I've waited a last month for this three digit Baby Chief to get out of Cali gun jail. Picked it up yesterday with a !934 Mauser Navy (M) stamped pistol. I was offered this 1934 at a local show a few years ago but passed. Not exactly my cup of tea, although I do have a few German and nazi marked guns. Got a chance to buy it again and couldn't pass... Very rare!

Both are great condition guns. Lucky catches.

That Mauser is beautiful!

Very nice! If you haven't already, check out Legacy Collectibles on yout**. Has some interesting items even if his prices are WAY out of my league.

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Wing Nut-USAF and Army vet

Nice Smith and Wesson. You might want to enquire about that Mauser 1934 over on the Luger forums LugerForum Discussion Forums.

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Kind regards, Heinz

Years ago I had a 1934 Mauser though nowhere as nice. It was incredibly accurate. But, for some reason I let it go. Doubt I will make the same mistake with my "moon baby". Great finds on both.

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Randy
'No Guff' Here

Thanks for the post.. I am relatively clear on the Mauser as to what it is. Just posted since it came to me with the Smith.. I am mostly a SWCA kind of guy.. The group is more family to me..

Rock - Thanks for the post. I might - it is an interesting gun given the serial (991). I've been deep into various snubs so it fits my next display when we get back to doing shows.. The fun thing; these gun are like unions very hard to find and at the same time they are super affordable. I don't like talking numbers, but I can say I paid less that I would for a new in box out fo the factory model 36! At least that is the case here in Cali.. BTW - Happy New Year to everyone...

Handsome Baby!

Based on other high 3-digit and low 4-digit serial numbered Chiefs, I'd guess yours shipped near the end of 1951, November or December.

We know from a list on the SWCA side of the forum that only 19 .38 Chiefs Specials shipped in 1950. Conjecture, based on the ones in my database, leads me to believe only about 1,600 shipped in 1951, most in the last two months of the year.

For the price you hinted you paid, you should turn yourself in for theft. Congrats!

Most 3-digit sales I've known of in the last couple years have been between $2k and $3k.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Thanks for the post Bob.. Great information. Regarding price sometimes as is the case in Cali when we look at specialized or vertically focus guns like this one, a seller has to find the buyer willing to drop cash. The cost for this one is based on the location when it was purchases and regional interest. I'm glad my buy was good within the group, nevertheless in this case it was a fair sell and purchase number maybe a little favoring the buyer. Again in this case the gun was purchased in a package with the 1934 which FTR was not inexpensive relatively speaking. It always levels out.. Signed clyde barrow

Very nice Chiefs Special. The Mauser looks like a great piece as well. Please share some more pictures when you have an opportunity. Somehow the old Chiefs Special models have been migrating to my safe. I am a fan of these to say the least.
As for prices on them, I have recently read that they are depressed. Unfortunately I cannot find any of these depressed prices, and I'm having a tough time adjusting to the new pricing structure.
Congratulations on your purchases! Well done.

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Proud NRA Endowment Member

Hello JH and thanks for the post.

I try staying curerent with prices more focused when buying. The standard to good condition anything is depressed where the top of the line stuff continues commanding high numbers. My read of a no box baby chief retail should be around 600 to 800 but given our expert here I am low looking at the national numbers. I priced this last one bases on a Baby 1951 four dig that is up for sale this week currently holding at 1k.. Box complete at what I would consider 95++.. We will see where it hammers. Good gun!
Erased

Beautiful guns Bigl1911. The crazy thing I have noticed the last few years is that the correct red boxes for Baby Chiefs often exceed $200 on auction sites like ebay. And they aren't even a particularly attractive box like the gold & blue embossed boxes for the K-22 and K-38 from the same period !

For what it is worth, Chiefs Special 6XX shipped November 9, 1951. It appears to be new and complete in its original box. I paid $425 for it 32 years ago.

I finally hear a gun story from Kalifornia that's a good one... on this side of the country it seems like folks who buy S&Ws at gun shows know what a Baby Chiefs Special is and are willing to pay accordingly. Getting one at a bargain is like finding a diamond in a pile of ... well you know!

Froggie

Deals can be found. I bought my Baby Chief locally this past April. (New England) It's very nice, has a non serrated front sight, original grips and serial # in the 10K range. Condition is 95% or better. No box. The LGS was delighted to sell it to me as they had been sitting on it for a while. Price was less than $500 OTD.

Wow and wow! Last show I went to I saw a 7.65 Mauser but it looked rusted shut. A Baby Chief that nice is so rare...

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Heavily armed old man.

bigl1911, you may already know this about the Mauser:
There are 3 purchase groups of the 1934 by the Navy, the first group has a Weimar Eagle and no Swaztica, The second group has the Nazi Eagle with the swaztica. I am not sure about the third but I think it is the same as the second with a later group of serial numbers. Your Serial number is mid-range in the second group. On close examination you will probably find the Naval Acceptance mark is pantographed, which would be wrong for most German marks but is right for this one and some few other Navy marks. The Navy supposedly purchased these from regular Mauser production and added the acceptance mark themselves. Fakery is rampant in German pistols, you can buy repro proof stamps on Ebay. But this one looks really good from the photos.

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Kind regards, Heinz

Well, As numerous others have already stated, you my friend have indeed been extremely fortunate, & I do mean FORTUNATE !! Mauser M-1934's are almost unheard of, although they do appear on the market every now & then. Personally, in the condition your's appears to be in, significantly adds to its value. These Kreigsmarine proofed examples were without question issued to, & used by KM personnel during WW2. Being somewhat more compact than many other models, they were favored by U-Boat Officers, KM Pilots & Flying personnel, along with assorted others. If you intend on keeping it, you may wish to mate it up with an period correct Holster & spare Magazine for display purposes. Be advised however, either of those items will run you a few bucks, especially the correct Kriegsmarine proofed Magazine. All in all, you now possess an interesting & quite uncommon WW2 era Pistol. On the Chief, I'm there are others here much more knowledgeable in it than I. It is an very early example, which in itself calls out for an S&W Factory Letter ! you may rest assured that I'll watch this Post with interest.

Best, dpast32

Froggie.. Thanks for the post..

I have many amazing guns hunted down here in Cali. FTR - I don't search they come to me. Place like Pomona and Cow Palace were very large and important gun shows.The reason I can find good value has to do with the collectors aging and interest in older guns slowing down in this area. Don't forget for younger gun collector a Python is a big deal! Today the problem is covid and lack of shows as a general statement. Very hard to connect..

Thanks Heinz for your post.. Appreciated and new information for me..