S&W .357 - 6" barrel. Inherited. Having trouble finding out model, date of mfg. & value for insuring purposes.

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Welcome to the forum.

You have made an incredible intro.


Based on the serial number it looks like the Holy Grail of S&W revolvers, the Registered Magnum.

Take a photo of the frame with the cylinder open and see if it has a marking that says:

REG-XXX I.E. REG plus a series of numbers.

Those with more knowledge than me will be along shortly to give you an appraisal of condition and potential value. I expect it will be a bit more than you think.

If you have anything with it, box, paperwork, etc it will enhance the value.

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Bill

Welcome to the Forum. There were no model numbers for S&W before 1958 so the name is simply 357 Magnum Hand Ejector. They were made from 1935 to 1941 in the same serial number range as 44 Hand Ejectors, from serial number 45,768 to 60,000. There were 5500 Registered Magnums made, so check the frame behind the cylinder yoke for markings and let us know what you find. You may need a magnifying glass.

You have a very nice revolver there that would have been manufactured in 1935 or 1936. It could have shipped in those years or later.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Thank you for reply. I'll see if I can figure out how to add the pic you requested. I do have it.

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I have added the pic of the Reg. # you were looking for.

You have a fairly early S&W 357 Magnum, known by collectors as the Registered Magnum. Based on the REG number it is a fairly early gun, probably 1935. I know that General George S. Patton's gun is REG 506 and was ordered in September of 1935, so yours should be at the end of 35 or early 36.

If you go to the top of the Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 you will find a search feature. Just type in "Registered Magnum" and you will have days of reading.

As I said before, this is the Holy Grail of Smith and Wesson Collectors. These guns were all basically custom guns with barrel lengths between 3.5 and 8.75 inches in 1/4 inch increments. I believe the six inch barrel was the most common.

Like most S&W revolvers, condition and provenance greatly affect value. The photos look good, but I'm no appraiser as to condition and value. It does appear to have the original finish, which enhances value.

We, here, love photos and stories. Tell us about how you came into possession and detailed photos will help others to give approximate condition and value.

Again, welcome to the forum and you have made a grand entrance and have a gun that many aspire to.



Edited to add: This link will take you to a thread here on the Forum which goes into detail about the Registered Magnum

What Is A Registered Magnum

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Bill

Welcome to the forum. If my charts are correct, your serial is only one more than the revolver sent to General George Patton in October of 1935.

Beautiful gun you have there. Please let us know if you find any more information on it.

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John
SWCA #3401 SWHF #737

Welcome from the Alamo city. I would encourage you to obtain a historical letter which will tell you where and to whom the gun was shipped as well as the original configuration. I would also suggest you remove the wood grips and look at the right hand panel for the gun's serial number which would indicate that the grips were made for your gun. If the finish is original and the grips match your gun's value would be somewhere between $5.000 and 10,000 without the box and accessories.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

All I can say is WOW!!! You sure found the right forum to get info. Beautiful gun!

This gun belonged to my dad & I was quite sure I remembered it in his office when I was maybe 10. I have the holster that either came w/ it or one he purchased right after he bought the gun. He also had an old Colt single action .32 WCF. There is a quite ornate leather holster that looks to be a similar vintage as the Colt. Not sure I ever remember him firing either.

He died 5 years ago so I took the guns w/ me. I had fired them quite a few years ago then again the last 5 years. I have arthritis in my hands so they are hard for me to shoot anymore.

Both are in quite nice condition. I have never insured them, but thinking I need to do this.

The Smith is quite valuable and an old original Colt can be too. You are wise for looking into insurance. Then make sure you have a solid and safe place to store them.

Quinn - to your point re: grips. I checked the serial # on them & it matches & were made for this gun. Thanks for that info. Also, you suggest getting a historical letter re: additional info on the gun. Where would I do this? I have communicated quite a number of times w/ S&W corp., but they were unable to give me any info. They eventually referred me to this forum.

Appreciate your communication.

Here is where you go to order the letter. S&W does not do the letters, and they don't have the old records any more. The S&W Historical Foundation is now in possession of the records.

Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Home Page - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come

Also, just a piece of advice, don't store the gun in the holster. The tannin in the holster can adversely affect the finish on the gun.

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Bill

The closest RM SN I have listed is 47121 which shipped on 12/19/35. I also list two other RMs with only slightly higher SNs which also shipped in 12/35.

These being sold in the middle of the Depression, it was often only the "well heeled" that could afford them, so as others have mentioned, the historical letter can often be well worth it.

For many of us here, a Registered Magnum is the ultimate grail gun.

Thanks for joining the forum, and welcome!

Yes, the cost of an RM during the Great Depression limited most of its market to the moneyed. Famous owners included Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, General Patton, and J. Edgar Hoover (but I imagine his was a gift from S&W). There were those during the depression which did have money to squander on such toys, just not too many of them. I believe the price of an RM at that time was about $60, about twice the price of most ordinary Colt and S&W revolvers, and equivalent to around $1200 in today's dollars.

I usually joke around with someone that enters the forum with a nice piece by commenting on "nice splash" into the pond. What you got here is a full leg extended arms outstretched cannon ball. As has been mentioned that is the ultimate in most folks ideal. I am always hoping that one of my wife's girlfriends is going to stumble across something like that in either their husband or dad's sock drawer and knowing that I am into guns will call me to help her get ride of it. Truly beautiful revolver, good for you.

3 years ago this week I made my first post,about my inherited RM, and started my slow slide into a sickness many of us have. Congratulations. You have the finest gun ever made, IMHO. If you want to sell it there are many interested buyers. I was in your shoes three years ago and I am very glad I didn’t sell. You have a highly coveted treasure, but more importantly, you have a family treasure. Don’t sell.
Have you cleaned it? Get some G 96 or Rem Oil and wipe it down everywhere with a soft cotton cloth. Get the inside of the barrel and chambers too.
Yes, insure it. Wrap it up and keep it in a dry, safe place.
I would value your gun at $5000 to $7000, based on pics so far. I’m sure we would all love to see more pics!!
Congratulations. You have been entrusted with a wonderful heirloom. Welcome to the forum and I hope you stick around.Dave

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Illegitimi non carborundum

It probably goes without saying, but don't do anything to it- no refinishing, don't store it in the holster, etc. Very nice heirloom you have there.

Without a doubt......get the historical letter from Mr. Jinks. Cost is $100.00, but well worth it. Then contact the S&W Historical Foundation and have them research it. If nothing is found, no cost. If they find interesting info, they will let you know.
You've inherited a treasure, and the research cost will give you some valuable additional info about it.

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Mike H

I think I am correct in saying this, that almost all Registered Magnums will come back with the person who bought it, or maybe a police department name. I don't believe any went to distributors. Good chance the SWHF letter of authenticity could return your ancestor's name if purchased new, plus the SWHF historical search might even uncover correspondence from your ancestor as well. Link below.

I might have missed it above, but chances are you can obtain a replacement certificate of registration for your revolver as well.

Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Home Page - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I have sent in the Letter of authenticity request form about 6 weeks ago, but have rec'd. no response as of yet. Does anyone know how long a response takes generally?

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The time varies(6 to 10 weeks). Took mine about 8 weeks to finally arrive. Keep a look out for yours should be coming soon.

lgeorge1
At present, Mr. Jinks' computer is in the shop. He has a large backlog, so it will take a while for him to catch up when he gets his PC back.

So, don't despair but be extra patient. He will get to your letter as soon as he can.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

All I can say is " WOW ". Tough entrance to top.

Nice gun. Welcome aboard. Looks totally righteous to me.




That's not correct.
I have seen quite a few that lettered to a dealer like a hardware store that dealt in guns. I am certain that some shops that had a good gun trade simply ordered one for inventory. These are almost always seen in the configuration that we dealers call the "plain vanilla" Reg Mag, which is:
6"
Service grips
Call Gold Bead
Plain Square Notch Rear


That appears to be the config of the OP's gun, so good luck!

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Thanks for info.

How long does it normally take to get a history response from Mr. Jinks. Sent a lot of info & pics of my Reg. Magnum about 2 1/2 months ago.

It's running about 3 months.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Thanx for posting and congrats on your very nice inheritance from your dad.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

You should get it soon. I just received one back, 3 months and one week after I sent it.

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SWHF #691

Posts like this are what make this website so fun.
SW Gems are still out there just waiting to surface, what's even better is that you posted it here and had it properly identified, many just end up being sold to some pawn shop for $50 .
Congrats and welcome aboard !

I just dumped my coffee into my keyboard.!! WOW !!!

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John

Incredible! What an amazing piece of family history you have there, good for you!

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Pass it on.
Mark

Nice piece of S&W History you have there My Friend!

Yes... That's really neat. Even more so because it was passed-down to you.
The best most of us can hope for is to "find" a RM, in one of the usual places: LGS, pawn shop, maybe online.

I join the others here who eagerly await your follow-up post once you've heard back from Dr. Jinks!
-Bill

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Veteran Paratrooper, '86-'90

Congratulations Sir and Welcome to The Forum! I know I’m late with my welcome but just saw this great post.

What a Wonderful piece of history and Family Heirloom, you are in possession of one of the finest handguns ever made.

Hope that beauty stays in your family for many generations!

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Danny
SWCA #3370 - SWHF #672