Greetings,

A friend is going to sell his S&W revolver. It is a 5 screw version of the "Chief Special". The Serial Number is 1120X. Yes, five digits!!! Also has the flat latch and five shot cylinder. It has a blued finish.

I cannot find any reference to this model in the Blue Book of Gun Values. The closest I came was a "Chief Special Target"? The pistol has a two inch barrel and fixed sights.

Perhaps we have a model other than a Chief Special?.

Cheers,

Dave

If it is a 5 shot .38 Special as marked on the barrel it is a "Chief's Special", nothing else. It dates to 1952, second year of production for the model. The "Chief's Special Target" has adjustable sights and was not introduced until 1955.

If however the gun is a .38 S&W, then it would be a "Regulation Police", and would date to somewhere 1930 +/-.

The "Blue Book" is, in most ways, a waste of time and money. Virtually useless to identify specific models, and the prices are out-dated by years. The last time I compared prices between the current edition and one 2-3 years old the prices were identical!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

The early 1951 5 screw J frame Chiefs Specials had a half moon front site and a small trigger guard, As they evolved slowly changed to ramp Front site, elongated trigger guard , By 1958 it had become the 3 screw Model marked version we know today.
Left to right 38 S&W I frame 1950 Terrier 1951 .38 Chief special (1952 first J frame style) , 1954 .38 Chiefs Special


Pics would help.

Congratulations on a great handgun purchase! Here is my Baby Chief. Notice mine has the serrated ramp sight. But still has the small grips and round trigger guard. SN 35???. Feb 1952. These are pre-pre model 36's! This is one of my favorite guns. It is an awesome pocket BUG.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

The 32nd edition of the Blue Book, and I expect the others as well, does not even list the Chiefs Special "Baby J frame", the pre Model 36 or the standard Model 36 that I can find!!

If the serial number came from the butt and looks like Engine49guy's middle or right hand gun, you indeed have a Baby J Chiefs Special, a 5 screw with I frame size grip and and I frame smaller, rounder trigger guard. They are becoming more and more in demand.

It became the more familiar J frame Pre Model 36 in 1953 with egg shaped trigger guard and J frame size grip. And became the Model 36 c.1957.

If it reads 38 S&W CTG on the barrel, it's a .38 Terrier I frame.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Jim is correct about the SN location. S & W revolvers of this era will often have a stamped number on the frame under the barrel, which is a factory internal code and not the official SN. Also, notice the Chiefs Specials' cylinders in the above photos nearly fill the cylinder window, while the Terrier's does not.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

As others have already stated, without target sights and shooting the more powerful .38 S&W Special, what your friend has is a pre model 36 or Chief Special. Not to be confused with the recent Chief Special models that are I believe semi automatics. Several model names of the older S&W's have been recycled like the Chief Special and the Lady Smith. This would have never happened during the Wesson family ownership.

The original J frame that was built at the request of then president Carl Hellstrom, was a stretched out version of the I or improved I frame. Since the .38 S&W special cartridge was longer than the .38 S&W or the .32's of the era, the factory modeled the J frame after the I frames however, with a longer cylinder window. The butt was still the size of the I frame as was the trigger guard. These were later also enlarged to allow better handling of this small gun with the more powerful cartridge. This group of early J frame Chief Specials are referred to as the "Baby Chief" and IIRC run into the 20,000 serial range but I am not certain of that.
These guns will also have a round blade front sight as opposd to the later ramp style.

The last one that I bought was a couple years ago and I paid $600 with the holster and Chief's badge. Serial range was in the low 20,000's. Hope that helps.

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James Redfield
LM #497

A picture would make it alot easier to determine which one it is but do you recall which front site it has?
There were 3 styles, the half penny style , smooth ramp and last was the serrated ramp.

the early terriers and chief specials are getting to where they are demanding and bringing very high prices compared to what they where selling for just a couple of years back

there is a older post on this forum that dates back to the first part of the year where a prewar terrier at 60%, and a early chiefs special on a no reserve auction at gun broker brought over $1800 each

Greetings All,

Thank you VERY MUCH for the information. Obviously, more research is needed. I was shown the pistol with little time for careful study. I will see these folks in a couple of weeks and will try to get some digital images.

Cheers,

Dave

I believe I have the long lost cousin of other said 1952 baby chief

Can Any One Tell Me What The Screw In Front Of The Trigger Guard Is For

The screw in front of the trigger guard holds the plunger and spring that presses the bolt up into the cylinder when the trigger releases it. This screw was deleted in later models and spring and plunger are installed from inside.

Thanks
I Just Picked Up One

I will share my old 4 screw baby with you. 2" ramp sight 3rd model latch.
Sn. 69616. Bore and cyl. mint. Grips are chipped and match. Use it as a
shop gun. Bought for $200. Shoe just dropped. Re-nickled but no buff
marks. No blurr and perfect screws. Could not pass it up. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Does Ayone Know What The numbers On The Frame Mean (Where You Swing Out The Cylinder) .On My Chief Special S # 32XXX .There Not The Same As The Serial #

Those are assembly numbers used at the factory to keep pieces together during initial production.

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Tim
SWCA #2697

It Looks Like An Original 5 Digit Number . But It Has A Letter L ,Stamped Over The 2nd Digit From The Left.
Do You Know What This Means ?

No, we don't. As Tim explained, these numbers and letters have no "meaning" in and of themselves, and there are no "codebooks" or such to decipher them for us. They became irrelevant the moment the gun was completed at the factory. If you take the grips off, you should find more of those marks on the frame.

See post #6 above . Before 1958 all S & W revolvers just had model names, not numbers. Any numbers or letters stamped where you describe simply kept track of guns as they went through the assembly process. You should see the same number stamped on the side of the grip frame (with the stocks removed), and I believe also on the inside of the sideplate.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Welcome to the Forum.

The "L" is a fitter's mark.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

ASSEMBLY (factory work) #s:

These multi-digit numbers of 3 to 5 digits, are on the yoke at the hinge, in the ‘yoke cut’ on frame (accompanied with a stamped inspector letter) opposite the yoke near the hinge, and inside of the sideplate, for the pre war and early post war period.

In 1957 the assembly # in the yoke cut of the frame was relocated to the left side of grip frame after model #s were assigned and the serial # was eventually added in the ‘yoke cut’ where the assembly #, now moved to the left side of the grip frame, used to be. You know they are assembly (factory work) #s because of those 3 locations that always match on guns that are original, and that’s the only usefulness for them after guns leave the factory; still used to this day, long after serial number locations decreased.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks To All For That Clarification.
I Have On More Question.
Would This Gun Be OK To Fire +P Ammo ?.

SAAMI standard + P .38 Special will not blow up a mechanically sound steel J frame, but most would limit a vintage Baby Chiefs Special to occasional use to verify function and zero. Standard pressure .38 is easier on the gun and your wallet, and the paper target (soda can, steel plate) won't know the difference .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks for Your Recommendation
I was figuring For Self Defense
and Not Target Practice