Has anyone have any information on rex firearms co. i have a couple of gun's that letter to this company. any info would be great...

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George Jamison

I am not sure when Rex Firearms in NYC started, but in the 1950s, they were the firm recommended by S&W if you wanted an engraved, two-tone, or otherwise special S&W. According to a person who lives in NYC and visited Rex in the 60s, their showcases were full of beautifully engraved and finished S&Ws. In 1957, a person in LA wrote S&W about acquiring an engraved and gold inlaid 44 Magnum, and was told to order it through Rex (See gun in Expert Commentary...it is the one with the gold polar bear on the side plate). Rex also contracted with Alvin White to produce some of the best engraved and inlaid S&Ws in existence.

You can see Rex's advertisements in the American Rifleman in 1955 and 1956.

I believe Rex remained in business until the early 70s. I have a Class C-engraved Model 19-3 that was shipped to them in 1971. I also have a .357 Magnum with a two-tone finish that was shipped to them in 1952.

Rex Firearms and H. H. Harris in Chicago (Evaluators in Quantico, VA is a third) were two of the largest and most well known S&W distributors in history.

Bill

Here you go



Keith

thanks guys. i have a pre model 24 that was shipped there, it was in a order of 10 revolver's all shipped with the same configuration. i will post pic's on another thread.

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George Jamison

Keith...do you know the month and year of the ad? I would like to add it to my collection. I notice the .357 has a Blanchard front sight that pre-dates S&W's red ramp.

Bill

I started as a gunsmith in New York City in 1948.
My little shop was located in a building on Broadway and Houston St.
In the early 1950's I was contacted by a new company located at 743 Fifth Avenue.
They wanted a gunsmith, so I took them as a part time enterprise.
My own telephone was set up in their office as an outside extensionfrom my shop and were great friends with the owners.
The rent on Fifth avenue was exhorbitant to say the least, and the firm relocated to an office at 137 East 57th St.
We sold many hundreds of regular Smith & Wesson revolvers and the early [ pre-39] 9Mm pistols, the .22 autos and .38 Spl pistols. ( Still have and quite often carry my 9Mm serial 13XX).
Our showrooms had on display not only the engraved and inlaid guns, but the plain ones as well.
We used to 'Simoniz" the bright blue guns so that they looked like jewelry.
One of the Rex specialties was delivery to the airport and embassies for foreign customers. ( Who often paid well over the 'American' prices for the merchandise).
When the original owner passed away suddenly, the attorneys came in and started to operate the business.
I could not tolerate their manner of operation and ceased my connection with Rex in 1956.
I left and moved my own shop to Broome Street, next door to the [then] New York City Police Department Equipment Bureau.
My shop was there until my retirement from New York in 1992.
Rex was sold to a new group, who as nice as they were, did not know the gun business, had no gunsmith, and eventually ceased operations.
Many of the guns sold by Rex had action work that was done by me.

That is very cool!!

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Dom

Tired GS,

Ive got a great (98%) 4" Model 1950 Military (pre-M21, .44 HE Fourth Mod. Military) that shipped to Rex on March 14, 1955. It has a glass like action and if you had a hand in it, I certainly appreciate your work. A belated "Thank You!"

Bob

What a neat opportunity to learn a bit of history right from the horse's mouth.

TGS thanks for the post.

Bill, I had to go hunting for the magazine tonight and finally found it, the ad is in Guns magazine July of 58. I noticed the sight insert also and actually knew what it was, thanks to the forum! I also came across this one from Guns January 58.
.

I'll post a couple more in a new thread that you might find interesting.

Keith

Bob - I spoke with TGS on the phone a couple months back about a Rex gun. He was very helpful and he mentioned that he had is own trademark stamp on all work he performed. His first name is Robert and he used two different marks. The one is a "R" that is almost 3/16" tall and then he has a mini R that is hard to see with the eye. Look on your frame under the grips....................

Keith...thanks. The old ads bring S&W's history alive for me. It is also interesting to note the stocks on the 44 Magnum in ad have the relieved area on the left panel. Unusual for plain stocks back then.

Bill

this is all great information. thank you so much. i wish there where a company like this today.

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George Jamison

Thanks VM,
I'll look for his mark when I get home.
Bob

Since my pre model 29 44 magnum was shipped to Rex Firearms in NYC, I dug around for some information. It's mentioned as being shipped to them on June 7th, 1956 (S&W factory letter
dated May 23, 2016).

Lo and behold I found this thread from 2009 which for me was very interesting!!

Thanks to Doc44 and Tired Gunsmith for all of the great info!!

I seem to recall a gun in Sixguns that came from Rex.

This is one of the most interesting threads I've read in a long time. Thanks, gents.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Wow!! Great reading. Wonderful string, guys!

Glad this thread was brought back up! Kinda hoping Keith Brown will see it and repost his ads that are gone now.

How many here are like me (everybody I am sure), and would love to be able to turn back time, to be able to go into a store like Rex Firearms Company and look at the display cases?

Of course, now that I think about it, I would like to do the same with Heiser, SD Myres, and many others too!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

both building locations of Rex are still there. at this point in time its hard to imagine a gun store at either location. times sure changed.

My Pinto 3/5" Pre-27 shipped to Rex Firearm in 1955. FWIW

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Randy
Provenance nerd

I too have a revolver shipped to Rex Firearms Co. Nov. 5th, 1953.
It is a K-38 Combat Masterpiece, that was shipped with a target hammer and walnut target square butt grips. It had a 4" bbl. and blue finish. This revolver remains 100% new, in it's original box, with papers and all the tools. It is the nicest condition Smith I own. It is # K 199088. The stocks are the early ones with no cut out for the extractor. Big Larry

In the 50s I was a high school boy.

I was in Rex Showroom on 5th Ave a few times in the 60s.A lot of eye candy to enjoy.

My 1st K-38 Target Masterpiece was shipped to Rex and bought from Dom's,aka Tired Gunsmith,tiny gun shop on Broome St next to the old NYPD Equipment Bureau in the mid 60s.I probably bought 3 or 4 guns through Dom's store including 2 Model 52s hand delivered from the mothership by Archie Dubia and another 10 or so around the corner at John Jovino's shop.

Sold most when I retired from the NYPD and the rest right before I took a job overseas a few years after retirement.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

It truly amazes me the amount and depth of information that is available on this forum as well as the people. I do not think a day goes by where I do not learn something about S&W revolvers and their history.

I get calls from people quite often who have tracked me down.
I do NOT have any records remaining from my association with Rex, only the memories dimmed by the decades that have since passed.

Tired GS,I was in your shop next to the Equipment Bureau several times in the late 60s and 70s.I picked up a few guns left in your shop for me by Archie Dubia including a few S&W Model 52s.

Next Monday I'll be 74

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I think some guns shipped to Rex were on the covers of magazines like, Argosy. ??


I believe some may be in various editions of, Gun Digest, too. Look in the section on custom or engraved guns.

I have a Jink's letter that indicates at least 10 Gold Plated Model 36s were shipped to Rex in Feb 1972.

No kidding. This site is unbelievable. I really appreciate those types of posts.

Somebody just posted a gold plated Model 36 with factory letter that mentioned Rex.

This is why I like to see "zombie" posts. I'd have never seen this thread, or learned any of this, if someone hadn't come along and bought it back from the dead.

Why I wouldn't have known enough to do a search to find it myself.

Thanks.

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John 3:16 .

The decades have dimmed a lot of our memories even though I was not quite born when you started your shop. I hope you are doing well.

my next birthday be the good Lord willing I will be 90.
Cannot travel much anymore, but look at various forums and try to help when and where I can.