Help with another revolver
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Jim Watson
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ALFA is the trademark of the Adolf Frank Export Co. of Germany. There are a lot of reprints of their 1911 catalog which is a good window into the gun (and other sporting goods) business of the day.
The illustrated revolver is a copy of a Smith & Wesson Military and Police, but it lacks the front ejector rod latch lug. Either the maker was looking at a first model M&P or had his own ideas. It would be instructive to see inside, some of these copies had features of both Colt and S&W as well as house designs.
The picture of proof marks is not clear enough for me to make out.
The illustrated revolver is a copy of a Smith & Wesson Military and Police, but it lacks the front ejector rod latch lug. Either the maker was looking at a first model M&P or had his own ideas. It would be instructive to see inside, some of these copies had features of both Colt and S&W as well as house designs.
The picture of proof marks is not clear enough for me to make out.
The proof marks are Spanish (Eibar) used from 1923 to 1929, so the revolver is of Spanish manufacture.
While "ALFA" was the trade name of the Adolf Frank company, that trade mark is not one they used. I think it is one of many names used by various Spanish makers on a wide assortment of both pistols and revolvers in the between-wars period.
With few exceptions, most of the revolvers imported into the U.S. in that era were, to be blunt, junk, made from cheap "pot metal" (cast iron of the type used for making cook pots). I have seen several blown up with standard loads, and STRONGLY suggest you not only not fire the gun but disable it so it can't be fired, or turn it into a "buyback" program. It would serve them right, and it has no collector value or interest.
It MIGHT stand up to standard .38 Special loads, but whatever you do, don't try to fire it with high pressure (+P or +P+) loads; you will be risking injury.
Incidentally, while those revolvers were outwardly copies of the S&W M&P, the lockwork was of the Webley-Colt type, with a dual leaf spring powering the hammer and the rebound lever.)
Jim
While "ALFA" was the trade name of the Adolf Frank company, that trade mark is not one they used. I think it is one of many names used by various Spanish makers on a wide assortment of both pistols and revolvers in the between-wars period.
With few exceptions, most of the revolvers imported into the U.S. in that era were, to be blunt, junk, made from cheap "pot metal" (cast iron of the type used for making cook pots). I have seen several blown up with standard loads, and STRONGLY suggest you not only not fire the gun but disable it so it can't be fired, or turn it into a "buyback" program. It would serve them right, and it has no collector value or interest.
It MIGHT stand up to standard .38 Special loads, but whatever you do, don't try to fire it with high pressure (+P or +P+) loads; you will be risking injury.
Incidentally, while those revolvers were outwardly copies of the S&W M&P, the lockwork was of the Webley-Colt type, with a dual leaf spring powering the hammer and the rebound lever.)
Jim
bps3040
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Jim Watson
Member
Yup, Spanish.
I think the top mark is a poorly struck PN, not FN.
Perhaps standing for Polvoro Negra = Black Powder.
There is sure no Fabrique Nationale connection.
I found mention of an ALFA trademark on S&W knockoffs by Armero Especialistas in Eibar, Spain.
I think the top mark is a poorly struck PN, not FN.
Perhaps standing for Polvoro Negra = Black Powder.
There is sure no Fabrique Nationale connection.
I found mention of an ALFA trademark on S&W knockoffs by Armero Especialistas in Eibar, Spain.
SDC
Member
Besides Adolf Frank, the "ALFA" name was also used by the Spanish company of "Armero Especialistas Reunidas", of Eibar; they were located in Eibar from 1914 until 1936, and would have made this revolver sometime during that period.
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