Appendix 6 Gun Marks

Gun marks can include proof marks, but for this chapter, they are restricted to manufacturer ’ s marks, inspector ’ s marks and arsenal marks.

There are many thousand of these and it would take several books to even begin to list them. They do, however, form a very valuable aid to the forensic fi rearms examiner as they can give information as to a weapon ’ s age, history, country of origin and manufacturing factory.

In addition to gun marks, there are thousands of trade names which can reveal similar details to that of gun marks. As with gun marks, to list all the trade names is beyond the scope of this book.

Some examples of both gun marks and trade names are listed for general reference purposes (Figure 6.A.1 ).

Probably the most authoritive book available on these subjects is Gunmarks by David Byron.

Other useful books would include:

• English, Irish and Scottish Firearms Makers: Middle Sixteenth Century to the End of the Nineteenth Century by A Merwyn Carey;

• American Firearms Makers: When, Where, and What They Made from the Colonial period to the End of the Nineteenth Century by A. Merwyn Carey;

• Arms Makers of Colonial America by James B. Whisker and

• Firearms Identifi cation I, II and III by J. Howard Mathews.

Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence Second Edition Brian J. Heard© 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-69460-2

374 APPENDIX 6 GUN MARKS

Figure 6.A.1 Examples of gun marks.

Lions

Birds

Mre. Liegeoise d’Armes a Feu of Liege, Belgium trademark

US Springfield Armoury,inspector’s mark on 1911 pistols

Gebruder Merkel of Sujhl, Germany, trademark on rifles and shotguns

On WWII German Nazi pistols

Crests

Ethiopian crest Bulgarian Crest

Argentinean crest B.S.A. of Birmingham,Englandtrademark

Armi Famars, Brescia, ItalyTrademark on

Herter’s Inc of Waseca, US trademark

Trademark on Danish Madsen machine guns

Relay products of Johannesburg,SA,trademark on Mamba pistols

Aguirre y Aranzabal of Eibar Spain Trademark on shotguns and rifles

Trademark on pistols by Harrison & Richardsonrevolvers

ShotgunsIver Johnson, Fitchburg, US Trademark on shotguns

Stevens Arms and Tool Co., USA on butt plates

APPENDIX 6 GUN MARKS 375

Geometric Designs

Tula Weapons Factory, Russia Commercialtrademark

Russiangripmark on pistols

Gerstenberger u Eberwein, W. GermanyGripmark on revolvers

Harrington and Richardson, MA.,USAgripmark on revolvers

Japanese, Kokura Arsenal mark 1928-1935

Meridian Firearms Company of CT, US. Gripmark on revolvers

In Borders

Marlin Firearms Co., CT, USA gripmark on revolvers

Israeli mark on arms for export

Israeli mark on arms for export

Vilimec of Kdyne, Czechoslovakiagripmark

In Circles

U.S. Inspection Mark of W. Penfold on M1911 Pistols

Trocaola, Aranabal y Cia of Eibar, SpainRevolver gripmark

Ceska Zbrojovka of Czechoslovakiagrip mark

Sears Roebuck & Co.Grip mark on revolvers

Smith & Wesson of Springfield, MA., USATrademark on revolvers and self- loading pistols

J.P. Sauer & Sohn Trademark on pistols

Figure 6.A.1 Continued