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H&R Model 622 - Military Use?


MWalsh
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Saw this auction on Gunbroker and saw that the gun is marked with an Ordnance symbol.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/799369354

 

Just curious if anyone knew much about these guns in military use? His description states that the owner carried this gun as an issued item.

 

I kind of wondered if instead, it was a gun for use in the Morale Welfare Recreation section on some base or range somewhere?

 

Anyone know? Not going to bid or buy, I just found it to be an interesting item.

 

 

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The sellers description of it:

 

I received this revolver from James Tebbe. HHC 3dBN 3D Inf. SSN 473-30-xxxx. This officer carried this little revolver all thought his time in the military, including Vietnam. This was purchased from his family as Officer Tebbe has passed away. There is a photo of him and an I.D. card for a protective mask with the rare issue revolver. The revolver is parkerized and stamped with the flaming bomb. It originally had a leather shoulder holster for it, but was solid mold and rot. I tossed it away. This is the only one of these survival guns I have ever seen. There is finish wear on the butt and cylinder. Locks up a tight as they usually do. Perfect bore. Rare Vietnam souvenir. Flaming Bomb on front trigger guard, right side and from frame on left. This gun is out of time or it needs a new paul or hand that turns the cylinder. The cylinder pin was lost in Vietnam and one was made, but not the right size. I have included a new cylinder pin along with the original that came with the revolver.

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By his uniform picture, he doesn't have a CIB or jump wings or anything, I wonder if he was perhaps an Ordnance guy, and somewhere along the line refinished his own gun and added the stamp and parked it? Seems like park-ing it would have been an odd thing for a guy to do otherwise.

 

Unless like you said, it's just all faked up from the start. Who knows.

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  • 1 year later...

Funny... that revolver is still listed on Gunbroker about two years later than the original post.  It pops up when searching for "Model 622." Doesn't seem anyone is too interested in it at that starting price. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
El Bibliotecario

Page 258 of Chas Pate's US HANDGUNS OF WW2 discusses US use of H&R .32 revolvers, apparently procured  directly from the civilian market, both new and used. That does not mean this example was one of them--the only specific model mentioned by Pate is the Premier.

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When the OSS was abruptly disbanded at the end of WWII, their small arms were turned into the Army Depot at Letterkenny.  There is some evidence that at least some of the non-standard guns acquired through blanket procurement were marked U.S. PROPERTY at Letterkenny.  However, I know of no evidence or documentation that would have such a gun marked with the Ordnance insignia which indicates inspection/acceptance by the Ordnance Department.  These guns were not inspected or accepted.  Stamps are easy to come by which leads some to use them to create fantasy pieces.  Another one that I think falls into this category has rolled over several times on GunPoker:  https://www.gunbroker.com/item/891264740

 

Interestingly, at least two GOs (McArthur and USAF General Bryce Poe) carried Remington derringers during WWII but they were personal guns without any sort of military markings.

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  • 9 months later...

For the heck of it, I just purchased the revolver. The price was dropped to a reasonable price ($350). Not that it means much but the seller is supplying a signed and notarized  statement that they received it directly from the family and the story behind it. I'm going to research the vet to see what I can find out. It could possibly be a created fantasy piece as stated in the thread but if so why would they do if for such a cheap little gun? Either way, I love 22's and these are neat little shooters and I'm going to enjoy it. I'll pass on any info I come up with if anyone is interested.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is interesting. I posted a thread on another forum and here is one of the responses: Interesting-- but the photo and the mask card do not seem to match up. The mask card belongs to a Sergeant Major James Tebbe assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 3rd Battalion of an Infantry Unit---definitely Army. Sergeant Major, abbreviated SGM, is a Senior Enlisted Rank in the Army. The individual in the photo is wearing the rank of either Major or Lieutenant Colonel (I'd bet Major) in the U.S. Air Force--definitely not Army. The uniform is definitely not vintage Viet Nam U.S. Army officers or NCOs--and he's not wearing his issue name tag in the photo so getting the last name of the character here is not gonna happen. There's likely an interesting story there somewhere but we'll never know what it is. Cool pice though.

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