I recently came into this Kit Gun. I don't know much about them, as I usually stick with N and K Frames. The serial number is 5346XX, which per the SCSW Third puts it in the pre-war serial number range. All numbers on the gun match and it is in 98%-99% condition. It appears to be very similar to the bottom gun in the photo on page 118 of the SCSW. There are a lot of interesting items on the gun:

1. The hammer appears to be a pre-war hammer and the hammer stud protrudes on the left side like a pre-war gun, but the rebound slide stud is polished smooth with the left side of the gun, like a post-war gun.

2. The extractor rod nob and related lack of cutout on the barrel are consistent with post war barrels and extractor rods.

3. The rear and front sights appear to be the pre-war variety.

4. The gun is a round butt gun and the stocks are pre-war targets that number to the gun and look to have never been used.

5. There is the post-war four line "Made in U.S.A. Marcas Registradas" roll marked on the right side of the frame.

6. The bluing on the gun is the more "mat" look of the early post war guns, rather than the high polish of the pre-war guns.

7. The thumbpiece looks to be a post-war variety.

Lastly - the gun came with a 1976 letter from Mr. Roy Jinks that states that the gun shipped in late 1951....

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Anyway, whatever it is, I like it.





Sorry about the photos being a little out of focus, I had limited light and even on the tripod I must have shook a bit while the camera took a long, long time to let in enough light... (I need to get a light box and a hand held camera trigger so that I don't touch the camera).

Enjoy,

__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Who wouldn't like it?!
Very cool revolver, and very well described.
One thing I've not seen before is the way the grips are dished beneath the medallion?

SDH:

The border on the stock checkering is very deep, giving the appearance of a dished look.

__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Very Nice Rick,

I can see why you got that one.

Dan

Here's my "Transitional" Kit Gun for comparison:








Hope this helps!

Tim

We call 'em Transitions.
That's what you got when you bought a Kit Gun between the late 40's and the Model of 1953.
The market was still hungry. The GI's were back at work, getting adjusted, booming babies, buying houses on the GI Bill, and beginning to think about shooting again.
Hellstrom has visions of modernizing the entire product line, they had finished up the new factory, and he pushed the assembly of old parts for the obvious reasons- filling orders, cash flowing in, old parts flowing out in prep for all the new models.
Life was sweet.......except for that Korea thing looming on the horizon.....
NICE gun.

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Richard, that's a beautiful gun. I just love the prewar and transitional KGs. If they weren't so expensive I'd have more of them.

Those stocks look like the square butt stocks seen on Regulation Police revolvers. Do they have the 1917 patent stamp on the bottom of one panel? Is the gun's steel frame rebated to accept the specially formed stocks?

Congratulations on that one. I agree it is unusual to see a prewar serial number on a transitional gun, but I guess it just means they had a few .22/32 frames left over from prewar production.

Envy!

__________________
David Wilson

They do not have the patent stamp date. I believe that one of my other guns has the patent stamp on the bottom of one of the panels.

Yes. The back of the round butt frame is rebated/notched and the stock fit is perfect - very neat engineering.

__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I really like it. That is one nice little revolver.

T

Richard:
What a beauty. I'm jealous. It sure would like nice next to my pre war.

Very nice! Just wonderfull condition.