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I own a small gunshop & bought this yesterday with 2 long guns, they were all cruddy & I bought them cheap. I removed the cylinder & grips, cleaned the bore & started carding to clean the crap off. I was very surprised. Does anybody know if this stands for the "Special Air Service"? Thanks!
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This seems to be a Mk1* with the spurless hammer, but dated 1932, which indicates early production of Mk1. Possibly updated in the war but not renumbered.
The short barrel and spurless hammer? SAS 52? Leave that to the experts.
I doubt the SAS marked any of their equipment to pinpoint them as owners...
Agreed
Remember, they weren't always "spooks".Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
I cannot imagine the SAS marking their weapons so conspicuously, especially when you consider the clandestine nature of their activities. I suspect SAS means 'Spuriously Applied Stamps'!
---------- Post added at 03:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------
Upon reflection I suspect SAS stands for the Small Arms School based at Warminster. Peter Laidler would be the man to know.
I agree with Woodsy, S.A.S. in that format is on a number of firearms in the small arms school, particularly on ones that were obtained before the move the Warminster from Hythe.
No, I totally disagree. These markings have been on there since it's military days. I have sold in excess of 120,000 guns across the counter in my career & handled many more. I have seen my share of fakes & enhancements. This gun came out of the woodwork, not from a online sellor or gun show. This is a Pre-Import marked gun, meaning it was imported prior to 1968. It was a cheap gun then at $15 with no collector value. It was probably bought for a house gun or shooter & then fell into dis-use. I had to use a carding wheel (a soft, fine, rotary wire wheel that is soft enough to put your skin on it & not hurt) to even read the markings. I don't know what the markings mean, but they where put there in it's military career by a trained person.Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodsy
Here is an example of the Small Arms School marking on a .22 Lee Metford that was for sale in the UK a few years ago which appears to be the same format as on the No2.
I would assume the number beneath SAS is the year it was brought in to the collection.
Attachment 127728
What would the SAS have had in mind with such a bulky revolver as well as the short barrel? Many better options available.
Was the short barrel a standard Enfield production?
In the early days of L Detachment, they used what they could get their hands on, which was invariably an issue Enfield revolver more reliable as a "side arm". Sand was a baine in any semi automatic's life. In all my dealings with the "Originals" they never once mentioned other options or even smaller ones, they simply made do!!
A few weeks back I was fortunate see part of a large consignment of arms from Malaysia, amongst this, were a hundred or so Enfield Revolvers with shortened Barrels, all of these Revolvers had Parker Hale Stamps on the frame, presumably converted by them.
Simon,
Quite probable, aircrew had a tendancy to opt for a short barrel in anything!!
The two digit number would logically be an inventory number and Small Arms School makes sense in that respect also.
In my humble opinion, for what it's worth, the SAS marking is identical to the many hundreds of exhibits that we had at Warminster - the Small Arms School. We also had several hundred identically marked SOM or simply SM, the earlier School of Musketry.
I would imagine that the Small Arms School disposed of that revolver because it would have played absolutely no part in their being - as a user training establishment. I have to admit that while I never looked hard, I can't say that I ever saw a bit of kit marked to the SAS - or Saturday and Sundays as we called them. Saw plenty of their big Savage shotgun door knockers and the like but....... Next time I speak to '.....Jock.....', I'll ask him.
the short barrel was something that was done in the U.S.. they were never issued that way.