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Stampings on guns coming out of India

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:27 pm
by drcollector
I think that if anyone could answer this question it would be members of this forum.

I have seen a number of guns that have come out of India that had numbers stamped in the stocks.
I know that some of the guns that belonged to the Nizam Of Hyderabad had EXP and then some numbers
stamped in their stocks. One gun I looked at recently had a 14 0ver 323 stamped on the bottom of the stock. I have seen others that had a 4, a 10, or 12 stamped in the stocks with other numbers below. The numbers are NOT bore sizes as the 14 over 323 is a .450 x 3 1/4" nitro express.
I was told long ago that the top numbers were the location in India that the gun came from and the bottom 3 or 4 digits were the stock number of the gun. I would like to know if the top number
(2 digits)on the guns did indeed indicate a location in India. Was the location a region, state,
district, or indicate a specific maharajah?
Thanks for your help.

Re: Stampings on guns coming out of India

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:59 pm
by Hammerhead
Welcome to the form sir.

You questions are so vague, can't make out the whole without any pictures or little more info.
The numbers on stocks of the guns might be [4,10,12] on the old shotgun gauges for the ammo.
So as the 14/323 might be lot of stock or the armory serial number, so pictures could do better.
323 might also be the caliber size but that number usually stamped on newer guns not the old ones.

End of the day, numbers on stocks might be the number that the museum gave a gun - Cheers

Re: Stampings on guns coming out of India

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:20 pm
by drcollector
The numbers have nothing to do with the caliber. For example, the gun with the number 14 above the number 323 on the stock is a .450x 3 1/4" nitro express.
I am not sure how to add a photo on this site. If I can get it figured out I will post one. The numbers are on the bottom of the stock behind the pistol grip
and are no more than 1/4" high. Here is how they look on the stock:

14
323

Thanks for your reply.