dr_cmg

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...84&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.

__________________
George

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein

LibertyGal

Wow, what a story!!! Yep, those mementos deserve a place of honor in your home.

LibertyGal

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Requiring a license makes it illegal to do something that was lawful before the license was required.

P95Carry

Thx for the pics George - they add nicely to the whole history. I used to have in UK two Enfield 38S&W's - one with hammer spur, one without - top break of course. They ''went'' in the 1997 purge of handguns!

The round was certainly rather anemic but still, if placed adequately far from innocuous! Once again - thx for the extra info - I remember your telling of the story from before.

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Chris - P95
NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member.

"To own a gun and assume that you are armed
is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!."

If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

Bud White

exciting Story and great looking Gun

rocky

Nice S&W. Reminds us of another time.

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"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson


Nemo Me Impune Lacesset

Link to my kydex builds:http://rocknloadkydex.blogspot.com/

srfl

Thanks for posting that great story and cool photos.

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USAF: Loving Our Obscene Amenities Since 1947

Rock and Glock

Nice story, well told! That is very special, and the guns are real keepsakes.

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Richard

NRA Life Member

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Michelangelo Buonarroti

Baby Hulk

Thanks for sharing your story and the pics!

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It's not about the caliber you carry, it's about how you USE it.

Acts 4:12
(Mohammad Who?)

1988 DIE HARD 2008
NRA Member

OD

Fascinating read, thank you.

George,

Could the letters EMP possibly be BNP, on the Model 10?

The "V" prefix signifies Victory Model, probably a Lend-Lease gun.

"P" is an Ordnance proof mark.

"GHD" is Brigadier General Guy H. Drewry, Springfield Ordnance District, Army Inspector of Ordnance.

__________________
OD
"Slow down, you'll get a more harmonious outcome...."
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"The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

Stephen A. Camp

Hello. I can only agree with the others concerning the story and the pictures. Thanks very, very much.

Best.

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