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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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  #1  
Old 10-20-2009, 02:45 PM
smitholdtimer smitholdtimer is offline
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Default .22/32 Heavy Frame Target

Just musing the value of a gun that will not letter. I made a trade some months ago for the I frame .22/32 Heavy Target and was very proud of my acquisition, made the request to obtain a shipping date and was told the records are open on the gun. I understand this to mean that the gun was assembled and given as a gift by an official or was a "lunch box gun" assembled at one of the employee's home (stolen). I am not concerned about this particular gun's value but pose the question about any gun without a pedigree, is its apparent worth diminished by being a kidnapped piece or not? What say ye all?
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Old 10-20-2009, 05:03 PM
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Sam, Is this the gun that needs a new hammer? S&Ws that won't letter, because they are not recorded in the shipping ledgers, can be interesting mysteries some times. The reason you list are true, plus I found that shipments to certain dealers , like Wolf & Klar, where sometimes several 100 guns of various configurations were shipped in batch, the shipping clerk would enter the guns by serial number but only list the configuration of the first gun in the shipment, with a ditto for all the rest. Some guns were differnt barrel lengths, different finishes, some were target model & some were not. So if the gun appears right, and/or has some special order embellishments, then the absense, or erroneous, shipping entry may not affect it's value at all. There's always the build sheet, or Foreman's day Book records that may show your serial number going thru the various prduction stages. Those records are not searched for factory letter input. Ed #15
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Old 10-20-2009, 05:14 PM
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Default .22/32 h.t.

Yes sir Ed, the same gun. The serial number places it way beyond the Bekeart guns but the cylinder is not recessed and it has a "Marble" gold bead front sight. Every thing else seems correct to me from the information I have been able to gather, serial numbers where they are supposed to be including the right grip panel of the larger target stocks.
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Old 10-20-2009, 10:44 PM
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I agree with Ed- there are many reasons a gun can be open on the books. I have owned three I think now that are open.
I seriously believe that theft is the least likely reason.

Demos, loaners, samples sent to PD's, etc are a very likely source.
I also agree that if the gun appears totally right, in a regular production model, what is to doubt?

It gets tricky when it is an unusual configuration.
I bought a used K-38 (Pre model number) at a gun show for a reasonable price for a used K-38. It has the original blue, a factory muzzle crown, factory blue on the muzzle, no rework or service marks, BUT- it is a 5 inch. The gun is open on the books. Probably loaned out for a possible contract order, or carried out by a salesman trying to get a PD contract. We'll probably never know.

I'll move this to the gun forum. It's a great place to talk about guns.
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Old 10-21-2009, 09:10 AM
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This RM, # 3447, from 1938, is still listed as 'open' on the S&W books.
It was a test and evaluation gun, as well as a loaner.
The initial production was in 1938.
The hbh, grip adapter and (modified) magnas came 'packaged'.
The postwar micro-click rear sight was added in 1946.
The gun was tested by the same police department twice, got 'lost' in the PD's safe sometime after the late 1940's, then resurfaced in the 1980's.
Don
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Old 10-21-2009, 12:38 PM
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Default .22/32 h.t

Sure am glad you guys have added the interesting reasons for an "Open on the Books" gun. I was not able to rationalize any other reasons beyond the ones posted originally. Thanks to all for the explanations and historical examples. Lee, thank you and Sir, please move this as you see fit.
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bekeart, postwar, recessed

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