thread from 12 years ago - http://smith-wessonforum.com/firear...w-copies-lets-see-em-3.html?highlight=spanish
Unfortunately there are a lot of dead pictures links in the old thread.

That said, here are a couple of Spanish Triple Lock copies that I own. The blue one has a 5" barrel and a four digit serial, 1482. The nickel one has a 7-1/8" barrel and a six digit serial, 322375. I doubt that they actually made that many but who knows? They are very different from each other internally. I have not shot either and the nickel one needs some work.

Also, this isn't mine, and it isn't Spanish, it's Brazilian. But it is interesting!

This is at the NRA Museum at the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, MO. One of the displays was a case full of guns with serial number 1. Among them something I had never heard of, an experimental Rossi revolver (one of two made) built around 1972, a 4" .44 Magnum in Triple Lock configuration. I am aware that there were some Spanish Triple Lock copies made back in the early part of the 20th century (I have two myself, shown upthread) but this is the first I had ever heard of a modern version of the Triple Lock.

Because the gun is all blue including the third lock cam plate, the plate and its recess is difficult to see even in person, much less in the picture. But I did look carefully and it is there.

A little Googling brought up an article from the American Rifleman. Too bad the gun never went into production. American Rifleman | A Triple Lock From Another Place

 

[Goony]

This thread appears to be a repeat of your thread from 12 years ago - Unfortunately there are a lot of dead pictures links in the old thread.

As you note that old thread had gone really defunct which is why I didn't piggyback onto it. I'd prefer to think of this as less of a repeat than a somewhat more scholarly reprise of the topic in general. I've included a lot of historical material this time around.

 

[Fishinfool]

loc n load - What is the cover over the hammer on your Trocaola? From the pic, it looks like it may be hinged?

Larry

 

[Drm50]

I’ve owned dozens of Spanish copies of S&W and Colt. I’ve shot a lot of them if they were in good shape. I only had one in 44cal, most 32 & 38s.
32/20 not uncommon.
38s are dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Most cylinders bored through and even may accept some 357 loadings. Always got a chuckle from the ones that are marked on barrel “ use the cartridge that fits the best”.
Saw a Span 32/20 whacked off , spur ground off and trigger guard chopped ala Fitz. Should have been Spitz at $550.

 

[loc n load]

loc n load - What is the cover over the hammer on your Trocaola? From the pic, it looks like it may be hinged?

Larry

Larry,
It is an integral part of the hammer. It is solid. It is a generous hammer spur. I believe a portion of it was blued.
I took some more photo’s of it for you.
I included a photo of a hammer spur from an identical model from the afore mentioned article. It is not blued.
This revolver came to me in a lot that I purchased at an estate sale. This revolver was tagged as a S&W 1904 4th change, the hammer spur threw up one of many red flags. It was also tagged as a 32-20, but it is not.
Bill.

 

[Goony]

The Rock Island Auction Company sold this one several years back. They presented it as an S&W copy but to my eye it's pretty clearly based upon the Colt pattern. Regardless, it brought what I consider a really fantastic price (which was still below their estimated range) -

Spanish DA Revolver 32 S&W | Rock Island Auction

 

[Goony]

Here's an article detailing the Eibar produced "Spanish Model 92" revolver supplied to the French during WWI -

Eibar “Spanish Model 92” Revolver

 

[Goony]

This sale from last year of five Spanish hand ejector copies (albeit "A" being the least recognizable as such) comprised an instant collection for somebody -

Five Spanish Double Action Revolvers | Rock Island Auction