Today I went to a show and found this pre-war Heavy Duty. It has a 5" barrel & is serial number 35101. Is this possibly a first year gun? I know it has incorrect grips, they should have been pre-war service. I was also 99% sure the rear sight was added later. When I got home I read that a few were actually sent out with target sights and wondered if anyone owned one of these target samples talked about in the Standard catalog Of S&W . Originals were adjustable and mine is not. Even though it has been modified I thought it was still a neat old gun. Here are a few pics:

Today I went to a show and found this pre-war Heavy Duty. It has a 5" barrel & is serial number 35101. Is this possibly a first year gun? I know it has incorrect grips, they should have been pre-war service. I was also 99% sure the rear sight was added later. When I got home I read that a few were actually sent out with target sights and wondered if anyone owned one of these target samples talked about in the Standard catalog Of S&W . Originals were adjustable and mine is not. Even though it has been modified I thought it was still a neat old gun. Here are a few pics:

I'm certain the sight was added.

Those pre-war Magnas are worth about $600 all by themselves.

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No life story has happy end.

Nice prewar HD - the prewar magnas bring $600-800 bucks so I'm sure you'll be able to get some original stocks and have some loot left over!

Congrats

Excellent find. I have had a couple different HD's that were modified like yours, they both were excellent shooters. your Magnas are Fantastic in grain and finish.

thanks for sharing

Dan

BEAUTIFUL magnas !

Jerry

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.38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

If interested I've got a nice set of large silver medallion service stocks that we might be able to work a deal on a trade for your magnas!

If interested drop me a line, bendastring@tds.net
Randy

Extremely handsome revolver.

About the replacement rear sight -- is that something that would have been added because the gun shot low with the original sights? Or does it simply reflect a preference for a different sight picture?

DCW

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David Wilson

Beautiful gun. I have the opposite issue you have, I need magna's and have the service stocks. If you want to work a trade(I'll add cash, or ?), give me a buzz.

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In memory of Labworm

Beautiful gun. Congrats.

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

Smith & W, The early fixed sights were TINY and very difficult to see well. The rear notch is a very, very small groove. Your rear sight should give you a much better or at least easier to see sight picture. Are there any marks near the serial number on the butt? Also look under the grips for re-work numbers. Who ever did the work on teh rear sight did a good job from what I can see in your pics.

Awesome find!!

Brian

Beautiful gun and grips, I'd hang onto them.

The magnas sure do fit like they were made for the gun.

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To be a rock and not to roll

How bout pics without the grips? Is there any re-work markings?

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C M Brier CPA, CIA, CFE

I would not change anything on that gun no matter what modifications have been made. Those magnas seem to fit perfectly !

Shoot it with stout loads and have fun !

Jerry

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.38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

Very, very nice find congrats
Scott

Thanks for all the replies. There were no rework stamping under the grips. For right now I am going to keep the gun the way it is,but, if I change my mind,I will let you guys know first.

Very nice gun with beautiful stocks! Thanks for the post and pictures.

Regards,

Jerry

Charlie,
Very nice gun! Yes, there are 2 known examples that left the factory in the first 2 months of production with 5" barrels, Call Gold Bead front sights and adjustable rear, service grips. Mine does not have grooved front and rear straps as the other one does by special order. My serial number is 35117. I would bet your gun is a first month gun. Here are some pics of my gun that has been restored by Gene Williams.
Bill

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www.38-44heavyduty.com

Never personally seen a pre-war HD with original magna grips, but I understand they are out there.

That said, nice arm.

Like GLL said, go ahead and shoot stout loads; the arm will handle 'em, and then some!

My HD is an early postwar transition model. It's one of the more "fun" arms in my accumulation, and goes to the range with me almost as often as my M-17 -- which goes every time!

Good thread and thanx for the pics!

Bill

Smithfan,
Yes, there are pre war HDs with Magnas out there-I have several.
Bill

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www.38-44heavyduty.com

Pre-war HD with numbered Magna grips, shipped December, 1936:

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John

nice HD John, welcome home!
Bill

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www.38-44heavyduty.com

You've probably already done this, but have you checked to see if the grips are numbered to the gun?

Thanks, Bill. That's the one I bought from Dave B./merlindrb at the Richmond, VA, S&WCA Meeting in 2007.

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John

Without a letter of history from S&W indicating the date it was shipped from the factory it is hard to know.

The following information was also sent to me from Roy Jinks, the Smith & Wesson was included in my Letter of History, but through additional correspondence with him by email.

1. The .38/44 Heavy Duty revolver was introduced on April 1, 1930, and designed on the .44 Hand Eject Third Model frame. These revolvers were not built in chronological order by serial number. They were built in a random order. The first lot of serial numbers was more than 1000 units.

The Heavy Duty was manufactured continuously throughout the 1930’s with the serial numbers being dispersed between serial number 35,037 and 62,350 of the N frame (.44H.E. serial number series). The total number of the pre-World War II .38/44 Heavy Duty was 11,111 revolvers.

At the end of World War II, on June 18, 1946, this model was reintroduced at approximately serial number S62,940 of the H.E. serial number series.

The revolver #35117 was assembled during the first 30 days of the original production that started April 1, 1930 and was shipped from the factory on May 2, 1930.

According to the Historian, Smith and Wesson assembled 394 .38/44 revolvers during the first month of production, so as close as he could determine was, that this revolver could have been one of the first ten production revolvers or possibly the 394th one that was assembled in the first month of production.

Roy G. Jinks,
Historian, Smith & Wesson



2. I also received this email reply from the factory. Prior to the Model number system when the revolvers were fit in both soft and hard fittings. The serial number on the butt would be marked on the rear of the cylinder, under the barrel or in the barrel shroud and the underside of the extractor star.

On pre-world war II revolvers, the yoke is also numbered to the gun on the surface that faces the front of the cylinder. The number stamped on the yoke and on the frame under the yoke is the work number. It is also on the inside of the side plate. The work number is put on before the serial number to keep the selectively fit parts together during early manufacturing.

The letter designation marked on the frame to the front of the cylinder is the identification given to the Fitter to identify the revolvers that they assembled.

I hope that this explains all the numbers.

Roy G. Jinks,
Historian, Smith & Wesson