Back on March 11 in answer to a poll about how I got started with firearms I told the story of how my father killed two people who attempted to rob his store. If you are interested in the story it can be found here:
http://www.combatcarry.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=95784&postcount=8
At the time I had the High Standard .22 magnum derringer mentioned in the story, but my cousin had the .38 S&W. A few weeks ago I asked him again if he would sell me the gun and he said no. He then told me that there were 3 of them just alike. One had belonged to his father and that was the one that my father had used during the robbery. One had belonged to his uncle and the third was one that his father and uncle kept at their place of business. He also told me that he had two of them: his father's and the one from the business. I asked if I could borrow the one my father had used. He said sure I'll bring it out to the store and you can pick it up and keep it as long as you like. Today I picked it up.
This is a real special revolver. First of all it is a .38 S&W not .38 special. It has a V serial number which means it was produced for the military during WWII. It has the U S PROPERTY GHD stamp. It has the P on the left side. All of these are perfectly reasonable. The it gets strange. It has on the cylinder at the end of each of the flutes a crown with the letters EMP below it. This also appears on the left side of the gun. The barrel has the same mark and beside it are .38" .767". Below those numbers is 3 1/2 TONS. Right above the back of the trigger guard on the left side is a mark that looks like crossed sabers with the handles up top and with H, 3, and either 8 or B in the openings around the sabers. The serial numbers match on the barrel, grips, and cylinder. It appears to be some strange combination of a Victory model and the 38/200 made for Great Britain. I may have to get Smith & Wesson to research this one for me.
Anyway I now have in my possession both of the weapons used by my father to stop the robbery. I have shot the High Standard and it works quite well and is surprisingly accurate. I intend to shoot the .38 this weekend or next. After that I plan to make a shadow box and put both weapons in it with a copy of the newspaper story that ran the next day after the robbery attempt. I hope that my sister has a picture of my dad from about that time. The ones I have are from earlier. Either way I plan to post his picture beside the shadow box. This is not a shrine, but simply a reminder that our protection is our own responsibility and that at least one man in my family accepted that responsibility and discharged it faithfully.
Below are a couple of shots of both weapons together.
http://www.combatcarry.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=95784&postcount=8
At the time I had the High Standard .22 magnum derringer mentioned in the story, but my cousin had the .38 S&W. A few weeks ago I asked him again if he would sell me the gun and he said no. He then told me that there were 3 of them just alike. One had belonged to his father and that was the one that my father had used during the robbery. One had belonged to his uncle and the third was one that his father and uncle kept at their place of business. He also told me that he had two of them: his father's and the one from the business. I asked if I could borrow the one my father had used. He said sure I'll bring it out to the store and you can pick it up and keep it as long as you like. Today I picked it up.
This is a real special revolver. First of all it is a .38 S&W not .38 special. It has a V serial number which means it was produced for the military during WWII. It has the U S PROPERTY GHD stamp. It has the P on the left side. All of these are perfectly reasonable. The it gets strange. It has on the cylinder at the end of each of the flutes a crown with the letters EMP below it. This also appears on the left side of the gun. The barrel has the same mark and beside it are .38" .767". Below those numbers is 3 1/2 TONS. Right above the back of the trigger guard on the left side is a mark that looks like crossed sabers with the handles up top and with H, 3, and either 8 or B in the openings around the sabers. The serial numbers match on the barrel, grips, and cylinder. It appears to be some strange combination of a Victory model and the 38/200 made for Great Britain. I may have to get Smith & Wesson to research this one for me.
Anyway I now have in my possession both of the weapons used by my father to stop the robbery. I have shot the High Standard and it works quite well and is surprisingly accurate. I intend to shoot the .38 this weekend or next. After that I plan to make a shadow box and put both weapons in it with a copy of the newspaper story that ran the next day after the robbery attempt. I hope that my sister has a picture of my dad from about that time. The ones I have are from earlier. Either way I plan to post his picture beside the shadow box. This is not a shrine, but simply a reminder that our protection is our own responsibility and that at least one man in my family accepted that responsibility and discharged it faithfully.
Below are a couple of shots of both weapons together.