Would you do this ?

[BMur]

No.2 Army

Sylvain,

That's wonderful information and obviously that many guns shipped/received during the war proves direct involvement with that war.

That 5000 number and serial number range noted should prove pretty easy to locate some in France and examine them.

I don't remember seeing your modified No.2…How was it modified?

I also find it very unusual that they are not proof marked or at least inspector marked in some way. Even in the height of war guns are tested prior to issuance. Maybe they had some form of streamlined method. It's actually pretty rare that they aren't marked in some way.

Murph

 

[BMur]

Close ups

I was looking at the markings under the grips you French collectors posted and comparing them to later proof house markings in France. That could be a proof house stamp under the grips. The photo is poor but it looks like a proof mark.

Sometimes the proof markings are subtle and often removed from a later refinishing. Different countries stamped(proofed) guns differently.

Murph

 

[Patbar]

I looked at the markings on a 2nd issue 1 1/2 sold by Claudin. The only one it has is the one on the photo below.

So, i am very surprised by the fact that neither my mongrel nor the Claudin's 1 1/2 has any proof mark, as I was pretty sure that, even at this period, no gun could be sold in France without having been submitted to the French official proof test.

 

[Patbar]

The other surprise I had when I looked at the markings on both my mongrel and my 2nd issue 1 1/2 is that the grips are not the same.

On the mongrel (left on the photo below), the wood protrudes at the top of the grip and goes under the frame. On the 2nd issue there is such no protruding part. I add that both grips are original and numbered to the guns.

 

[danalex]

The other surprise I had when I looked at the markings on both my mongrel and my 2nd issue 1 1/2 is that the grips are not the same.

On the mongrel (left on the photo below), the wood protrudes at the top of the grip and goes under the frame. On the 2nd issue there is such no protruding part. I add that both grips are original and numbered to the guns.

Same on mine, no proof marks.
The grips of a transition are different from an 11/2 model, wood, mother-of-pearl, ivory,

 

[danalex]

 

[bibain]

Concerning this post, the subject was to know if the n1 ½ transition, mongrel, had been adopted by national defense.
The mongrel was manufactured and imported in 1869, the Franco-Prussian War dates from 1870/1871
According to the rare archives: the importation of Smith & Wesson only concerns the n2 (the year 1870 should begin with the sn 68000)
and there was never any mention of n1 ½.
I have never seen French proof marks on SW tip up from this period, the same goes for other brands (I have seen English proof marks ) I inspected the n1 ½ transition marked Claudin and my 1 ½ 2 issue marked Gastinne Renette in Paris as well as my n2 series 65xxx and 75xxx: no proof marks

So I think that the marks on the transition n1 ½ are sw hallmarks complementary to the assembly numbers, perhaps to differentiate them from n1 ½ 2 issue.

BMur
The post on the modified n2 was about n2 modified to look like n1 ½ 2 issue
I have identified 4 copies to date, 3 in France and 1 in the United States (series 6585x /6594x 1869 and 7591x & 76009 1870)

Patbar and danalex
The grip of my two mongrel are like yours, that of sn 27381 has a small 85 on its heel

sylvain