R. Doug Wicker — Author | Stories of Mystery and Adventure

January 7, 2022 · 5:35 am

Fun Firearm Friday — A Revolver Week Fraud!

WARNING:
Severe, exceedingly obscure, fascinatingly trivial, yet amazingly fun history lesson follows! Approach with extreme caution.

Webleys are the iconic English military pistol. They’ve been around since 1887, and continued in Commonwealth and U.K. military service until withdrawal in 1970. The most famous of the Webley series was the Mk VI dating back to World War I, all of which were factory chambered in the oddball .455 Webley (most have since been rechambered for reduced pressure .45 ACP loadings). Worldwide there are probably tens of thousands of these things still being used in former colonies of the British Empire.

Well, this certainly looks like a Webley. And it’s even stamped “WEBLEY PATENTS” above the trigger guard:

And it’s stamped as a “MARK VI” along the backstrap:

The “broad arrow” stamps are a nice touch as well. The “broad arrow” was used as a British property stamp, and those “broad arrows” are all over this weapon. And I do mean all over it.

I count five “broad arrows” on this image alone

Indeed, this weapon even operates like a traditional top-breaking, self-extracting Webley revolver. You can see in the sequence below how this thing elegantly breaks open at the top. Then, as you continue to rotate the barrel-cylinder assembly away from the frame, the star extractor arm extends to eject cartridges from the cylinder. Finally, continue even farther and the extractor arm snaps back into its recessed position, ready for the user to reload the cylinder with fresh rounds.

Thumb the cylinder lock below the hammer to break open

Continue rotation to extend the star extractor arm (above the cylinder) to unload spent cartridges

Extend farther and the star extractor snaps back into the cylinder for reloading

I believe Smith & Wesson pioneered this break-top, self-extraction concept back in 1870 with their S&W Model 3. If there is an earlier version, I’d love to hear about it. And, yes, I am aware of the break-top 1858 French Divesme, but it used a manual extractor rod to push cartridges out from the front one at a time rather than an automatic self-extractor to pull out of them simultaneously from the rear. At any rate, this Smith & Wesson-style extractor is now more closely associated with Webley revolvers.

“Broad arrow” acceptance marks even on some of the screws

As you may have guessed by now, looking at all the bizarre “broad arrow” proof marks, there is something decidedly amiss with this “Webley.” But there are other clues, such as nonsensical “English” stamps:

“AMEBRAHIMLEE&SON”? Really? And bracketed by yet more broad arrows?

And don’t even ask me what these three cylinder stamps represent

Well, let’s take look at the serial number for some additional clues:

But, wait. What’s this stamped above the trigger guard?

So, which is it? Is the serial number 1950, or 195018? Being on the cautious side, and noting that the frame usually bears the serial number, the gun store went with 195018 on the ATF Form 4473. Probably a good move, as I’m pretty sure that’s the number it would have been imported under. Although… there is no import stamp, so it’s very likely a G.I. bring-back from…. Any guesses yet? I’ll give you a clue. This had to have wound up in the duffle bag of someone returning from a recent combat zone which would in the past have been under the United Kingdom sphere of influence (hey, it is after all a WEBLEY, right?). And the logical suspect would be…

More nonsense, probably from a non-English speaking “manufacturer”

I’m sure some of you have probably guessed by now that this an infamous, and here in the U.S. a very rare and much sought, “Khyber Pass clone” from somewhere along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. These clones are still made today by local gunsmiths operating their own metallurgic furnaces, casting and forging parts copied from abandoned relics of conflicts from long ago. In other words, this is a poor copy of a Webley revolver made at the hands of some backyard smithy. He then embellished his work of art with fake stamps meant to convey a place of origin on distant soil this gun never saw.

More gibberish and additional “broad arrows”

The only question remaining is which side of the Kyber Pass did this gun originate? Was it the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, or was it Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province? My gut tells me Nangarhar, but who knows? It’s a mystery, and likely to remain as such.

This particular example of a Khyber Pass clone is not something I’m ever going to test fire. The cylinder lockup is sloppy, and that’s an understatement. The metallurgy is suspect enough that I wouldn’t trust it to handle even the weak .38 S&W “Short“ for which it is supposedly chambered. Which, by the way, is a round for which the Mark VI was never chambered. Yet another clue that something is amiss.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Fun Firearm Friday, which closes out Revolver Week here at the blog. Next week we return to travel, with my first week-long ever review of a single cruise ship. And what a ship it is — 226,963 Gross Tonnage, 5,479 double-occupancy passenger capacity (6,780 maximum capacity), 2,300 crew, and seven distinct “neighborhoods” throughout this behemoth.

Meanwhile, if you found today’s article interesting and would like to know more about these Khyber Pass gunsmiths, here’s a nice, informative article for you to peruse:

The Gunmakers of the Khyber Pass

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Filed under Firearms, Fun Firearm Friday, R. Doug Wicker

Tagged as firearm collecting, firearms, handguns, Khyber Pass, Khyber Pass clone, Khyber Pass copy, R. Doug Wicker, Webley, Webley Mark VI

January 5, 2022 · 5:35 am

Revolver Week — Ladies’ Day with a S&W Model 60-7 “Lady Smith”

Smith & Wesson Model 60-7 “*Lady Smith*“

Okay, ladies, admit it. The miniscule revolver pictured above is just so darned cute! Today’s Revolver Week article is on a gun that Smith and Wesson specifically marketed toward women, the Lady Smith variant of a S&W Model 60, change 7. And there’s quite a history behind the Model 60, as it began life as a Model 36 “Chief’s Special” which, as you may have guessed by that name, was designed in 1950 as a small-framed concealable revolver suitable for plain clothes police duty.

S&W Model 36 “*Chief’s Special*” (image from S&W online catalog)

The first thing you’ll notice in observing the differences between the Model 36 shown above and Model 60 is that the former is blued and the latter is made of stainless. The Model 60 presented today was probably made in late 1994, which would place it near the middle-to-late range of 60-7 production (1990 to 1996). These were the last Model 60 revolvers made before Smith and Wesson changed the line to the J-Frame magnums, which were able to take the much hotter .357 Magnum load in addition to the milder .38 S&W Special (hereafter the .38 Spl).

Once again, when dating any Smith & Wesson revolver, the serial number is the key. This example falls in the BRS range:

S&W revolver serial numbers are on the butt of the weapon

Change 7 is considered by many as the apex of the Model 60 design, so there is a demand for them. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, change 7 brought about a different heat treatment that strengthened the gun. Next, it was the last of the Model 60 revolvers to be chambered solely for .38 Spl. Why is that a factor? Because, let’s face it, does a .357 Magnum load in a compact, light, small-gripped, five-shot revolver really make sense to anyone? It doesn’t to me, especially when you’re throwing lead from a barrel that measures under two inches in length. So, why bother?

The five-shot S&W Model 60 sporting “*Lady Smith*” rosewood grips

Smith & Wesson Model 60-7 “Lady Smith“:

Length: 6.38 inches/162 mm
Barrel length: 1⅞ inches/47mm
Height: 4.41 inches/112 mm
Width (at cylinder): 1.30 inches/33 mm
Width (at grips): 1.22 inches/31 mm
Width (frame): .55 inches/14 mm
Weight (unloaded): 19.92 ounces/565 grams
Caliber: .38 S&W Special
Capacity: 5
Trigger pull (single-action, average of five pulls): 2 lbs. 10.4 ozs./1.2 kilograms
Trigger pull (double-action, estimated): 11 to 12 pounds/5 to 5.4 kg

As you can see from the specifications above, handgun is small, light, and adequate. It’s easily concealable in either a holster or a purse, although I tend to steer people away from off-body carry. Purses can to snatched; guns in retention holster, not so much. The grip is a tad small for the .38 Spl. My pinky has minimal purchase when I hold the Model 60, and my fingers wrap completely around the gripto meet my palm just below the thumb. But Ursula’s fi9ngers seemed better positioned when I asked her to hold the “Lady Smith.” I’ve yet to fire this example, but I doubt either I or Ursula would have trouble controlling it. But if it were a later .357 Magnum variant loaded for bear… well, that would probably be pretty painful

And then there’s that superb Smith & Wesson double-action/single-action trigger which I described in Monday’s article on the S&W Model 10-5. The trigger on this smaller J-Frame is not much different. Indeed, the single-action pull is even lighter than what I measured on the larger K-Frame. But in double-action there is a slight difference. Whereas the Model 10 had no take-up upon initiating the pull, the Model 60 has an odd millimeter or so of travel followed by a barely audible “click” before the trigger engages. After that, the double-action pulls are nearly identical between the two revolvers — smooth all the way to hammer trip. This clicking may or may not be related to the hammer spring, as the Model 10 uses a leaf spring, and the Model 60 uses a more modern sprung strut:

With the hammer cocked, this Model 60 is in single-action mode

By the way, ever wonder about the actual difference between a “medium” K-Frame and a “small” J-Frame? You’ll recall on Monday I wrote about a K-Frame S&W Model 10-5 in .38 Spl. Today we’re looking at a J-Frame S&W Model 60-7 in the same caliber. So, let us compare. Both being .38 Spl, it made since for this comparison to line up the back of the cylinders in the below image. Mentally subtract the barrel and disregard the grips and you’ll note that there really isn’t a whole lot of dimensional difference between the 6-round Model 10 and the 5-round Model 60. The difference in cylinder widths is noticeable, as one would expect — 1.46 inches/37 mm (K-Frame) vs 1.30 inches/33 mm (J-Frame). But the real difference shows up in the height of the weapons, which is most impacted by the grips. It’s on that measurement that the J-Frame wins the concealability race by .71 inches/18 mm.

J-Frame Model 60 above a K-Frame Model 10

As I noted on Monday’s article, to check the Model and Change numbers on a Smith and Wesson revolver, just open the crane and check. Below you can see that this is a Model 60-7:

In the above photo of the Model 36 “Chief’s Special” you’ll see Smith and Wesson’s tradition checkered wood grips. The “Lady Smith” on the other hand sports smooth rosewoods in a deep, rich, reddish hue:

The stylish rosewood grips of the “*Lady Smith*” Model 60 variant

Gun sights are as you would expect for a weapon made for short range defense — fixed front paired with a channeled rear “sight” running along the top strap:

Put the two together and this is what you’ll see, which is probably adequate for ranges out to about ten to fifteen yards or so:

… when aiming a gun, focus on the front sight and place it on target

The “Lady Smith” variant of the Model 60 first appeared in the 60-6 in 1989. Indeed, all -6 revolvers where so marketed. It was only with the Model 60-7 that both “Chief’s Special” and “Lady Smith” variants were marketed under the same change number umbrella.

“Lady Smith” marketing stamp on this Model 60-7

I hope you enjoyed Ladies’ Day here on Revolver Weeks. Friday I’m going to present a fake. A fraud. An outright rip-off. But it’s a rip-off with a lot of history behind it, made by some of the most ingenious gunsmiths on the planet. Gunsmiths who operate furnaces in their backyards, manufacturing their own parts on a scale you simply will not believe. Until then, here’s today’s gallery of additional Model 60-7 “Lady Smith” images:

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Tagged as handgun review, handguns, R. Doug Wicker, S&W Lady Smith, S&W Model 36, S&W Model 60-7, S&W Model 60-7 Lady Smith, Smith and Wesson

January 3, 2022 · 5:35 am

Revolver Week — Military Monday with a S&W Model 10-5

Next week we return to travel and travel photograph, but this is Revolver Week. And today we begin Revolver Week with a Smith & Wesson Model 10, change 5. Or, more simply, a Model 10-5. This particular example dates back to 1966-1967. I can say that because of the serial number (see below). The “C” range of serial numbers stretched from 1948 until they ran out in 1967. The range for 1966-1967 are serial numbers C810,533 through C999,999. As such, I guesstimate this one at probably around the late-first to mid-second quarter of 1967. But that’s a pure shot in the dark.

So, why am I calling this “Military Monday?” Because before Smith & Wesson changed the name to Model 10 in 1957, this line of revolvers was called Military and Police model, or M&P for short. And, yes, both the military and numerous police departments in both the U.S. and around the world used the M&P revolver back in its heyday.

This line of revolvers has a long, long history, beginning way back with its introduction as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899. Since that time it has gone under several names, including the S&W Victory Model used during World War II and exported to various allied powers such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. But I digress. Today’s topic is specifically on the Model 10, and this example is the fifth change of that model.

If the profile of this gun appears vaguely familiar to my readers, it’s because the Model 10 is a K-Frame (medium frame) revolver. And, yes, I’ve done a previous article on a rare pre-war K-Framed S&W K-22 Outdoorsman. Both have the classic tapered “pencil” barrel, but the K-22 is chambered in .22 LR, while the Model 10 and its predecessor the Hand Ejector Model of 1899 were made to handle the .38 S&W Special cartridge (hereafter referred to as “.38 Spl”).

The bluing on this particular example is exquisite. Perhaps too exquisite. While the stamps and roll marks are incredibly sharp, my go-to guy Paul Lee, owner of my favorite local gun store El Paso Gun Exchange, looked over the weapon and thought he detected minute evidence of blued-over pitting on the frame backstrap. As I trust Paul, I’ll just go ahead and declare this one a probably reblued weapon. But you sure could fool me when you see this kind of clarity:

That crispness extends even to the assembly numbers hidden beneath the left grip and inside the crane:

Assembly number stamped on the frame butt

Assembly number on the crane, matched to the number on the frame butt

While we’re looking at the stamps inside the crane, here is how to tell both the model and change number on a Smith & Wesson revolver:

The image below shows the frame backstrap, which Paul thought might indicate that the finish was not original:

Paul’s eyesight is a *lot* better than mine, apparently

So, how do you tell if a Smith & Wesson is a Smith & Wesson? Silly question:

SMITH & WESSON roll mark on a 4-inch tapered “pencil” barrel

The M&P and Model 10 were basic, dependable, well-built revolvers. As they were designed for military and police budgets, there aren’t a lot of frills here. That extends to the very basic sights — a fixed blade ramped front sight paired with a rear “sight” that is nothing more than the groove running alone the top strap. Not that there’s anything wrong with this, as this type sighting system has been a fixture of revolvers dating well back into the 19th century.

Rear “groove” sight running along the top strap

Now let’s discuss the particulars of the Smith & Wesson Model 10 with a four-inch tapered “pencil” barrel. The trigger pull in double-action is estimated, as it exceeded the limitations on my digital guage. Single-action measurement is an average of five pulls.

Length: 9.13 inches/232 mm
Barrel length (actual): 3.94 inches/100 mm
Height: 5.12 inches/130 mm
Width (cylinder): 1.46 inches/37 mm
Weight: 30.64 ounces/869 grams
Capacity: 6 rounds
Caliber: .38 S&W Special
Trigger pull (single-action): 2 lbs. 12.1 oz./1.25 kg
Trigger pull (double-action): approximately 11 to 12 lbs./5 to 5.4 kg

The firing pin on the Model 10 is fixed directly onto the hammer. But you needn’t worry. Although this model lacks a transfer bar, there is an internal hammer block that keeps the firing pin safely away from the cartridge primer unless the trigger is pulled. Unlike the old West-style single-actions, it is safe to carry this gun with all six chambers loaded. When I released the trigger, the top of the hammer receded a full ⅜ of an inch/9.5 mm.

Let’s discuss Smith & Wesson’s marvelous trigger, a feature I love with every older S&W revolver I’ve ever handled. It is, quite simply, superb in both double-action and single-action. Double-action is as you would expect — long and a bit weighty, but easily controllable through the pull. There is a slightly audible click just prior to halfway through the pull, but there is zero grittiness or hesitancy all the way to the trip of the hammer.

But single-action is where these old Smiths really shine. There is absolutely no take-up on the single-action pull, and the trigger weight is an almost uncomfortably light 2 pounds, 12.1 ounces/1.25 kilograms. I say “almost” because I’ve trained for years with DA/SA weapons, mostly older hammer-equipped semiautomatics, so I’m comfortable firing pretty much any weapon is either double-action or single-action. Those who grew up firing Glock-style, striker-fired weapons will probably be taken aback by the lightness of this trigger when the hammer is cocked back. On Wednesday I’ll be taking a look at a S&W Model 60-7, but I’ll tell you right now that trigger is even a couple of ounces lighter in single-action, so this superb trigger is not an anomaly with Smith & Wesson.

S&W Model 10-5, grips removed, cylinder open, leaf hammer spring exposed

Wednesday’s revolver is one for the ladies, another Smith & Wesson. On that article I will present to you a S&W Model 60-7 “Lady Smith” also chambered in .38 Spl, but in a more compact J-Frame. Until then, I’ll leave you with this remaining gallery of Model 10 photos:

Comments Off on Revolver Week — Military Monday with a S&W Model 10-5

Filed under Firearms, R. Doug Wicker

Tagged as handgun review, handguns, R. Doug Wicker, S&W M&P, S&W Military & Police, S&W Model 10, S&W Model 10-5, Smith and Wesson

R. Doug Wicker — Author

Fun Firearm Friday — A Revolver Week Fraud!

Revolver Week — Ladies’ Day with a S&W Model 60-7 “Lady Smith”

Revolver Week — Military Monday with a S&W Model 10-5

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