Being a St. Louis native I couldn't pass up acquiring this M&P. It was shipped in January 1922 . . . I only wish it could talk.

The departmental inscription on the backstrap is believed to have been done by the S&W factory.



Folklore has it that it was common practice for officers to have their initials etched into the side plate. I believe these are letters "A" and "W".



Its pretty apparent from the wear on the frame and grips that this is a true veteran of the roaring 20s.



Anyone out there with more insights to add?

Russ

It's a lovely revolver. I like to see the police revolvers which feature a departmental marking, nicely done as yours. What are the first numerals of the six-digit serial number?

Thank you. Serial is 3952XX.

Very nice! Im a sucker for police marked service revolvers. Yeah that one makes you wonder what it's owner seen and done in old Saint Louis!

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Stay safe people!

Russ:
That is the ultimate in COOL. You can just see ol' A.W. standing there, looking some scofflaw dead in the eye while rubbing on that walnut stock. It probably never occurred to him that he might be undergunned.
Ed

I don't have anything to add except I think that is very cool!!

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Dom

"You can just see ol' A.W. standing there, looking some scofflaw dead in the eye while rubbing on that walnut stock. It probably never occurred to him that he might be undergunned."

Yeah, and what's more, it probably never occurred to the scofflaw either.

Thanks for posting the nice revolver Linde. It didn't get too far from its original home did it. At least it remained in the state.

I have a roaring twenties M&P with a serial number a little over a hundred thousand higher than that one at 504XXX. It is the one I use as my avatar.

Does yours have a square notch rear sight?

Russ....That pistol could write a book on the old gangster days in Metro St. Louis. Those pistols were worn in a flap holster mostly cross draw with a Sam Brown with shoulder strap in those days. The difference was the Belt was 1 3/4" instead of the original 2 1/4 worn by most departments. Reason the belt was worn through the trouser belt loops rather than outside as most departments did, Of course that was in summer, In cool weather the fitted uniform tunic was worn with Belt and strap trough epaulets as was common with most military uniforms up through the war. I have somewhere a picture of my uncle Sgt. Paul Spavor (Long time range master for St.L.PD)wearing the class A uniform with all the leather in place.. He was still range master when i went on the department in the late 60s. He held the Camp Perry record for timed fire for years and using a Colt target revolver in 45.cal.
Sam Brown on outside as was the trend in those days. the 5" M&P was issued then also. You could carry any thing you could buy as long as it was loaded in 38spl. 158 grain lead slugs. The most violated rule in St. Louis. If the Sho Flys (IA) showed up in a district at role call somebody always knew and you could hear the 357, and super val being thrown behind the lockers, to be reloaded after the Sho fly's left. In those days quite a few Combat Mag 4" were carried, along with some Colt Pythons of course they went for the horrendous price of 127.00 Police Price. Rumor had it that some smart *** built into the flaps of the holster a spring that would make flap stay up after being unsnapped. Our PPC team had to acquire right side open holsters for PPC competition. We shot a lot of three gun NRA 2900 bulls eye back then. but combat shooting was on the way. As a side note St. Louis Metro was one of the first departments that had lead poisoning problems from their indoor range. Range had to be upgraded and uncle Paul had lead poisoning and after treatment had to drink a quart of milk every day of his life, Note: that was not his drink of choice! St. Louis WAS the home of Budweiser. (I might add the tap room in the brewery was open) enough said about that. You got a real keeper there. The last pistol I was issued was a SW Mod. 10 4" heavy barrel, still one of the best. The most used weapon we were issued was our batons. A two foot hard wood with a brass ferrel on the business end. The story was you could tape out pre determined signals on the steel electric post in the down town, so the walking beats could keep in touch, Well that was the story. Who the heck am I to question that use.....No Walkie Talkies then. Call box or car radio was it. Things were different then ,but control was kept. 60 year old bosses that knew of what they spoke..It was a life style not just a job....

Very cool gun!!

Great info, and a very good read as well George.

Great thread! Thanks for starting it off with that well-worn, old M&P, Linde.

Jerry

Thanks, Some of those days are clouded by a 71 year old memories. I was lucky enough to have been in two large city police forces in the 60s and early 70s.......Cincinnati Ohio and St. Louis Metro hell I was in my early 20s when I started right out of the Marines. I couldn't believe they paid you to have that much fun and excitement. You got to drive fast, wear a neat uniform, were armed, and could legally get into a fight, and a pay check on top of that. WOW for a blue collar German Irish kid, what could be better. Generally you had bosses that had been through what you were experiencing and at least understood it was a dangerous place out there. No place for a shrinking violet....Hell I loved it. Should have stayed on the streets but the glamor of bigger and better things in LE beckoned...As the old saying goes "Be careful what you wish for you just might get it" the real LE is still on the streets and I really believe that......All the other stuff is supportive or should be.

This one is serial number 450001 shipped to Geller, Ward & Hassner Hardware Co, St Louis, MO on May 10, 1923

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

I carried a department issued 38 Spl M&P 4" as a deputy in early 60's. I don't recall ever thinking I was undergunned. Weapon of choice for the bad guys was a topbreak 32 or 38. Sometimes a 25 rarely anything more. I can only remember finding two better guns in two years one a M&P 38Spl and a 1911 Govt model. The 38 was loaded with one wadcutter two 158 roundnose and three 38 long colts. He didn't have a good source of ammo. Another reason not to worry too much about being under gunned.

I got smarter later and went to a 1911AI Rem Rand.

Here is a 38/44 HD, sn 39979 shipped to Shapleigh Hardware, St Louis, MO on January 8, 1932 backstrap is lightly engraved "DISTRICT 12 JAMES P BLAIR 172"

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

Thanks for posting the pictures and stories...great thread!

[QUOTE=bmcgilvray;1224607

I have a roaring twenties M&P with a serial number a little over a hundred thousand higher than that one at 504XXX. It is the one I use as my avatar.

Does yours have a square notch rear sight?[/QUOTE]

No square notch rear sight on this one. These early sights make me admire the marksmanship of those early shooters even more.

Russ

My thanks to all who added great material to this thread . . . every now and then it's important we honor the workhorses of law enforcement past. Russ

[QUOTE=m-1911;1224784This one is serial number 450001 shipped to Geller, Ward & Hassner Hardware Co, St Louis, MO on May 10, 1923[/QUOTE]

Gary, Thanks for sharing . . . it looks like we have a matched pair. Am curious if yours has any initials engraved into the side plate? Russ

Russ

No initials on the sideplate

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

It was common to see SLPD revolvers with names or initials on the sideplate. I've owned a couple of them over the years generally picked up at St. Louis Gun Shows in the day. The card files for which officer had qualified with which revolver and had been issued it are at least partially still in existence, but there is no system in place for checking on who was issued a gun.

I can still remember call boxes on the LAPD in the early 80's... my training Officer used one of the last ones on Ventura Blvd to call his girlfriend.
Bob

I started as a 21 year old 7/1/69. I was the youngest officer in a department of 40 sworn officers. They now have somewhere around 140 officers. Revolvers were mostly carried with the exception of one officer who carried a WWII vintage 1911 and another who carried a S&W 39-2. A couple of the older officers still carried 38/44 HD's. I thought at the time they were ugly and cumbersome. My department didn't issue weapons at that time, but the chief had a box full of old military surplus Victories and would let you borrow one until you could buy your own gun. I carried a Navy marked Victory for a couple of weeks until I could get a finance company to loan me the money for a new model 10. ($85.00) I wish I knew where all those old guns were now. After the mod. 10 came a variety of magnums until the department "gun nut" introduced me to the mod. 58 which I carried until we were issued mod. 66's.

The call boxes were there for the foot patrolmen but they no longer worked because we now had walkie-talkies that weighed about ten pounds. (for foot patrolmen only) I was there when the phone company took them down and sold them for scrap. I wish I had kept one now. It would have looked good hanging in my house with all my other junk. Same with the penny parking meters and motorized sirens. The gun safe at the station contained shotguns, rifles, and machine guns from the 20's and 30's. They left the department when the old chief retired in the mid 70's. He had been there 40 years. At the time I didn't want any of that "old stuff" but did manage to get a Ithaca riot gun from the early 60's complete with hand guard and bayonet lug. I liked it because it was newer than the other stuff. I still have it.

I've got a few police marked guns, but not as many as I could have had. Hindsight is 20/20. Those are some fine St' Louis marked guns.

Just came across this thread after I posted one to discuss my newest find.
#350 from the SLPD 1923-24 I presume.

After looking at the photos of your duty guns, it's plain to see that this one was either never issued or at least never carried and maybe seldom fired.

Reading through your posts, I am guessing that contacting the SLPD would not reveal any information about this firearm.

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

I have one like it in near-mint condition with SN 4004xx. I think the toughest duty it ever saw was guarding someone's sock drawer. The closest M&P on my SN list to yours is 3963xx which shipped in 3/22.

Mine is S/N 4499XX
Love to see photos of yours DWalt!!

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Tom Graham SWCA #2303

This is it. It's an old picture, and in it, it's wearing a Wonder Sight it had when I bought it. Shortly after the picture was taken, I moved the Wonder Sight to another old M&P and replaced the bug screw. The only damage on it is a slight scratch from the Wonder Sight. Otherwise, it's near-perfect.

great posts here and beautiful guns.

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God save the SOUTH