"wischo" S&W ?

[HOOSIER44]

Hello everyone,
first time posting on this site.

This week I acquired a 3" stainless model 65-2.
very dirty and neglected gun

Upon cleaning and inspection, I found the word "wischo" above the model # and lots of proof marks on the frame, cylinder, etc.

I figured out that wischo is a german distributor-proof house.
can post pictures shortly.

Just curios about this. do I have something rare ?
Took it to my local gun store and it drew a crowd of onlookers

Thanks!

 

[murphydog]

Welcome to the Forum. These export (then re-import) guns are seen back in the US with some frequency. They are not worth more or less than a gun that didn't make the round trip from Europe but are interesting. If you can post the letter/numbers from the bottom of the grip frame, like D 123xxx, we can let you know when it left the factory. Enjoy!

 

[Pisgah]

Once upon a time, plenty of GIs bought US-made guns in the PX on the German base to which they were assigned. It's not really common, but not really uncommon, to come across one once in a while. Too, guns sold to foreign police agencies are sometimes surplused and reimported.

 

[HOOSIER44]

Welcome to the Forum. These export (then re-import) guns are seen back in the US with some frequency. They are not worth more or less than a gun that didn't make the round trip from Europe but are interesting. If you can post the letter/numbers from the bottom of the grip frame, like D 123xxx, we can let you know when it left the factory. Enjoy!

7D56915
The proof marks are an eagle, a checkerboard like shield, and 81 inside a circle ( I would guess that's 1981) these marks are repeated inbetween the holes on the cylinder and under the grips. Its a round butt frame with recessed cylinder

Thanks for the help. have picture on a different computer, need to switch and then will submit one. hard to photograph the proofs though

 

[HOOSIER44]

Message

Click on "message" for picture. this was after the first round of cleaning. I took her completely apart and she cleaned up pretty nice.

 

[HOOSIER44]

And here she is when I first had a look last Monday. wow, what a dirty gun.

http://www.handloadersbench.com/attachment.php?id=3725

 

[one eye joe]

Welcome to the forum HOOSIER44. Unfortunately, your pics cannot be accessed by those of us who are NOT members of that forum......

 

[HOOSIER44]

ok, trying again....sorry folks

this pic was taken after the initial scrub down of dirt and rust.

 

[HOOSIER44]

And here's a quick pic i took when i first saw it...

 

[Onequickwrench]

Dirtier

Yours sure looked dirty, but I think mine has yours beat.

Here are a few pics that the seller just sent me last night.

Found mine on Gunbroker - hope to have it by next Friday.

 

[HOOSIER44]

Yours sure looked dirty, but I think mine has yours beat.

Here are a few pics that the seller just sent me last night.

Found mine on Gunbroker - hope to have it by next Friday.

Think i saw that one on there when i was researching. Mine came from a non-gunning friend who got it in a relatives estate. bought it sight unseen.

 

[Onequickwrench]

Close but no cigar

That GB seller had 15 of them, but they only ran ads on three.
Evidently they sorted them into 3 price points and listed one of each price point to get the word out.
I asked the seller to hand pick the WORST looking, but best working example and ship me that one.

I searched high and low for a privately held 13 or 65 3" RB, but finally caved and bought one off of a broker.

 

[TANZER]

WISCHO

In many cases the German Distributor [ Wischo ] ordered modified weapons that were never released for sale in the US. Case in point my 617 PC. Photo attached.

 

[HOOSIER44]

In many cases the German Distributor [ Wischo ] ordered modified weapons that were never released for sale in the US. Case in point my 617 PC. Photo attached.

Thanks for the help guys. gonna take her to the range in the morning and see how it goes. sure was glad to find this piece and rescue it. I do know that the former owner ( deceased) lived in Germany and was career military,(US) so i guess the German connection makes sense.

 

[HOOSIER44]

In many cases the German Distributor [ Wischo ] ordered modified weapons that were never released for sale in the US. Case in point my 617 PC. Photo attached.

That sure is pretty...

 

[Joe in SC]

I have a model 27-3, blue with a 6 inch barrel that I purchased about 5 years ago from my lgs. It has the German import markings also along with the proofs. Dealer said ex-GI traded it on another gun. Was purchased in the PX on post in Germany.

I bought this magnum because the price was so right. I actually cleaned it, put it in the safe and forgot about it for a year or little longer. I bought 3 used revolvers at the same time and a 625-2 had my attention with it's superb accuracy for a while. Anyway, when I got around to firing the German import it turned out to be a real shooter too. Then I couldn't put it down for a spell and my other stuff was neglected due to it. I guess what goes around, does come around.

 

[HOOSIER44]

Any luck running #'s on this? wasn't sure if you saw it

thanks

 

[murphydog]

Any luck running #'s on this? wasn't sure if you saw it

thanks

The 7D prefix and the number puts it as a 1981 ship date. A factory historical letter could give you the exact date and confirm it made the trip across the pond.

 

[primersp]

WISHO is the former name of FRANKCONIA an german whosaler in gun ,riffle and hunting supply who have stores in center europe
i have an 629-4 full cylinder 5 inches with wisho mark under the barrel
they run specials series "target champion" in 629 or 686

 

[HOOSIER44]

thanks again for everyone helping out. Since posting, I have shot this quit a bit and its a good one. do find it strange however, that its not a pinned barrel....but has the recessed cylinder ...?? (65-2)