I just purchased this pocket revolver. I was trying to find any information about it. I can't find it on the internet. I tried to take pictures but only can get a good closeup of a couple marks on it. There is a heavy man with buttons down the front of his suit holding a gun. There is a emblem with a y and an a with a star under it. to the left of the man. in front of the cylinder there is a star with a G above it. in what looks like a circle shaped vase with a r in it and a emblem with a possible armored helmet on top. Sorry the marks are faint and i cant get a good picture. any info would be appreciated.
Help identify a pocket revolver
- Thread starter cwhirlow
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Joe in fla
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- Jan 3, 2011
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The helmet atop a shield with an X on the shield shown in picture 2 looks VERY similar to the "Spanish Admission Proof for Eibar since 1931" as shown in 'The Official Guide to Gunmarks' on page 132. However the plume is wrong. Your "vase" looks like a flaming bomb to me and looks very similar to the "Spanish Final Revolver Proof" shown on page 122 of the same book. BUT the Spanish used at least four proof marks with this "vase" shape and ALL of them had straight necks on them instead of the funnel shaped like that your mark has!! Since both marks are somewhat different from the official versions I suspect you have a gun with fake proofs on it. Or maybe they're real proofs but just different from the normal ones. But since both are not quite correct I suspect the former is more likely.
There were a LOT of cottage industry gun makers in Spain prior to WW-II and they made copies of a lot of different guns and while most looked good, they certainly weren't up to the quality standards of the originals and violated numerous copyrights as well so it's unlikely that they were actually proofed at government proof houses hence fake proofs are likely on those guns.
I noticed that it's marked "CAL" ?? below and in front of the cylinder but I can't read the numbers. What do they say?
I STRONGLY suspect that this gun has fake proof marks! It may or may NOT be safe to fire and I wouldn't until I learned more about it.
BTW the Gunmarks book is an excellent reference and is great for tracking down unknowns like this. I highly recommend it!
There were a LOT of cottage industry gun makers in Spain prior to WW-II and they made copies of a lot of different guns and while most looked good, they certainly weren't up to the quality standards of the originals and violated numerous copyrights as well so it's unlikely that they were actually proofed at government proof houses hence fake proofs are likely on those guns.
I noticed that it's marked "CAL" ?? below and in front of the cylinder but I can't read the numbers. What do they say?
I STRONGLY suspect that this gun has fake proof marks! It may or may NOT be safe to fire and I wouldn't until I learned more about it.
BTW the Gunmarks book is an excellent reference and is great for tracking down unknowns like this. I highly recommend it!
The gun is Spanish and the proof marks are those in use between 1929 and 1931. The caliber is 6.35mm, aka .25 ACP.
Many guns of that type were made in Belgium and Germany as well as Spain in the 1890-1914 era; that one is late and must have been of an obsolete design when it was made. I don't necessarily recommend shooting it, but it should be safe enough for at least a few shots.
Jim
Many guns of that type were made in Belgium and Germany as well as Spain in the 1890-1914 era; that one is late and must have been of an obsolete design when it was made. I don't necessarily recommend shooting it, but it should be safe enough for at least a few shots.
Jim
Hi Jim,
So you don't think it is a fake. I have been trying all afternoon to find something on this gun but can't find anything. I can't find the proofmarks anywhere. Even as a fake. Is there someplace I can look them up? I appreciate your helping me.
So you don't think it is a fake. I have been trying all afternoon to find something on this gun but can't find anything. I can't find the proofmarks anywhere. Even as a fake. Is there someplace I can look them up? I appreciate your helping me.
No, it's not a fake, what would it be a fake of??.Well, you can buy fake piles of crap, so I guess anything can be faked, even an old Spanish revolver. No, that gun is not a fake, just an obsolete design and probably not very well made.
Many of those guns were made by companies that did not have enough pride in the product to put their name on them, so you can realize it is not high quality. It was the European equivalent of the inexpensive revolvers sold in this country in the same general time frame; new they cost the equivalent of $2.00-$5.00, again about the same as similar guns sold here.
The 6.35mm Browing (.25 ACP) is usually considered an auto pistol cartridge, but it has a small rim and many of those guns were chambered for it and the 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP); extraction was not a problem since the guns have rod ejectors.
There is a mild collector interest in such guns, but only if in top condition. Even so, value is low; in this country they are considered novelties and curios, and sell at gun shows for around $50 or so.
I depend for most proof mark info on a book by Gerhard Wirnsberger; if that fails, I have the complete set of Gun Digest articles by Baron Englehardt.
Jim
Many of those guns were made by companies that did not have enough pride in the product to put their name on them, so you can realize it is not high quality. It was the European equivalent of the inexpensive revolvers sold in this country in the same general time frame; new they cost the equivalent of $2.00-$5.00, again about the same as similar guns sold here.
The 6.35mm Browing (.25 ACP) is usually considered an auto pistol cartridge, but it has a small rim and many of those guns were chambered for it and the 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP); extraction was not a problem since the guns have rod ejectors.
There is a mild collector interest in such guns, but only if in top condition. Even so, value is low; in this country they are considered novelties and curios, and sell at gun shows for around $50 or so.
I depend for most proof mark info on a book by Gerhard Wirnsberger; if that fails, I have the complete set of Gun Digest articles by Baron Englehardt.
Jim
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