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S&W Model 1905 - special signs

652 Views 20 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Curt360
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Hey to all,
I have a question. Does perhaps someone know what mean these two signs on this revolver? S&W Model 1905, 2nd change, serial number 143.8xx .
Thanks.
Marta

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Are you sure that is a smith and wesson?
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My first impression is that it may be a copy of a S&W revolver, possibly made in Spain. Those with more experience will chime in.

Note that the centering of the chambers in the cylinder doesn't look precise, and that the cylinder walls of some of the chambers look rather thinner than others. This could be a safety issue.
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Hey, thanks for your opinion! I never thought of that, I was all the time sure that it is a s&w. Possibly Spain? Have you eventually some reference?
The hammer looks wrong for S&W. Looks like an earlier European style.
Here's one article on the Spanish copies. And another excerpted from the 1945 book Smith & Wesson Hand Guns by McHenry and Roper, Chapter XXI, page 119 (at least in the original copy).

BTW, welcome to the forum from Oregon wine country!
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It is a Spanish copy. The grip trademark is a give away. I believe Ibera Bros
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The hammer also^. Perhaps Hermanos Orbea (Orbea Brothers).
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Guys, thanks a lot!!! Wow, you know so much about the guns!! Thanks to you I finally could read the letters on the gun - they are not readable well any more but with your advice it is more than clear : '' LA INDUSTRIAL ORBEA EIBAR''
I found it under personal things that I have after two Czech legionaires from 1WW in my house.
But what I would like to know is if the gun was produced before or during 1WW or after the war, to know if my two legionaires had the gun with them or not. Just to know how it came into the house.

Thanks once again and greetings from Czech and Austrian wine region!

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It is a Spanish copy. The grip trademark is a give away. I believe Ibera Bros
And what dou you mean with "a give away"? ... I am not very good in English ...
And what dou you mean with "a give away"? ... I am not very good in English ...
And what dou you mean with "a give away"? ... I am not very good in English ...
it is obviously not a S&W trademark, which gives away, or reveals that it is not a S&W
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it is obviously not a S&W trademark, which gives away, or reveals that it is not a S&W
Thank you!
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Welcome to the forums from the cotton and peanut covered plains of the Wiregrass! Marta, sometimes American slang is hard to understand even for Americans! :D

As far as identifying when the handgun was made, unfortunately we don't have records of Spanish manufacture. You might try to contact Orbea and ask if they can tell you when it was made.
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If anything, the pattern of S&W revolver that they were copying looks like those from roughly 1899 through the early 1920's. Look at details like the front nose of the ejector rod.
Welcome to the forums from the cotton and peanut covered plains of the Wiregrass! Marta, sometimes American slang is hard to understand even for Americans! :D

As far as identifying when the handgun was made, unfortunately we don't have records of Spanish manufacture. You might try to contact Orbea and ask if they can tell you when it was made.
Welcome to the forums from the cotton and peanut covered plains of the Wiregrass! Marta, sometimes American slang is hard to understand even for Americans! :D

As far as identifying when the handgun was made, unfortunately we don't have records of Spanish manufacture. You might try to contact Orbea and ask if they can tell you when it was made.
Greetings to Wiregrass! Yes, sometimes it is difficult to unterstand. We, here in Czech and Austria, we mostly don't have that problem --- we drink lot of beer and wine and we need just few words to understand each other --- that's the reason why is our language easier and not so rich on words like yours :))) ... just kidding. Thanks, I will try to contact the Spanish.
Somehow is it a pity that it isn't S&W. You are all so friendly here.
Thanks for all the infos!
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During WWI the Spaniards were building guns for the French in their 8mm caliber. After WWI this particular machining lent itself to the .32-20 caliber and the U.S. market.

In WWI, the combination of long bolt action rifles and trench warfare led to a demand for handguns. The French bought quite a number from Spanish firms.

Given the lanyard ring it is a likely story.
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Bur mines is 9mm caliber, not 8mm.
Bur mines is 9mm caliber, not 8mm.
Well, I measured the 9mm by myself. Perhaps I measured wrong.
Welcome to the forum!
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A number have shown up in this country in .38 Long as well. As far as dating it predates Spanish proof marking. When that began I cannot say.
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A number have shown up in this country in .38 Long as well. As far as dating it predates Spanish proof marking. When that began I cannot say.
Thanks to all of you once again. It's really amazing, what you know about these old guns. You helped me all a lot, I finally identified my lovely treasure. Even if it is not the beautiful S&W (I am dissapointed), I like this gun. I can't shoot and I will not shoot but I will keep this piece with my other treasures from 1WW.
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