While the Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum deserves the lion’s share of the prewar magnum glamour it was not alone. Colt, our other major revolver manufacturer, was quick to realize the potential of this new cartridge. The 1936 Colt catalog lists the 357 as one of the options for their New Service large frame revolver. Not many New Service 357s were built.
Bob Murphy, in his 1985 monograph on the Colt New Service, presents a table of late model New Services by caliber for 246 revolvers. Assuming that this is a representative sample 9.3 percent of the late models were chambered for the 357 Magnum. The serial numbers for the late model span the range of 28,914. From these data we might reasonably conclude that about 2,700 were 357s.
This particular one, serial number 346323, dates from about 1939. It has a 6-inch barrel and is in very good condition with only a few handling marks.
The Colt New Service does not have quite the lavish cosmetic treatment of the S&W Registered Magnum, but is beautifully made and finished. It would have been a superb choice for a practical working gun for those who preferred the Colt.
John Hopkins

While the Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum deserves the lion’s share of the prewar magnum glamour it was not alone. Colt, our other major revolver manufacturer, was quick to realize the potential of this new cartridge. The 1936 Colt catalog lists the 357 as one of the options for their New Service large frame revolver. Not many New Service 357s were built.
Bob Murphy, in his 1985 monograph on the Colt New Service, presents a table of late model New Services by caliber for 246 revolvers. Assuming that this is a representative sample 9.3 percent of the late models were chambered for the 357 Magnum. The serial numbers for the late model span the range of 28,914. From these data we might reasonably conclude that about 2,700 were 357s.
This particular one, serial number 346323, dates from about 1939. It has a 6-inch barrel and is in very good condition with only a few handling marks.
The Colt New Service does not have quite the lavish cosmetic treatment of the S&W Registered Magnum, but is beautifully made and finished. It would have been a superb choice for a practical working gun for those who preferred the Colt.
John Hopkins

I like it.

Next to N-frames the Colt New Service has always been my favorite revolver. Even ahead of SAA's

My father's duty gun from 1939-41 and again from 46 until about 1970 (When he started driving a desk as a Captain,he switched to his 4" S&W pre Model 10 dating to 1947) was a 6".357 mag New Service. The gun had been worked over by King Gun Works in Calf. before the war.

I asked him once way he hadn't gotten a .357 Mag from S&W. "Well the Smith would have cost about $60-65, but the Colt was only $42, King's adjustable ramped reflector red bead sights added $5 plus labor. King's also polished the action while it was there. Shipping added a couple of bucks." He later added a Pachmayr grip adapter. So, in the end he figured he saved about $10-15. And,"ten bucks was a lot of money on a Patrolman's salary in 1939."

He shot the gun for bullseye throughout the 50-60's while competing in the Pittsburgh Police Pistol League.

The gun made two trips with me to Alaska in the mid 70s.

Then, it was pretty much retired to nightstand duty, untill my dad passed in 2004 at the age of 88.

I still have the gun. Needless to say its now "the" safe Queen. I recently asked a dealer friend to evaluate the condition; he put it at about 90%.Which is pretty good, I think, for a gun that was carried almost daily for 3 decades.

It shares a case with the 6.5 inch Reg. Mag. (#4629) that I bought several years ago as a $325 joke. I wanted to show my dad what he could have had.
About a year later I discovered the joke was on me, when I learned the value of #4629 was more like 8-10 times what I had paid for it.

Unfortunatly my dad never got to see the gun he should have bought.

I have always wondered how many were made in this caliber. I've never seen another one.

So any additional information would be welcome.

Brad

John,
FYI,
Dad's New Service serial number is 3498xx. He said his dated from 1939.

Brad

Brad, that was a cool story about your Dad's Colt. Any chance of posting a couple of pics of his gun?

__________________
I will move firewood every day

Sorry I'm not a picture poster, I'll see if my Photo shop savy wife will lend a hand.

The New Service is definitely an all-time classic. The problem with .357 New Services is that the vast majority of them that you see these days are US Model 1917s with conversion barrels and cylinders that Numrich sold for some time. I don't know that I've ever held an original .357 New Service in my hands.

I used to own a shooter-grade .45 Colt New Service. Had to sell it during a slow time with my business. It wasn't a looker like that .357, but it sure shot well! Could ring a 6" gong with it every shot at 30 yards - single or double action.

There was another prewar .357-the Colt Single Action Army. I have read that a few of those were shipped to England during WW II after Dunkirk.

I have a few New Services around the house-a 7 1/2" .45 Colt, a cutdown (4") .45 Colt, a 5 1/2" .455 converted to .45 Colt, and a cutdown (3 1/2") .44-40.

I have a few parts stashed away to turn that 7 1/2 incher into a .44 Special someday.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

If John is correct and there were only about 2,700 .357 Colt New Services; that's one for every 3 pre-war Smith in .357.

Off the top of my head,and thinking out loud;(or pure BS!!!)


Isn't the best guess about pre war mags; there were less than 5,000 reg mags and about 2,000 nonregistered shiped? How many Reg Mags are accounted for? Maybe 30%; 2100. Police guns and single one off special orders.

It would appear that the Colt was a working officers/mans gun, not a "special order" item. For the most part worked hard and put away wet.

How many of each went off to war with Patton and others, and never came home?

If so, I wouldn't be suprised if only 10-15% are still "out there" in decent shape. That's only about 270 to about 400 guns in the world.

This speculation is getting interesting.....

Here are a couple of the Real McCoys for your perusal. Both of these were shipped in 1939, and I'm pleased to say they're both living in my safe for the time being. I apologize to those who've seen this photo before - but it's instructional to see them side-by-side.

Regards,

Jerry

That's one picture worth more than a thousand words!!!

Both the old Colt's and S&W's are nothing short of works of art! Can't believe they were made to be used!

That New Service is sleek and beautiful, sort of like a tall,long legged, well proportioned lady.

Julian

The N-frame looks bigger than the NS in that pic. Is that just the photo's perspective? I am not anywhere near my guns to comapre now, but the NS is bigger, no?

And, oh yeah, I love 'em both! I am a promiscuous accumulator of pistolas, and require a varied harem to slake my lust.

An even more direct comparison is the Shooting Master--an upgraded New Service with adjustable sights, hand-checkered grip straps and other refinements. Only about 3,500 were made, in various calibers. Bob Murphy and I have combined our databases and the breakdown is as follows:

38 Special.....242 or 69%
357 Magnum......35 or 10%
45 ACP..........26 or 7%
45 Colt.........25 or 7%
Other............4 or ~1%
Total..........352

Regards,
Kevin Williams

__________________
Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Onomea,

The perspective is a bit distorted in that picture. In fact, I believe the NS is a little bigger. Some of this is because of the greater rearward bow of the Colt's backstrap. It definitely puts more distance between the palm and the trigger finger. In this specific instance, the Colt's longer barrel also adds to the weight and the overall impression of greater size.

I think Kevin's picture more closely illustrates the differences between the two guns. It also clearly shows a gun I've never seen in person - the Shooting Master! Thanks, Kevin!

Jerry

Thanks for the comparison pictures. Was .357 ammo readily available when these first came out?

both are lovely but i'd much rather have the S&W

Here's a couple for comparison. The Colt new Service is factory chambered in 45 Colt, shipped to the NWMP in 1919. Barrel is 5 1/2". The S&W is a an early M27 no dash.

The Colt has quite a nice heft to it, compared to the smaller D frames.

Regards:
Rod

A while back I went on a colt forum looking for New Services in .357. I'm seeing more on this thread than I found there.

As Dad got older, he had cateracts (sp), he wanted a more visible front sight.

Some time in the early 80s he changed the King front sight on his New Service to a red ramp. A smith ramped the King Patridge blade and made a red insert that covers the whole ramp.It worked for Dad.

I've been looking to restore it (or have the option to) to Dad's origional 1939 configuration. Does anyone know a source for King sight parts?