Hello I just wanted to show off what my dad gave me! This is a documented model 1 1/2 second issue with an 2 11/16 barrel and some real nice engraving also they say it hasn't been fired 😀
Should I have insurance on this and if so for what value? Thanks for a great forum I look forward to talking to you all!

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Welcome, nice to see another short barreled Model 1 1/2. I have a couple, without the engraving, and both have 2 11/16" barrels. I have researched as much as possible, but it is very difficult to come up with an accurate number of how many were made. These revolvers are rare, but rarity does not always turn into big money. It seems that there is a rather weak following for these guns so valuation is difficult. Yours, however, being handed down to you would add infinite value as a family heirloom.

I notice the letter does not reference the engraving, which would most likely be addressed by Roy in his more recent letters. Many were done outside the factory, while others were contracted directly by the company. My assumption is that some were also done in the factory, but I do not have an eye for which is which. Hopefully, our engraving experts will stop by shortly and give you more information.

One of mine are lettered to MW Robinson, a large distributor in New York. The letter states that it was part of a 100 gun order. The example in the case is 120XXX, and the other is 112XXX, which only confuses any attempt to quantify this short barreled model.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Hi glowe
I am hoping someone knows about the engraving! What I am full speed ahead for is a factory box for it!

Nice gun. My opinion is that it is not likely engraved in or for the factory directly but is typical "New York Style" engraving established by LD Nimschke. You could look on the end of the barrel or under the cylinder for a "N" stamp which if there increases the odds that it was done by Nimschke, but not definitive. He seldom marked small revolvers and this was not the highest priced New York style engraving because the scrolls are not intertwined and could be cut faster. However Nimschke's shop did a great deal of this quality engraving because it was "bread and butter" work. This gun has a good number of Nimschke motifs and the punch dot work on the main sideplate attracted me to consider the work to be by Nimschke personally, but it would take more study, probably under a stereo microscope to increase that probability. The motif on the top of the barrel is typical for his shop but I think that is the first gun I have seen with the motif on the top of the barrel and that work seems less masterful. Of course, with the patent dates etc on the side, the top of the barrel was a blank slate and also on guns that Nimschke did the major work personally, I understand some of the periphery work would be left to other workers. I will add a link here to another post on the forum showing a gun from this period that I think shows Nimschke's hand clearly and you might get a nice loupe under good light and see if the scroll cuts have similar characteristics. Look through this thread and particularly post #12.
Smith & Wesson 1 1/2 Transition Model Revolver

Can you say if it is silver plate or nickel plated?

cb

I am being told silver plate

I agree with cb's analysis. The work has great similarities to Nimschke's shop and the "face" on the left side plate is seen on guns from his shop, but also on other NYC engraved guns. The factory letter is 40 yrs. old and a new factory letter might show more info., such as where it was shipped by S&W, etc. Nimschke's record book of pulls from S&Ws he personally engraved does not show this exact gun, so if it came from his shop, it was probably done by others there. You can test the plating with a few drops of the chemicals you can buy at any coin store, to see if it is silver, or apply a silver polish lightly to one of the smaller dark spots to see if it is tarnish, or not Ed.

Thanks on the sliver plate question. If that is correct, as I suspected, you are left with a tricky question of whether to leave it alone, polish it (but never aggressively) or something in between. Unlike the patina on nickel, the tarnish on silver will come back with time and can even be promoted to return, but it would be tricky to get it back to the "character" it has now. You can search the forum on "silver" and "polish" and find some threads with a variety of views. I would only say to do any polishing only after giving it much thought first.

Also, if you compare to the photos in the link I posted, also compare the punch dot work. Nimschke was pretty meticulous and I think you will see why the work on your gun caught my eye.

cb

Cb thanks so much for your info! I did a little polishing with a silicone rag but I will stop there!

Depending on whether it has accumulated some grime, you can clean the engraving cuts with q-tips using acetone. This may make the engraving cuts much more clear. Be sure to wipe a light coat of gun oil over the cleaned area before storing to prevent any porous spots in the finish from oxidizing. You can also coat the gun with renaissance wax for preservation.