|
|
08-14-2010, 08:05 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: PA.
Posts: 1,848
Likes: 9
Liked 1,285 Times in 264 Posts
|
|
The idiosyncrasy of S&W collecting
Some common misconceptions....
The serial number on a 38 Military & Police revolver is always stamped on the butt of the grip frame...
A factory letter will tell you when a gun was shipped and if the engraving was done at the factory...
S&Ws shipped after World War II have a letter prefix in their serial number...
So you want to collect Smith & Wesson's?
Rule #1...Never say never.
Rule #2...Never say always.
Rule # 3...Enjoy the Quest!
__________________
Pace
|
08-14-2010, 08:27 AM
|
|
Moderator SWCA Member Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: PNW
Posts: 2,571
Likes: 2,242
Liked 1,383 Times in 254 Posts
|
|
excellent post, beautiful guns
thanks
Dan
|
08-14-2010, 08:38 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2,260
Likes: 2
Liked 116 Times in 85 Posts
|
|
I purchased a Class A engraved S&W Model 41 directly from H.H. Harris of Chicago who was at that time a large S&W distributor. There was no factory record of the gun being engraved and the only notatioon on the box was a chalk marked Class A. The person to whom I sold it managed to contact the factory engraver who was retired in Florioda and had him certify that he engraved the piece.
|
08-14-2010, 08:49 AM
|
|
SWCA Member Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The kidney of Dixie.
Posts: 10,509
Likes: 49
Liked 13,410 Times in 3,290 Posts
|
|
Two examples in this thread of "open" guns that were apparently factory engraved. Seems likely that record keeping mistakes were easily made when guns were sent to the engraving shop.
As to the pre/post war serial situation, we know how crazy things were during the war and the transition to commercial production immediately following. I think that a number of guns or numbered frames set in inventory from the 1930s and were not assembled or shipped until after the war. Not really a mystery.
With so many different models sharing the same frames incorrect model number stampings are also easy to understand.
That unusual serial location on the old M&P is a puzzler. Maybe the serial was inadvertently left off and when the mistake was caught for some reason it was easier or faster to stamp it in front? Just guessing, here.
One could start a collection of S&W oddities.
__________________
No life story has happy end.
|
08-14-2010, 09:23 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 982
Likes: 1
Liked 44 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Very informative and cool post!
__________________
Dom
|
08-14-2010, 09:43 AM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NW Montana
Posts: 441
Likes: 1,189
Liked 324 Times in 83 Posts
|
|
Pace:
Excellant Post. Educational and Articulate.
I hope we can look forward to more insights & examples from your M&P collection.
__________________
Mitch
SWCA 2438
|
08-14-2010, 11:18 AM
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: OR
Posts: 3,517
Likes: 5,500
Liked 1,028 Times in 351 Posts
|
|
Mike,
You sure do own some interesting and good-looking guns. Thanks for sharing,
Jerry
|
08-14-2010, 11:26 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,338
Likes: 65
Liked 247 Times in 166 Posts
|
|
Excellent post.
|
08-14-2010, 11:29 AM
|
|
US Veteran
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 4,007
Likes: 18,968
Liked 3,524 Times in 1,127 Posts
|
|
Mike, that 2" nickel gun is a beaut!
A couple years ago I posted about a pre-Model 19, serial # K260,006, the sixth one manufactured. I had the box at one time and saw the gun, but never owned it. It was owned by the former Adjutant General of the NC National Guard and he acquired it at the Camp Perry Matches in 1956-1957. It is "open on the books" according to Mr. Jinks. It was probably a gift to the General from the S&W rep at the matches.
__________________
John
|
08-14-2010, 11:58 AM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 4,634
Likes: 2,805
Liked 4,156 Times in 1,126 Posts
|
|
The short stocks on your 2 inch M&P's are my favorite grip configuration.
I wonder how many years, and in what years, this type of stocks were used on short barrel K frames?
Unique post. A breath of fresh air!
GF
|
08-14-2010, 12:15 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 13,996
Likes: 5,005
Liked 7,702 Times in 2,624 Posts
|
|
Thanks for the cautionary reminders, even if they do run directly counter to some generalizations I have heard myself make in the last 24 hours.
Nice guns, too!
__________________
David Wilson
|
08-14-2010, 02:01 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Kentucky, USA
Posts: 7,470
Likes: 2,830
Liked 6,261 Times in 2,170 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by GF
The short stocks on your 2 inch M&P's are my favorite grip configuration.
I wonder how many years, and in what years, this type of stocks were used on short barrel K frames?
|
Probably as many years as they made "short barrel K frames" !
I've got a woodpile in the vault. I've got 1900-1910 (no medallion) grips, both round and square. Then I've got gold medallion 1910-1920, round or square. 1920s square (I don't have any round from that era). And of course, the beautiful 1930s grips. That's 40 years of service stocks.
You should come to the gunshows and look. You'd learn a lot!
Where's Doublesharp when I need him? He could pile on for fun.
__________________
Dick Burg
|
08-14-2010, 08:24 PM
|
|
Administrator
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 27,020
Likes: 8,997
Liked 48,767 Times in 9,262 Posts
|
|
I know a secret........
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett
|
08-14-2010, 09:24 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: PA.
Posts: 1,848
Likes: 9
Liked 1,285 Times in 264 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by handejector
I know a secret........
|
Wow...you do read your own board!
__________________
Pace
|
08-14-2010, 10:33 PM
|
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: N GA
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 204
Liked 3,613 Times in 1,498 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pace40
So you want to collect Smith & Wesson's?
Rule #1...Never say never.
Rule #2...Never say always.
Rule # 3...Enjoy the Quest!
|
Hmmmm, reminds me of collecting M1 Carbines!
|
08-15-2010, 01:51 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 1
Liked 54 Times in 20 Posts
|
|
Great Post! Just goes to show what you may or may not find when you do research.
|
08-15-2010, 08:21 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,606
Likes: 266
Liked 2,564 Times in 465 Posts
|
|
I have a 17-1 that is open on the records, talk to the previous owner and he told me that he got it from a gunsmith and of coures he has know idea where it came from. It's kind of cool have one one that not on the books....
__________________
George Jamison
|
08-15-2010, 09:14 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central PA.
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 965
Liked 745 Times in 231 Posts
|
|
Thanks pace40. This is one of the more different posts I've seen in awhile. Very interesting.
|
08-15-2010, 04:47 PM
|
|
Administrator
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 27,020
Likes: 8,997
Liked 48,767 Times in 9,262 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pace40
Wow...you do read your own board!
|
Alas, not as much as I once did.
Your post clued me in to go look for the thread on Gun #1. You had made it about the time we were setting up the SWCA.
I enjoyed the board a lot more before I owned it.....
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett
|
|
Tags
|
commercial, engraved, engraver, gunsmith, jinks, military, model 19, model 41, s&w, smith-wessonforum.com, swca, transition |
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|