doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Unknown proof mark on a W. & C. Scott gun

I've never seen the "arrow 0" mark on a shotgun (this is a Scott Reliance boxlock made in 1909). The arrow seems to be the Broad Arrow mark for military acceptance.
Can you help me, please?


(Edited to add the proof mark image)

P.S. Could it be a "10" with the "1" modified in a arrow? Why?

It does look like a straight unadorned bar punched for the '1'.
The two edges or tips of the arrowhead added on by graver.

Why?,,,don't know.

I do not believe the mark was put on at the proof house but later for some unknown reason.

Simple, it points to which end you load the cartridges in...Geo

I would be fairly sure (though happy to stand corrected if wrong) this is a UK military Broad Arrow symbol, depicting British Government owned equipment. The 0 probably refers to an inspector or is a viewing or acceptance mark.

The Broad Arrow is not always depicted as such, a mere arrow head shape, as in the W&C Scott's case, is frequently encountered.

If you dissect my brain you will find a broad arrow through it, from when I had 'the operation' during training at Sandhurst!

Tim

Could have been impressed into service to teach aerial gunnery, much the same as we did over here during the war. Could have also been for issue to the Home Guard.

Interesting none the less.

Over the years I have encountered several English guns with the military Broad arrow stamped on the barrels and action. One interesting example that I recall was an H&H paradox 12 G hammer circa 1900.This was a very plain gun. The consensus was that the gun had been acquired by a British Army unit likely stationed in some remote part of the Empire. The purpose being to provide sport/ fresh meat when a unit was in the field..

I believe what you may have had there Roy was a Paradox issued during WW1 to the newly formed Flying Corps. They were used against observation balloons and other dirigibles. The ammunition consisted of a ball and chain type contraption, the better to tear apart the fabric, I assume.

There is something about them in the Dallas H&H book, though I do not have it to hand.

Tim

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=180576&page=1
this maybe of interest

Hi all now I do not want to drop my self in hot water over what is and what is not the Brit Government board arrow or �Pheon� known to some people of my generation by the slang name �The Crows foot�. There are a couple of things that do not seem to ring true about the impressed mark on the barrel flats, if they had room there would be a form of issue number impressed as well as the board arrow and somehow just a zero I feel would not fit the bill. Also the arrow would be more often than not placed in an easily viewable position because the Government are not interested in esthetical looks only ownership of the said item, also I feel the arrow is not of the usual expected proportions. In one of the photographs is an American manufactured Military issue stop watch which has what could be said carries the correct proportioned board arrow and surprise this watch was issued by the American Air force during WW2 to my late farther in law.
The story goes at the start of the war we Brits could not train enough pilots so he was sent to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Air Force then he crossed the States Canadian border travelling to �Pensacola� where he was trained to fly �Sunderland Flying Boats� amongst other planes now this clandestine route to the US was needed because at the time the US was a neutral power in the hostilities between us Brits and our German cousins at the time the watch was issued to him for timing munitions fuses.
Like a lot of people who went through the hostilities he was extremely reluctant to talk about the war though he did say that back in Britland they did use shotguns in training as a practical demonstration of the importance of lead for moving targets as a country lad he was quite familiar with shotguns. He did say that the guns used where quite devoid of any names or engraving but carried Birmingham proof marks and having an extremely large board arrow and issue number stamped at the breach end of each barrel.
In the other photograph is the smallest broad arrow and issue identification I have in my collection of bits and pieces, which is impressed on a Military pistol cleaning rod bearing in mind the rod is � of an inch in diameter but the arrow has the same proportions as the watch arrow.
I hope this may be of some help and interest.
Damascus

I think this mark is something we will never know what . Like many guns there are odd stamps that meant something to some one at some time that will be of no consequence to any one else but those who put it there. I come across them all the time in some form or another . So to quote the old song "don't worry be happy" .