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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 07-30-2014, 07:55 PM
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Default 1915 Second Model Commercial .455

Last weekend I started a new thread on a S&W I MIS-IDENTIFIED as a 1917 Commercial .455. My mistake and I apologize to all who provided comments and information.

Had some time between jobs today so I went back to my LGS and got some (hopefully accurate) information.

The piece is labeled/tagged: 1915 Second Model Commercial Smith & Wesson .455.
Barrel length is 6.5".
Barrel is marked: Smith & Wesson .455. (I mistakenly stated the barrel was marked .455 Webley in my original thread.)
Smooth grips, no medallions. Some penciled #'s on inside grip surface but #'s do not match the gun.
Patent dates 1901 & 1906 on top of barrel.
Serial #47030 on bottom of grip frame and rear cylinder face.
"Arrow in Circle" stamp plus other stamps on frame, rear cylinder face and backstrap.
I'm no expert but I'd say this has been re-blued. There are no stamps on the grip frame covered by the grips

Any information members can throw my way would be appreciated. Again, my apologies for my earlier thread with incorrect information.
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Old 07-30-2014, 08:10 PM
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Don't feel bad. I have to take a pencil and notepad to the LGS to have any hope of keeping the information straight later on.

Quote:
"Arrow in Circle" stamp plus other stamps on frame, rear cylinder face and backstrap.
If you get a chance, look at that one again. I'll betcha that is an "Arrow within a C", the Canadian military ownership mark. The other stamps are probably also military.

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Serial #47030 on bottom of grip frame and rear cylinder face.
The number should also be on the inside of the extractor star, on the yoke, and on the underside of the barrel. It takes some fancy manipulation and squinting to see all but the latter.

If there is any chance you could get some pictures, we would love to see them. If you don't mind, what was the asking price?
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Old 07-30-2014, 08:34 PM
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That SN would date production to, probably, early 1916, and it would have been shipped via the Remington-UMC Company to England or Canada. Rem-UMC was acting as purchasing agent for the British.
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Old 07-30-2014, 09:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Flash View Post
Don't feel bad. I have to take a pencil and notepad to the LGS to have any hope of keeping the information straight later on.

If you get a chance, look at that one again. I'll betcha that is an "Arrow within a C", the Canadian military ownership mark. The other stamps are probably also military.

The number should also be on the inside of the extractor star, on the yoke, and on the underside of the barrel. It takes some fancy manipulation and squinting to see all but the latter.

If there is any chance you could get some pictures, we would love to see them. If you don't mind, what was the asking price?
Asking $595. Dropped to $525.
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Old 07-30-2014, 10:38 PM
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" Probably re finished" <

On a 98 year old gun condition and function are everything.

If re finished , are the markings still crisp and legible?
If not then you have a gun like a 1000 others, ruined but for a shooter.

has it been converted to 45 Colt, or 45 A.C.P. ?
If so then the collector value as an original .455 is gone.

Does it cycle easily, or does it push off in single action?
If not mechanically sound then you have a project on your hands.

Are there any rings in the bore?
Never forget to check this on a old gun.


Allen frame
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Old 07-30-2014, 10:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Allen-frame View Post
" Probably re finished" <

On a 98 year old gun condition and function are everything.

If re finished , are the markings still crisp and legible?
If not then you have a gun like a 1000 others, ruined but for a shooter.

has it been converted to 45 Colt, or 45 A.C.P. ?
If so then the collector value as an original .455 is gone.

Does it cycle easily, or does it push off in single action?
If not mechanically sound then you have a project on your hands.

Are there any rings in the bore?
Never forget to check this on a old gun.


Allen frame
The markings are crisp. The "proof" type marks are unfamiliar to me, but legible. The S&W, caliber, patent dates etc. are very clean and legible.
The in-house gunsmith has verified the cal. as .455. No conversion.
It passes the usual revolver check-out tests, at least when I do them.
The bore looks pretty good too. No rings, bulges seen or felt.
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Old 07-30-2014, 11:51 PM
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So you know what it is. Question is do you want it or not? The price asked appears very good, and you could probably turn it for a couple of hundred profit if you wish. But if you are looking for a shooter, this is not it due to the difficulty of getting ammo at a reasonable price. And caliber conversion to .45 Colt, while feasible, would not be recommended on several levels.

Last edited by DWalt; 07-30-2014 at 11:52 PM.
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Old 07-31-2014, 12:06 AM
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Quote:
Dropped to $525.
That's in the ballpark. Replacing the grips with a correct set will probably run around $100 or so. If it is a refinish, I would try for a further reduction.
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