Replica Blackpowder Revolver Manufacturers

[drjldavis]

For several years I have been trying to find out if anyone knows any of the following manufacturer's logo or markings.

PR Usually on the butt of FIE brass frame revolvers.

COM Found on several revolvers. Only other markings are the proofs and "Made in Italy".

DOM Same marking as found on COM revolvers.

MOFRA This has been found on Patersons sold by Replica Arms.

Two elongated Diamonds with side points touching. Also found on Replica Arms.

[Paladin UK]

This might help................

When you purchase either a 2nd or 3rd Generation
Colt Blackpowder Arms revolver it bears the Colt
patent stamping on the frame and the Colt address on the
top of the barrel. There is also a serial number stamped
on the bottom of the frame, again on the bottom of the
barrel lug, trigger guard and buttstrap. The serialization
indicates the year or period of manufacture, and this is as
straightforward as model identification gets. Even
though many of the Colt parts for the 2nd Generation,
and all of the Colt parts for the 3rd Generation were cast
in Italy, the guns were finished and assembled in the
United States by Colt or the Colt Blackpowder Arms
Company, and Colt pistols, regardless of the origin of
their components, bear only Colt markings.
The same model gun, an 1860 Army for example, manufactured
in Italy and sold by Uberti or F.LLI Pietta, is
stamped with a variety of markings – Italian Proof House
devices, manufacturer's symbols and an encoded date of
manufacture. It is usually a combination of heraldry and
letters, which need to be decoded. The same is true of
flintlock and percussion lock pistols and long rifles manufactured
by Uberti, F.LLI Pietta, ArmiSport, Davide
Pedersoli, Armi San Paolo SRL (Euroarms), and
Palmetto, which comprise the major Italian manufacturers
currently in production.
The Italian proof houses in Gardone and Valtrompia
have been around for a very long time but as far as reproduction
black powder arms are concerned, the dating
begins in 1954. Prior to 1954, the year of proof was indicated
in full Arabic numerals.
Following is a chart displaying the year of proof symbols
used from 1954 to 2003. These are traditionally found within
a box next to the individual proof house symbols. From
1954 through
1970 Roman
Numerals were
used. Roman
Numerals and
Arabic Numerals
were combined in
1971, 1972, and
1973, and Roman
Numerals were
used again in
1974. Since 1975
two capital letters
have been used exclusively.
As to the placement of proof house symbols, it depends
upon the model of gun, and the level of embellishment,
the latter often dictating a discrete location on the underside
of the barrel or frame on highly engraved examples.
There are two standardized proof house marks. The first
is the provisional Gardone proof, consisting of a star surrounded
by eight lands and grooves over a coat of arms
featuring a hammer and anvil and crossed bayoneted
rifles; the second is a star surround by eight lands and
grooves over the capital letters PN. All firearms produced
in Italy since 1950, regardless of type, receive the first
stamping. The second, also instituted in 1950, is the first
black powder proof for Gardone and Brescia, and is only
used on black powder arms. Thus all black powder arms
must bear both proof house symbols.
Finally, there is the manufacturer's mark. This is often
confusing unless one is familiar with the manufacturers'
insignia. Most use their logo, while some combine their
name and logo, or use an abbreviation as their logo.
Earlier guns generally bear only their manufacturers'
mark, while more recent production has been seen using
both an emblem and company name.
Davide Pedersoli, one of Italy's oldest manufacturers
has had three logos since 1957. The earliest was a diamond
inside a circle. This is rarely seen. This mark was
followed by the image of an anvil with PEDERSOLI
above it in capital letters and the initials DAP inside the
anvil. This again is rarely seen, except on very early mod-
Symbol Year of Proof
X 1954
XI 1955
XII 1956
XIII 1957
XIV 1958
XV 1959
XVI 1960
XVII 1961
XVIII 1962
XIX 1963
XX 1964
XXI 1965
XXII 1966
XXIII 1967
XXIV 1968
XXV 1969
XXVI 1970
Symbol Year of Proof
XX7 1971
XX8 1972
XX9 1973
XXX 1974
AA 1975
AB 1976
AC 1977
AD 1978
AE 1979
AF 1980
AH 1981
AI 1982
AL 1983
AM 1984
AN 1985
AP 1986
AS 1987
Symbol Year of Proof
AT 1988
AU 1989
AZ 1990
BA 1991
BB 1992
BC 1993
BD 1994
BF 1995
BH 1996
BI 1997
BL 1998
BM 1999
BN 2000
BP 2001
BS 2002
BT 2003
Modern Bllack Powder Prooffmarks
Unravelliing The Mystery Off Icons
These are the three standard stampings on every
Italian-made black powder revolver, pistol, rifle and
shotgun. From left to right: year of manufacture,
Gardone V.T. black powder proof house stamping,
and Gardone proof house stamping. The year of
manufacture is?
BY DENNIS ADLER
16 Modern Black Powder Proofmarks, cont.
els. The company logo, a lowercase dp within an oval,
has been used for more than 40 years. This logo is often
followed by the DAVIDE PEDERSOLI or PEDERSOLI
name in capital letters. In short, there is no mistaking a
Pedersoli product!
The same is true of Aldo Uberti, S.r.l, which has used
the same logo since its founding in 1959 – a capital U
contained within an octagonal barrel device.
For Fratelli Pietta, another of Italy's leading manufacturers
of black powder pistols and long arms, the initials
FAP contained within a horizontal diamond identify
F.LLI Pietta; often followed by F.LLI PIETTA in capital
letters.
Palmetto, which manufactures a variety of black powder
arms distributed primarily through Dixie Gun Works,
uses a very recognizable palm tree within a circle as their
company logo.
Armi San Paolo S.r.l., established in 1970, uses the last
names of the original founders Grassi, Doninelli, and
Gazzola as a symbol, DGG, usually contained within a
circle. Beginning December 31, 2001, Armi San Paolo
officially became Euroarms Italia S.r.l. The same logo is
used on all Euroarms models.
Armi Sport, which produces an exceptional line of single
shot percussion pistols like the French Le Page, Sharps
rifles, and the popular Spencer rifle for Taylor's & Co.,
uses an AC within a circle, (AC for Armi Chiappa
founder Rino Chiappa's last name).
Armed with this information it is now possible to identify
the maker and year of manufacture on any black powder
rifle, shotgun, pistol, or revolver produced since
1950. ■
The underside of this screw barrel deringer manufactured by Pedersoli shows
only the dp logo. Both proof house marks are present and a boxed BL denoting
the year of manufacture as 1998.
Arms originally manufactured
by Armi San Paolo S.r.l. or
Euroarms S.r.l., now the proprietary
name, bear the DGG
emblem representing the
company's founders, Grassi,
Doninelli, and Gazzola.
Aldo Uberti S.r.l. was founded in 1959 and has always used a capital U surrounded
by an octagonal device, which is actually the muzzle of an 1851 Navy
(their first gun) with six lands and grooves and the front sight. This photo of a
Paterson barrel has a boxed AZ indicating a manufacturing date of 1990.
Here is an example of a manufacturer using two different styles. The standalone
Palmetto palm tree logo on this screw barrel derringer, and the logo and
company name on the barrel of this 1851 Navy.
Armi Sport uses a circular device with the capital letters AC.
F.LLI Pietta always uses its diamond logo with the initials FAP. This is the barrel
from a Le Mat revolver and it also bears the company name and country of
origin. The proof house marks and manufacturing code are stamped elsewhere
on the gun.
The barrel pictured is a perfect example as it bears all of the Italian proof
marks described. This is from a Deluxe engraved Pedersoli Le Page
pistol, and all of the stampings are on the underside of the barrel. From
left to right (upside down) are the test house and black powder proof
house stampings, followed by a boxed BM, denoting a manufacturing
date of 1999, then the gun's serial number, a dp oval manufacturer's
mark, as well as the PEDERSOLI name, pistol caliber and notification
that the gun is for black powder only. This warning appears on the barrel
or barrel lug of all black powder arms manufactured in Italy.

Paladin (What lurvs the Holy Black ) UK

[Deadeye Dick]

PUK,
Wow that's a lot of info. to digest. Did you get writer's cramp.    Hate to see you overwork your trigger finger. It about overworked my brain.
Thanks for all the good gun data. 

[Bad Ramon]

                       Thanks so much for the info, now I know when my Spiller and Burr replicas were made...........

[Fingers McGee]

Or, you coulda just gone here:

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/POWDER/MBPProofmarks.pdf

FM

[will52100]

You wouldn't happen to know what year CA is represented by would you?  Just got a new uberti patterson and CA is not listed.  I'm assuming it's one of the last made before uberti stoped production.

In any event, great info, I'll look up some of my other cap guns out of curiosity.

Thanks

[Fingers McGee]

Based on the lettering progression in the article, CA should be 2006.

FM

[will52100]

Thanks, looks like one of the last produced, about what I figured.