British Proofed Triple Lock

So about a year ago I was in a shop perusing their selection and began to talk to the proprietor. He told me he had an old S&W in pieces in the back that he had bought as part of an estate sale and asked me if I might be interested. He brought it out and I immediately recognized it as a British-proofed Triple Lock. The bore is spectacular for its age, but someone disassembled it and began to polish it at some point in its history. It looks like it was long ago converted to 45 Colt. The SN if you cannot read it is 1523. I finally picked the gun up today and brought it home. I have some special plans for this gun.

I don't know much about British proofs. If you do please let me know about what they say about this gun. I'd like to know any info you might have.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0382-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0385-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0387-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0391-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0393-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0395-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC_0396-1.jpg

The British Crown/Proof marks by themselves indicate commercial sale of the pistol in England. Before any handgun made in a foreign country could be sold commercially in England it had to go through either the Birmingham or London proof house. The Crown/BP, Crown/BV, and Crown/NP are Birmingham Proof House marks used from 1925 to 1955.
The crossed pennant with no other markings indicates acceptance for government service, the broad arrow is the British property mark, and the Crown/F9/E is the identification of the government inspector at Enfield. The crossed pennant with the letters indicates date of commercial proofing. If that is a B on either side, it was released in 1951. I believe the arrows pointing at each other is a military release mark, but not sure.

The arrows pointing towards each other is a "sold out of service" mark.


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Thats what I thought.

Nice piece. I would re blue it and shoot it. To bad the original finish was messed with....I Know, I Know..Re Blue is a dirty word...but hey, someone already messed with it...

KevH, I did a thread on this forum titled Victory Model? 45 and R on barrelits on this page or page 2. It was discovered to be a triple lock not victory. The one I have but don't own is in bad shape but is in one piece if you care to look at the pictures on that thread. I believe there is more detailed info on the marks and as usual the lads came through for me. The title may not have lead you to open that thread, so now you know.