Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics - The Firearms Forum

vblex · 11-17-2010, 08:35 PM

This is my grandfather's off-duty weapon from his days as a cop (1925 to 46). It appears to be a Spanish copy of a S&W break-front .32

Can anyone ID the manufacturer or provide any other details? Like can it be repaired using S&W parts?

Thanks!

Jim K · 11-17-2010, 10:56 PM

Spanish guns of that era and later often copied foreign guns outwardly, but were modified internally to better suit the Spanish "cottage industry" manufacturing process, which was based on hand work, not machines. I doubt very much that any S&W parts would work in that gun or could be made to work.

Frankly, the gun is old, was not of high quality to begin with, and is not worth spending money on. Consider it as a connection with your grandfather and a piece of family history and give it an honorable retirement on the wall.

Jim

deadin · 11-18-2010, 10:43 AM

Jim is 100% on that.
When I first looked at your pictures, I thought there's something strange about that gun. I finally realized that it actually has proof marks! This is something somewhat unusual (in my experience) on Spanish pistols of this type.
For what it's worth that proof looks like one from the Eibar proof house and was implemented 9 July, 1931. Proofing in Spain was voluntary until around 1923, so maybe most of the Spanish guns I have seen were prior to that date.

Jim K · 11-18-2010, 02:57 PM

Many of the Spanish guns made before (or in evasion of) the mandatory proof law could never have passed proof. That cast iron junk sold here in the 1920s blew up with standard loads.

Jim

deadin · 11-18-2010, 05:34 PM

I wonder if when Spain joined the International Commission in 1923 that made proofing mandatory it was only for those countries that were signers. I don't believe that the U.S. was as we have always allowed any proofing to be done by the manufacturer and not a "proof house". If so, they probably wouldn't bother to proof anything intended for export to the US and that's why Spanish pistols of the lesser quality usually have no marks here.

11-17-2010, 08:35 PM	#1
vblex Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1	Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics This is my grandfather's off-duty weapon from his days as a cop (1925 to 46). It appears to be a Spanish copy of a S&W break-front .32 Can anyone ID the manufacturer or provide any other details? Like can it be repaired using S&W parts? Thanks! Attached Images -->

11-17-2010, 10:56 PM	#2
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics Spanish guns of that era and later often copied foreign guns outwardly, but were modified internally to better suit the Spanish "cottage industry" manufacturing process, which was based on hand work, not machines. I doubt very much that any S&W parts would work in that gun or could be made to work. Frankly, the gun is old, was not of high quality to begin with, and is not worth spending money on. Consider it as a connection with your grandfather and a piece of family history and give it an honorable retirement on the wall. Jim

11-18-2010, 10:43 AM	#3
deadin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 858	Re: Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics Jim is 100% on that. When I first looked at your pictures, I thought there's something strange about that gun. I finally realized that it actually has proof marks! This is something somewhat unusual (in my experience) on Spanish pistols of this type. For what it's worth that proof looks like one from the Eibar proof house and was implemented 9 July, 1931. Proofing in Spain was voluntary until around 1923, so maybe most of the Spanish guns I have seen were prior to that date.

11-18-2010, 02:57 PM	#4
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics Many of the Spanish guns made before (or in evasion of) the mandatory proof law could never have passed proof. That cast iron junk sold here in the 1920s blew up with standard loads. Jim

11-18-2010, 05:34 PM	#5
deadin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 858	Re: Help identifying Spanish revolver with pics I wonder if when Spain joined the International Commission in 1923 that made proofing mandatory it was only for those countries that were signers. I don't believe that the U.S. was as we have always allowed any proofing to be done by the manufacturer and not a "proof house". If so, they probably wouldn't bother to proof anything intended for export to the US and that's why Spanish pistols of the lesser quality usually have no marks here.