Very Early post war .357 Magnum shipped to Evauators LTD.. The shop was owned by ret. Brig. General VanOrden..
who's wife was proported to be related to Carl Hellstrum of S&W.. and it was she that named the Model 28.. Highway Patrolman..

This 3 1/2" blue was shipped on 2/10/1950.. The SCS&W states that the serial numbers started at S 75000.. This one is S 75947... A very early gun indeed..

Was it HIS personal gun?? we will never know, but the carved Eagle Grips and the USMC give food for thought..

The 1940?? reportedly the year his father died.. ..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I am speechless. I believe this must be the best example of a pre-27 I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing ditrina. That is simply spectacular.

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Even older, even crankier....

Especially cool with the narrow service hammer. Now that was some carry piece, for sure.

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FBINA, 204th Session

That's an excellent piece. It might be possible to contact the family or estate of General Van Orden to get some clarification on the gun. I understand this would be an undertaking, but getting documentation of the gun's history and ownership would certainly add to its value.

I too noticed the grips, which look to be cut for a pre-war N-Frame, as they are just slightly too long for the post war frames. They would look great on a RM or Pre-war or transitional O/D.

Thanks for sharing.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Carl Hellstrom's notes have the first .357 1950 model as S75514.
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

The grips are fascinating all by themselves. The revolver is a real gem, quite a prize.

Cheers;
Lefty

Beautiful revolver. It's hard to say anything else.

Enjoy,

Paul

This one "is NOT my fault", Sal told me so.
Sal, I want to go with you on your next bank heist though. I need some money to buy guns too you know.

All kidding aside, you have definately moved to the next level and are now acquiring some truly historic collector pieces. I envy what you have done. Go forth grasshopper and enjoy.

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Dick

Gen Van Orden's Evaluators shop is quite famous and he surely sold scores of guns to Marines over the years.
I'd say that it is highly unlikely that this 357 magnum belonged to the General, not only based on odds, but on the 1940 date on the grips. Van Orden was commissioned in 1928 and retired after WW2 so there would be no apparent reason to date his ivories "1940". The most likely scenario is that a Marine who joined in 1940 bought the gun at Evaluators and custom ordered the grips.

I have observed that narrow hammer on most of the 3-1/2" Pre-27's that shipped in 1950. I actually think it was on all that I have observed, but I don't recall for sure. It was a practice the factory did not continue long, and guns shipped after 1950 usually have the semi-target hammer like the longer barreled guns.





Such a wonderful skeptic.
I sold this gun to Sal. I don't remember when I bought it, but it was some time before Jan, 07. It might have been in 04, 05, or 06.
The grips were on it when I bought it.
I bought it from a man that trades a lot of vintage S&W's. He often keeps a gun a few years, and thins the herd when they pile up. I don't remember how long he said he had had it. The grips were on it when he got it.

I did not realize for quite some time how early the gun might be. I assumed someone had added the grips somewhere along the line, and put a pair of diamond magnas on it.
I sold the grips on ebay in Dec, 07.
A member here, 29-1, bought them.
I lettered the gun in Sept, 08.
As I learned more about Van Orden and how he was connected to Hellstrom and also well known for outfitting Marine officers, I realized that perhaps the ivory grips had been on the gun most or all of its life.
I contacted Chuck (29-1), and he still had them and agreed to sell them back to me. THANK You, Chuck!

So, the grips were on it when I got it.
The grips were on it when the man I got it from got it.
The grips were separated from the gun for a couple of years and reunited with it.

I'm off to the bank to pay them 12 grand more. I'll be back in a few hours, so if you have any more doubts, aspersions, or questions, I'll be in the right mood to handle them.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Awesome gun Sal

Sal, first rate piece. Love the ivory, and I hope you manage to establish their earliest history. Congratulations on the score!

I saw my first short-action N-frame service hammer a couple of weeks ago when i took delivery of an Austin P.D. Heavy Duty. Even though I am mostly a prewar kind of guy, I have a few postwar N-frames -- but they all have target or semi-target hammers. Without doing any research I had accidentally formed the opinion that low-spur hammers all had wide spurs! Live and learn.

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David Wilson

I don't think we'll ever know.
I do suspect this is the the FIRST 3-1/2" Pre-27 his shop received, but maybe not.
Maybe he kept it, maybe he sold it. Maybe he kept it for awhile and sold it. I don't know.

With the help of others, notably our member JayCeeNC, I've built a small database of early shipped 3-1/2's. I have only seen one other that is earlier.

Here you are-
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Early 1950 Model 357 Mags

All are 3.5” unless noted:
SH = Speed hammer
ST = Semi Target

By Date
S75514 – Nov-1949 Barrel length unknown to me
S75523 – Jan-1950 B.R.
S75947 – Feb 10, 1950 SH This Gun
S75581 – Mar 8, 1950
S75866 – Mar- 1950 Holster wear, SH
S75952 – April- 1950
S75935 – May 10, 1950
S76311 – May 26, 1950 3.5 Blue SH? letter
S75929 – June 28, 1950 SH 3.5 Blue letter
S75867 – July 20, 1950, SH
S77125 – Aug 23, 1950 ST Hammer Letter Pic
S75855 – Sept, 1950 Reblue
S79524 – Sept 21, 1950 Barrel length unknown to me

By Serial Number
S75514 – Nov-1949 Barrel length unknown to me
S75523 – Jan-1950 B.R.
S75581 – Mar 8, 1950
S75855 – Sept, 1950 Reblue
S75866 – Mar- 1950 Holster wear, SH
S75867 – July 20, 1950 SH
S75929 – June 28, 1950 SH 3.5 Blue letter
S75935 – May 10, 1950
S75947 – Feb 10, 1950 SH This Gun
S75952 – April- 1950
S76311 – May 26, 1950 3.5 Blue SH? letter
S77125 – Aug 23, 1950 ST Hammer Letter Pic
S79524 – Sept 21, 1950 Barrel length unknown to me

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I had wondered about Evaluators Ltd. since receiving this letter on the 3" Chief shown (shipped Oct. 21, 1955). I later purchased the Centennial Catalog with Helstrom's 100 Years, both marked Evaluators Ltd. Quantico, VA. I've since found another 100 years marked Evaluators.

Sal, with regards to 27's, you are "THE MAN". You should be DOC 27, you predicted, when I bought my first 27, that I was probably going to get 27itis, you were right. Thanks for sharing the nice photos!
DLB

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Be Kind! John 3:16,14:27

{no words}

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NRA Certified Instructor

Here are two that I have that can be added to the data base.

S76552 - shipped August 19, 1950 - 3.5" barrel - Semi Target Hammer
S77982 - shipped August 21, 1950 - 5" barrel -Semi Target Hammer

This ^.....

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Run Fast, Bite Hard!

Nice! I will tell you I have seen so many post that are rich in history since I have joined. With many many well informed members and the pics that go along!

Thanks for sharing!

RB

Lee, both S75581 and S75935 have the "speed hammer" as they are both early guns.
Guess I forgot to list that.

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John

Truly one of the most impressive guns I've seen on this site.
Congrats!

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

I have S75956 that looks just like yours with the slender hammer on it. It shipped to Powell & Clement, Cincinnati on April 2, 1950. Nine numbers different, shipped two months apart.
I hope you like yours as much as I like mine.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

And folks wonder why we do this.... So much knowledge so much shared.. Thanks to all..

This Place is GREAT!!!

Sal

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

BEAUTIFUL GUN.....LUCKY YOU! and I like the grips......

SEMPER FI

All I can share is that it's just ONE more in a long line, (literally ), of some of the nicest 27's and pre 27's I've ever seen in one place!

Nice Salvatore.

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RIP Shipmate

He's gotta add this one to that pic: "27s all in a line"

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NRA Certified Instructor

As always, I love the gun, the grips, the history, and this forum!!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

S79600 shipped 9/20/50 is not as nice and has the wider hammer. But it is in nickel and I hear this was unusual at that time.

Hi Lee, here i, S75935, shipped May 10, 1950 to Houston, TX. It shipped in this pre-war RM short box, which was unfortunately later destroyed in a plane crash.
Regards
Chuck


You can add S76717, a nickel 3.5" which shipped July 31st, 1950 to Seattle, WA. Has Ropers on it now, but it shipped with the numbered magnas.

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SWCA1517 SWHF256
Rangers LTW!

29-1, did yours ship with the RR, TT, TH? Was it shipped to Warshall's? They were the premier sporting good place in Seattle for a lot of years, enough that several of my family members bought their Smiths there. Beautiful, btw. What a pair yours and ditrina's make!

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Even older, even crankier....

Thanks for all the new data, folks.
Updated below.

Early 1950 Model 357 Mags

All are 3.5” unless noted:
SH = Speed hammer
ST = Semi Target

By Date
S75514 – Nov-1949 Barrel length unknown to me
S75523 – Jan-1950 B.R.
S75947 – Feb 10, 1950 SH This Gun
S75581 – Mar 8, 1950 SH
S75866 – Mar- 1950 Holster wear, SH
S75952 – April- 1950
S75935 – May 10, 1950 SH - Reg Mag Box
S76311 – May 26, 1950 3.5 Blue SH? letter
S75929 – June 28, 1950 SH 3.5 Blue letter
S75867 – July 20, 1950, SH
S76717 - July 31, 1950 Nickel
S76552 - Aug 19, 1950 ST
S77125 – Aug 23, 1950 ST Hammer Letter Pic
S75855 – Sept, 1950 Reblue
S79600 – Sept 20, 1950 Nickel ST
S79524 – Sept 21, 1950 Nickel ST

By Serial Number
S75514 – Nov-1949 Barrel length unknown to me
S75523 – Jan-1950 B.R.
S75581 – Mar 8, 1950 SH
S75855 – Sept, 1950 Reblue
S75866 – Mar- 1950 Holster wear, SH
S75867 – July 20, 1950 SH
S75929 – June 28, 1950 SH 3.5 Blue letter
S75935 – May 10, 1950 SH - Reg Mag Box
S75947 – Feb 10, 1950 SH This Gun
S75952 – April- 1950
S75956 - April 2, 1950 SH
S76311 – May 26, 1950 3.5 Blue SH? Letter
S76552 - Aug 19, 1950 ST
S76717 - July 31, 1950 Nickel
S77125 – Aug 23, 1950 ST Hammer Letter Pic
S79524 – Sept 21, 1950 Nickel ST
S79600 – Sept 20, 1950 Nickel ST

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

A10, yes, it shipped to Warshall's along with another one just like it. The letter doesn't verify one way or the other the TT/TH/RR, and I suspect those came later along with the Ropers. This is the way I got it a few years ago.
Chuck

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SWCA1517 SWHF256
Rangers LTW!

Dang, so long since I looked at my records!
I also own S79524 on the list, 3.5" barrel, nickel, with semi-target hammer.

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John

Thanks- fixed the list.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett