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07-31-2014, 02:35 PM
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RM serial # prefix
A friend of mine has an old S&W revolver in 357 magnum I believe. When you open the cylinder there is a number with rm in front of 3 digits. I figured a S&W forum was the place to ask. The barrel is 4 1/2 inches I think and the front sight has some kind of mirror on it. I never saw anything like it. Any ideas?
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07-31-2014, 02:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cerwinvega15
A friend of mine has an old S&W revolver in 357 magnum I believe. When you open the cylinder there is a number with rm in front of 3 digits. I figured a S&W forum was the place to ask. The barrel is 4 1/2 inches I think and the front sight has some kind of mirror on it. I never saw anything like it. Any ideas?
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cerwinvega15,
Until the Reg. Magnum Experts show up...If it is truly a Registered Magnum...And you're referring to the RM in Front of 3 Digits being in the Upper Yoke Cut in the Frame...I think you find it's stamped REG. with 3 digits & is the Registration No. of the Revolver...I'll let the Registered Magnum guys take it from here...Thought I'd help a bit in the mean time!!
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07-31-2014, 03:06 PM
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Pictures will help a TON.
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07-31-2014, 03:15 PM
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Sounds to be a Registered Magnum to me. The front sight sounds to be a King Reflector, which was an option at that time. Ditto on the photos .
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07-31-2014, 03:38 PM
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The RMs had both a serial number (on the butt) and a registration number on the yoke. They were not the same number. ANY RM is well worth the $50 cost of getting a factory letter to find out more details about it. RMs are extremely desirable if not messed with. Provide a serial number and you will get an estimate of shipping date.
Last edited by DWalt; 07-31-2014 at 03:40 PM.
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08-01-2014, 02:48 PM
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Note the two numbers. One is my Registration number and the serial number is over in the barrel hood or on the butt. Look at the font also. They are different.
So if it looks like this it is a "Registered Model". There is some contention what actually constitutes a "Registered Magnum", ie: did the original owner actually register it or did they just toss the card type of thing.
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08-01-2014, 04:18 PM
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Be sure to measure from the front of the cylinder aka the "face" of the cylinder to the barrel tip. If its truly 4.5 in that is a pretty rare barrel length. Some people incorrectly measure from the end of the frame to the barrel tip.
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08-01-2014, 05:36 PM
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S&W would make up RMs to about any barrel length (within limits) a customer specified. So any barrel length is possible, but standard lengths dominate.
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08-01-2014, 06:08 PM
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Quote:
S&W would make up RMs to about any barrel length (within limits) a customer specified. So any barrel length is possible, but standard lengths dominate
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They were any barrel length, provided the length was in 1/4 in increments. The exception being the 8 3/8 in barrel. RM barrel lengths could be custom ordered in lengths from 3 1/2 in to 8 3/4 in. There was not a true "standard" length as in other models. The 6.5in is most common, but the owner could request any length given those parameters. This fact makes for some unusual, rare, and valuable RMs today.
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08-01-2014, 06:50 PM
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"There was not a true "standard" length as in other models."
Perhaps not, but the pre-WWII S&W advertising for the .357 Magnum listed barrel length availabiltiies of 3-1/2", 5", 6", 6-1/2" and 8-3/8".
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08-01-2014, 06:55 PM
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Quote:
Perhaps not, but the pre-WWII S&W advertising for the .357 Magnum listed barrel length availabiltiies of 3-1/2", 5", 6", 6-1/2" and 8-3/8".
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That was probably the advertising after the RM was discontinued (replaced by the Non-reg mag which was still called the "357 magnum" by S&W) and the barrel lengths were then standardized. I'm guessing then that the advertising you speak of would be 1938 at the earliest IMO but likely 1939 or even 1940 me thinks.
The line you cite would have been misleading regarding RMs which is why I think it was about the non-reg mags.
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Last edited by Göring's S&W; 08-01-2014 at 06:57 PM.
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