Shooter grade transitional Outdoorsman

[NB4EST]

Picked'er up for $425. Barrel has been chopped to 4 5/8" with custom crown, chambers reamed to accept .357, gold bead front sight installed, extensive gun-smithing done to interior, thinks she's a 22 rifle with her pet 158 grain load .....Here to stay, but hopin she's a birth year gun for me.....Serial # S 712XX....Any chance she left the factory in late 1947?

Any and all opinions appreciated.

[DWalt]

It's difficult to give an accurate shipping date by the SN alone for that period, but S712XX would strongly indicate shipment in the early to mid 1948 period. The manufacturing date range is S68,000 – S71,999……….Late 1947 – Early 1948. Not a terrible price for one in good shootable condition. It seems many of them (both HDs and ODMs) got the post-factory .357 rechambering.

[DCWilson]

I believe that the lowest known serial number on a transitional OD is just above S69600 and that the highest known serial number is a little below S72000. That leaves about 2400 serial numbers to play with, and at least a few of these (but not many) were .357s and .44s. This was a popular model, and to judge from known shipping dates most of the available production was sold in the second half of 1946 and the first half of 1947. There may be a few that weren't shipped until 1948, but I think it likelier that they were all gone in 1947 and that no more ODs were shipped until the short-action Model of 1950 (Pre-23) began production a few years later.

So yes, there's a chance that your revolver dates to 1947, but it would take a letter to nail that down.

Can you show some pics? Sounds like an interesting gun.

[NB4EST]

Attachment 14079
Picture of the gun.

[NB4EST]

Thanks, Gentlemen.....I knew someone here would have insights far beyond my limited knowledge. Think I'll letter the Outdoorsman......The grips appear to be original and extensive polishing has been done inside the frame.....The SA pull is very crisp and reasonably light....The DA pull is smooth enough to be conducive to "pulling through"......It likes light loads of W-231 and 158 grain cast wide flat points bullets in 357 cases.....Plan to try WST or Trail Boss with 148 grain HBWCs soon.

[S&W ucla]

Somebody took a good target gun and turned it into a GREAT carry gun! I like it!

[DWalt]

"Plan to try WST or Trail Boss with 148 grain HBWCs soon"

You might also try loading the HBWCs in .38 Special cases. For many years, the "Old Standby" target load with the 148 grain full wadcutter bullet in .38 Special cases was 2.8-3.0 grains of Bullseye. I have an early 1950s Heavy Duty .38/44, also with its chambers lengthened to accept .357 cartridges. I have found a good load for it is 7.0 grains of Unique and a 158 grain lead SWC bullet in .357 cases. In mine (4" barrel), the MV is about 1050 ft/sec, and it groups well.

[NB4EST]

My Model 14 likes the 148s and cast 158s in 38 cases with Bulls-Eye. I plan to try'em in the 38/44. Thanks all for the input.

[NB4EST]

Wish I could take a better pic of the muzzle. A high-relief ring was left encircling the bore that seems to me would protect the crown perhaps better than any other treatment I've seen.

[The Gila Bender]

Originally Posted by NB4EST

.....Serial # S 712XX....Any chance she left the factory in late 1947? Any and all opinions appreciated.

I have a transition .38/44 Outdoorsman, serial S 71261, lettered as shipped November 4, 1946 to Northwest Hardware Co., Portland, OR. 20 units in the shipment. The cool tidbit is that the seller was a dealer in Longview, WA, less than fifty miles from Portland.

Not long ago I saw another transition OD for sale online, JTD, I think. The serial number was within five digits of mine. This made me think of two things, 1) That SW probably made a batch of OD's in the 71xxx range, and 2) Could that OD have shipped to Northwest Hardware on November 4, 1946?

The transition Outdoorsman is a truly graceful firearm, in my opinion. It was intended for sporting purposes, recreational target shooting, and competition while the Heavy Duty and .44HE Military were marketed as service revolvers for law enforcement. In the short transition period of 1946-1949, after several years of rationing and limited civilian manufacturing, and before the short action 1950 Models arrived, it must have been a special treat for a private citizen to be able to buy and simply enjoy a new Smith & Wesson revolver.

[The Gila Bender]

Originally Posted by S&W ucla

Somebody took a good target gun and turned it into a GREAT carry gun! I like it!

New thread time: Modified Transition N frames!

[NB4EST]

A few pictures.

[NB4EST]

The pic on the left, immediately above, is posted in an effort to show the raised ring that encircles the bore. The middle pic shows the gold bead. The right shows a side-view of the front sight.

[JSR III]

Serial numbers can be deceiving. I own an OD S69847 and an HD S67706 that both shipped in August 1946.

[model70hunter]

I would compare the crown to what is called a target crown. May have been cutting edge technology in the late 40's.

[iskra]

Just throwing in my Transition Outdoorsman SN 699xx. I have another Outdoorsman (no pix) in the 710xx range.
Amazing to me that in the mainstream (above 1946 shipment noted), these guns seem to have been marketed relatively late in the life cycle of the transition models! I wonder if earlier shipments may have had the status of special orders.
My questioning take.

[NB4EST]

The clues seem to point to my Outdoorsman (serial # S 7 123X) having left the factory in the late summer or fall of 1946. Had hoped for a birth year of 1947 but still plan to "letter" it......This old Smith whose beginnings may even pre-date my March of '47 birth is very accurate with 148 grain HBWCs in 38 Special cases and with 158 grain cast bullets and any of several loads of modest charges of pistol powders in .357 cases......I'm a fan.

[NB4EST]

Just found this old post. The old modified Transitional Outdoorsman still roosts here, I've shot it a bunch, but have fooled around and failed to letter it. Any new opinions as to when it might have left the factory?

[NB4EST]

Also, does anyone have any differing ideas or opinions concerning the "ring around the muzzle"?

[RKmesa]

Here is a photo of three transitional 38/44 O/D's. Top to Bottom - S70333, S70573, and S71409. I have in my records that all of them shipped in Jan 1947...



I'd love to see some more photos of your cut O/D... please.

[paplinker]

My Trans S70835 Shipped Sept 1946
So just like anything S&W always some leaving the vault early or late.

Not lettered this one yet myself


This trans changed to short action.

[NB4EST]

Yet to get a decent pic showing details of my "cut" and otherwise modified O/D. Hope to try again this afternoon.

[redwagon32]

I have attached the letter on my November 4, 1948 transition---interesting that it says it was part of a 100 unit shipment all billed at $47.03 each! The SWHF could not find the invoice or any more info on it. IF they were all the same, that is a lot of transition models. They must have given him a bulk discount price as the Outdoorsman was $77.00 in 1951.
After posting this, I asked Roy Jinks to confirm the number and he was kind enough to reply as follows:

"Yes, there were 100 units in that shipment and the invoice lists all the serial numbers. This was not the only invoice-there was a second invoice on that same day to another New York City distributor for another 100 units. Yes, I agree it seems unusual, but revolvers were in short supply so distributors would take whatever they could get and accept any quantity that the factory would send. Roy"

[paplinker]

Originally Posted by redwagon32

I have attached the letter on my November 4, 1948 transition---interesting that it says it was part of a 100 unit shipment all billed at $47.03 each! The SWHF could not find the invoice or any more info on it. IF they were all the same, that is a lot of transition models. They must have given him a bulk discount price as the Outdoorsman was $77.00 in 1951.

Makes me wonder if long and short action guns were in that batch.

Or maybe the factory gave a deal to buy a bunch of obsolete to them long action guns?

[MG34/bar]

My Outdoorsman S696XX letters as shipped 9/27/46 to NYC.

[1Aspenhill]

Earliest ser number I have is S69301 and latest S72009. All of these guns were long action, pre war hammer and trigger style, large ejector rod knob, new style magna grips.
3 Transitions I once owned-now only 1!

This is the one I still own with a cockeye hammer:

[NB4EST]

Pics of the Transitional Outdoorsman I just lettered appear above in this thread.