Hello, everyone:
Would this box be correct for a rare post war transitional 44 Target(Mod 26 target variation)?
If so - how uncommon are the guns and the boxes?
Thank you!
Val

Attached Images

	44targetBox.jpg (92.7 KB, 156 views)
	44targetBox1.jpg (83.4 KB, 103 views)
	44targetBox2.jpg (62.7 KB, 88 views)
	44Targetbox3.jpg (93.5 KB, 93 views)
	44targetBox4.jpg (65.9 KB, 94 views)

Looks correct to me.

Did you win that? Not a bad price in my opinion.Those guns are worth so much, $350 isn't much on top.

Do you have the right revolver, or are you getting the box and hoping to fill it?

The number is a little confusing, seems to have an extra digit, which is good, it makes it easier to disregard.

I believe it is the proper box for the revolver you describe. The purists would not call it a pre-model gun, but the later version would be a model 24; the model 26 is a .45 ACP but otherwise similar.

So, how about a photo of the gun?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The Post War .44 Target would be a Pre-24.

I think that box looks correct. It is very similar to one of my early Postwar Pre-26's.

Yes, I just bought it with a hope of finding the gun one day...
Supica's book calls it Mod 1926 target - post war transitional variation...

I hope you are a very patient Man,And fairly wealthy.A trans. 1926 Target will be both very rare and very expensive.....

Seems like all told there are 3 post war 44 special targets.

1926 transitional

4th aka 1950 or pre 24

then the model 24

With the OPs box number apparently starting with a 64 I would think it would not be a pre 24, instead a 3rd model, 1926 transitional, but that's maybe a little confused since there seems to be an extra digit in the serial number.

I do not think the number on the "sticker" is the serial number of the Gun shipped in the box....

Yes, your probably right. Might be a 1950, might be 1926. Regardlessof what it started as, it would be a lot easier to fill it with a 1950.

Too bad Jim Fisher is not around,I am sure he can shed some light on what once called that box Home.....

Val,

To me, it appears to be B 42733; a pre war Mod 1926, 3rd Model, Blue 44 Target from 1933. The serial number was taken from the barrel shroud along with the B.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Good Eye Jim,I would have never thought that.It could also be a late 2nd Model Target as well.

EDIT:I thought the pre war boxes where the hinged type....Not the Two piece?

Two excellent points. We can only speculate:

Late shipped (after 1946) 2nd or 3rd model way out of # sequence.

A post 1946 style box used to return ship a factory reworked 1933 2nd or 3rd model Target (maybe factory converted to target), back to customer.

A post 1946 - pre 1975 box used by the owner for a pre war 2nd or 3rd model who marked the gun's s/n on it, until he found the correct box.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Wow, fellows!
That is a good piece of deductive work there!
Will let you know if I find any other numbers on the bottom of the box, once I receive it and examine it closely.
Thank you.
Val

Finally received the box.
Unfortunately, no serial numbers on the bottom...
Also, difficult to tell if the first number/letter on the side label is a digit or a letter B...

Hi
That box was used for the Transitions and also for the pre model 24 early guns.
I have that same box with out the writting on the label and it is serial numbered to a pre 24 shipped in 1953.
Jim

The 3rd model postwar targets are few and far between. I've got one and its a nice gun, even if its been to a war to two. While Jim is right, there are/were also gold boxes the same gun shipped in. To make matters even more confusing, there are gold boxes with paper labels that identify the gun as a Model 1926 target. The 3rd and 1926 are the same guns, just slightly different names for the same thing.

No one here knows how many 3rd model targets were produced. I'll be happy to agree with Jim and Lee and the suggestion that either 50 or less than 50 were made. I don't think anyone alive really knows, and you've pretty well exhausted the pool of guys who know about them. We do have a few of those, and I'd love to score another.

As a guess and a story, a while back I took a bunch of ratty old guns to the louisville show. One was my postwar 1926 target. When I packed stuff to bring along, I didn't realize it was coming. But when I got there I just put a $5000 tag on it and dumped it in my display case. Lee walked past and told me to put the gun away, that if I wasn't careful, I'd be going home without it. It never occurred to me it had gone up in value that much.

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Dick Burg

I'll take it for 5K....Send me a PM...