I RECENTLY ACQUIRED A REMINGTON 38-44 AMMO SHIPPING BOX. IT ORIGINALY CONTAINED 5 BOXES OF 50 ROUNDS, R264 WHICH IS THE 158GR METAL POINT BULLET. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE OF THESE PREWAR SHIPPING BOXES I HAVE SEEN. A VERY INTERESTING PIECE OF HISTORY!



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SMITH AND WESSON CALLED IT'S NEW .38-.44 THE SUPER POLICE IN IT'S 1930 CATALOG INSERT:

IN THE 1931 CATALOG, THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IT WAS CALLED BOTH. SINCE THE DATES OF THE 2 CATALOGS ARE NOT KNOWN, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE ONE CALLING IT THE .38-.44 SUPER POLICE CAME OUT EARLY IN 1931:

THE LATER ONE CALLED IT THE .38/.44 HEAVY DUTY:
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THIS IS ONE OF TWO KNOWN 38/44 HEAVY DUTY POLICE TARGET VARIATIONS. THIS GUN WAS SHIPPED ON 2 MAY 1930 WITH ADJUSTABLE SIGHTS, CALL GOLD BEAD, 5 INCH BARREL, AND SERVICE GRIPS TO R.M. SEVIER, SPECIAL AGENT, MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD, MONROE, LA.THIS GUN HAS BEEN RESTORED TO IT'S ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION BY MASTER CRAFTSMAN, GENE WILLIAMS.
ENJOY!


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ON JAN 14 1935 HAROLD WESSON ORDERED THE MANUFACTURE OF 100 4 INCH BARRELS FOR THE 38/44 HEAVY DUTY. THE 4 INCH BARREL LENGTH WAS NOT CATALOGED UNTIL THE 1940 CATALOG EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AVAILABLE AS A SPECIAL ORDER ITEM. THE GUN BELOW, SERIAL NUMBER 55407, WAS SHIPPED 20 SEPTEMBER 1938, TO OKLAHOMA CITY HARDWARE CO, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. THERE WERE 2 GUNS IN THE SHIPMENT. ALL NUMBERS MATCH INCLUDING THE GRIPS. I COULD IMAGINE SOMEONE LIKE JELLY BRYCE USING ONE OF THESE EVERY DAY! ENJOY!
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CONTRARY TO A LOT OF FOLKS WHO THINK THE 4" PRE WAR HEAVY DUTY IS THE RAREST PRE WAR BARREL LENGTH, THERE ARE FEWER 6.5" PRE WAR HEAVY DUTIES KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED OR HAVE BEEN SHIPPED. THE 6.5" HEAVY DUTY WAS NEVER CATALOGED BY SMITH AND WESSON BEFORE THE WAR AND THEREFORE WAS A SPECIAL ORDER ITEM. THEY SEEM TO BE SPORADICALLY SPREAD AMONGST THE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE FOR N FRAMES. MOST ARE FOUND IN THE 43-47 THOUSAND AND 55-57 THOUSAND RANGE FROM WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS POINT IN TIME....