When did S&W stop using the gold boxes?

When they ran out.

Seriously, someone with more knowledge than I will be along soon.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Some slow selling models shipped in the 60"s with leftover gold boxes. I think that Smith had a lot of new K32 gold boxes they ended up selling in bulk.

Early-Mid 1950's.

A not too scientific wild guess suggests I should add a (thereabouts) after that------which is to say gold boxes for the fast movers (M&P's for example) stopped earliest and those for not so fast movers stopped later. (And now that I think about that, the number of boxes they had on hand dictated when the change was made rather than the numbers of guns produced.)

The only facts I can offer up are K-22 #K253444 was produced during 1955 (along with all those within K231256-K266164) and was shipped January 10, 1956, and went out the door in a Blue box. Another fact is gold boxes for .44 HE 3rd Targets (pre-war guns) were used for .44 HE 4th Targets (by whatever more proper name they might be known) which are post-war guns. And that more proper name is .44 HE 4th Model Target Model of 1950 Target. It's number is S141071, and it was shipped September 9, 1955 in a pre-war gold box (for a 3rd)------with a sticker on it identifying the contents more accurately.

And now that you've made me start all this thinking, my teeth are starting to hurt; so you're on your own. I would tell you you're on a "fool's errand" except someone with more imagination than education will pop up and take me to task for calling you a fool---------which I did not---and would not. You're just a little bit nutty----just like the rest of us.

Ralph Tremaine

And now having seen the thoughts of those who type faster than I do (and might just think faster too), they're right----gold boxes were going out in the 60's----hence the "fool's errand" comment----and the "little bit nutty" comment too.

And finally, here's a question for you to work on: How high is up?

I got out my SCSW4 and there is some information on page 53. Supica states they ran from 1946 for some models and spread across most of the product range. They were phased out in the mid/late 1950s, but were used on some models until 1965.

My thoughts are slightly different, since there were early Masterpiece revolvers placed in maroon two piece boxes before the gold boxes showed up sometime in 1947. I also have seen some speculate that the Masterpiece boxes went away pretty much when the Model numbering system was introduced by 1957.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Reason for the question is that I am looking at a M27 which dates to 1957. It is in a gold box with ser,# on back in crayon. Thought maybe somebody pulling my leg as I had thought Smith had changed to blue boxes by then. Live and Learn!!!