I need your help, I have a S&W mag revolver model 51 in the box. The box says "model 51 32 22 mag kit," dated 1955 warrenty card also is dated 1955 serail 34xxx. Did they make this gun in 1955? Because the only info I could find online says that they start to make them in 1960 starting with the serial number 54xxx. Let me know thanks john [email protected]

That's the standard date printed on the warrranty card. I guess S&W printed up an abundance of them and used them for a couple generations.

The .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum cartridge and guns for it were introduced in 1959-1960.

If your gun is stamped Mod 51 in the crane cutout, it was made after 1958 when the model numbers were marked.

Welcome to the Forum. Something doesn't compute. A 34K serial range is not a Model 51, but a Model 34. Both are Kit guns, but in different calibers, Mod. 51 being a .22WMR and a Mod. 34 being .22RF, What is the caliber of your gun? Is it a round butt or square butt? As John said, boxes with 1955 dates are seen for years after 1955 until the supply was used up. Is the box marking printed directly on the box on is it on a lable applied to the box? Someone may have applied their own lable to the box ( blank S&W lables are available on the internet) and incorectly marked it to fool a buyer. A 34K serial number gun is not correct in a box marked .22 Mag.

The label is stamped into the leather (box). 1955 Model 51 22 mag kit - blue box gold letters. If you would like to see pics of the gun or box send me your email. I would be glad to send them to you.

Thanks, John

John, What you have is a .22 Mag. box, but not a .22 Mag gun, unless someone has exchanged the original .22RF cylinder for a later .22 Mag cylinder. Is the cylinder numbered to the gun? What caliber is the cylinder? What caliber is stamped on the side of the barrel?

Later today, I will move this thread to Category 2.

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Lee Jarrett

Model numbers were not assigned until 1957, so a "1955 Model 51" is impossible.

The 22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) wasn't introduced until 1959, so again "1955 Model 51" is impossible.

The Model 51 wasn't introduced until 1960 so... one more.. "1955 Model 51" is impossible.

As JT noted, the documentation that came with all S&Ws from 1955 until sometime in the 1970s carried the 1955 date as this was the copyright date for the printed material and is not indicative of the age of the gun.

You mention a leather box. This is not original from S&W. Somebody has put the gun in this box and written whatever they felt on it regardless of correctness.

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Here's the gun.





After all this he states the gun is model marked as a 51. That would have been nice to know up front.

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